gengwall

“2. It was never used in relation between PEOPLE without the notion of authority.”

Wrong!

1 Corinthians 12:21. Head is used metaphorically to represent one person in the body relating to other persons in the body and the context of the verse is specifically the equal standing of all parts of the body from head to foot.

I really don’t know how you can make such a statement Mark. Others have shown over and over how authority is not in view with kephale in either the bible or the contemporary Greek literature. You have yet to coutner any of their claims with any evidence. Instead, you dogmatically insist it implies authority without ever showing an example where it does. To quote one of my favorite lines from Tom Sawyer – “your sayin’ so doesn’t make it so”.

The reality is that you are assuming authority based on a biased cultural paradigm and, as Lin correctly states, the burden of proof is on you. We can’t prove something that isn’t there doesn’t exist. You need to prove that the something that is isn’t there is actually really there. The proof would be within the extended text but Paul never, ever, EVER, says “husbands are in authority over their wives.” Nor does Jesus. Nor does God. Nor does Moses. Nor does Peter. I know you believe that is what they are implying. But you can’t deny they never say it directly. I can’t fathom how it doesn’t make you wonder whay they didn’t say this directly when there are plenty of ways both in Hebrew and Greek to say it directly – ways that are used abundently even by the same authors in other writings within the bible.

This all amounts to circular reasoning. It goes like this.

Comp: “Husbands are in authority!”
Egal: “How do you know that?”
Comp: “Because husbands are ‘head’.”
Egal: “So what?”
Comp: “Well ‘head’ means authority.”
Egal: “How do you know THAT?”
Comp: “Because husbands, who are the head, are in authority – therefore, ‘head’ means authority.”

The same is true for every argument. Here it is regarding created order.

Comp: “Adam was in authority over Eve!”
Egal: “How do you know that?”
Comp: “Because Adam was created first.”
Egal: “So what?”
Comp: “Well first in order has authority.”
Egal: “How do you know THAT?”
Comp: “Because Adam, who was created first, was in authority over Eve – therefore, first in order means authority.”

All we are asking is that you show just one place anywhere in the bible where it says unequivicably (or even marginally) that either first in order is in authority over second or the head is in authority over the body. As Dave is imploring – show us the words.

You, of course, won’t find it. But here is one little glimpse of what you will find. We have mentioned this passage many times before but you ignore it. That won’t make it go away.

Ephesians 1:18 {I pray that} the eyes of our heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. {These are} in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (20) which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places,} (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (22) And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (2:1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places} in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

This comes from the same letter that contains Ephesians 5. The head and body metaphor is used both here and in chapter 4. Several questions/challenges for you Mark.

1. Do you believe Paul uses the head/body metaphor inconsistently in Ephesians, or is Paul consistent in his view of how head and body inter-relate?
2. Show me in the above passage where Christ has authority over the body.
3. Conversely, rebute the plain reading of this text that shows Christ’s authority is over “all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name…”, not over the body, and that this authority is for the benefit of the body, and that the body will be place along side of Christ in the seat of authority and share in His dominion “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name…”