Much of the discussion about women in ministerial leadership focuses on the meaning of headship. So, I wish to offer a few reflections on the meaning of the Greek text and its theological implications.
First, what does headship mean? The Greek term in question is κεφαλή (kephalē). It is commonly translated as head, that is, the anatomical part of the body (1 Corinthians 12:21). However, Paul also used kephalē to refer to the authority of Christ to rule (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 2:19); and to speak of Christ as the source of all things (Colossians 1:18). This demonstrates the ambiguity of the word.* It may be that Paul chose this word because of its ambiguity. If Paul wanted to speak of head specifically as “ruler” the most commonly used Greek word was ἄρχων (archōn). The context in which words are used always informs their meaning and nuance. My best judgment is that in the text pertinent to headship, Paul used kephalē to primarily denote source, but also to imply authority (cf. G Fee, C Kroeger, L Morris, F Bruce).
So, what are the theological implications? Paul wrote, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3).
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- In this context, what does head mean? It appears that Paul gives an interpretive clue in verse 8: “For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man.” When Paul used kephalē in this context he spoke primarily of source, or origin.
- Therefore, Christ is the source/origin of humanity; man is the source/origin of woman; and God is the source/origin of Christ. For Paul, Christ is the source of humanity in that he is the new Adam, the firstborn of all creation, the first-fruits of resurrection (Romans 5:12ff; 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Colossians 1:15; 1:18).
- When Paul said that “man is the head of a woman” he referred to the creation narrative in which “God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man” (Genesis 2:22) Again, Paul was speaking of source/origin. There is no suggestion that man rules over woman until after the fall (Genesis 3:16). The authority of man over woman is an act of judgment, not an act of creation.
- When Paul said, “God is the head of Christ,” kephalē refers to source/origin. Paul said that Christ is sent from God (Galatians 4:4); Christ is announced by God (Romans 1:4); and Christ “belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:23). When Paul confessed that “Jesus is Lord,” he was saying that Jesus is Yahweh enfleshed. There is no suggestion that Paul insinuated that Christ is inferior to God. Paul’s use of kephalē as source is congruent with the eternal begotteness of the Son.
- Further, Paul qualified the concept of headship when he said, “However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12). Paul is reinterpreting the traditional Jewish hermeneutic. In the Lord, man and woman are interdependent; and man and woman originate from God. Paul suggested that new creation in Christ restores God’s intent in creation that man and woman are created in the image of God and rule together over creation, and in the church (Genesis 1:26). Hence, in this context kephalē implies mutual source/origin and mutual authority.
- Paul’s concern is that women pray or prophesy in proper authority (ἐξουσία – exousia). In the cultural context of Corinth proper exousia consists in proper covering of the woman’s kephalē – head. There is no suggestion that women inherently lack authority. In the theological context, a woman’s exousia to pray or prophesy originates in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for the source of all authority is God (Acts 2:17; 1 Corinthians 12:1ff; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
Let’s look at another Pauline text: “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23). What does Paul mean when he said that Christ is the head (kephalē) of the church? Again, Paul did not use archōn – ruler. Paul’s preferred title for Christ is κύριος (kurios), Lord or master, which suggest superiority and dominion. Kurios was commonly used in ancient literature to refer to the paterfamilias – the head of the Roman family who exercised complete control. It is striking that Paul never used kurios in reference to male/husband headship.
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- Again, we have an interpretive clue. Christ as head means Christ as Savior – “He himself being the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23c). Again, kephalē speaks to source/origin. Christ is the head of the church because the church has its source/origin in Christ’s redemptive work. The headship of Christ suggest his sacrificial self-giving – Christ’s love for the church. Paul said, “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
- Likewise, the husband as the head of the wife is to love his wife as his own body (Ephesians 5:25, 28). The husband is to “leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31). Just as Christ, sent by the Father, “emptied Himself” and “humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:7-8) for the sake of his bride; the husband is to likewise “leave” his parents for the sake of his wife. The husband is to “give himself up for her.” This self-giving headship is demonstrated in Adam’s self-giving of a rib for the sake of Eve.
- Paul insisted “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). Wives are to “be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” This does not imply that the husband has authority to rule over his wife – to dominate his wife. The husband’s self-giving suggests surrendering the authority of the paterfamilias. If Paul is indeed speaking of the husband as ruler of the family; then he presenting nothing new, or particularly Christian. If the Christian husband is paterfamilias, then Paul is simply adopting Roman household codes as the standard for Christian homes. “As to the Lord” suggests that the Roman household code gives way to new life in Christ. The husband is not to enforce submission.** Rather, Paul explained, “each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:33). The Christian husband is not paterfamilias. The husband’s self-giving love grants the wife equal status within the marriage. Paul insists on a relationship of mutual love, respect, and pleasure: “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7:4). Yes, the wife has authority within the marriage! Again, Paul’s understanding of submission/authority is one of reciprocity.
In conclusion, my best judgment is that Paul does not teach that women are inferior to men; that wives are to be “ruled” by their husbands; or that women should be prohibited from leadership in the church. Instead, Paul insists on the equality of male and female, that both originate from God and reflect the image of God, and both should live in submission to Christ, and to each other.
*I am well aware of the contention among Greek scholars as to the meaning of kephalē, ie, leader or source? I would point out that the contention demonstrates the ambiguity of the word and should caution against dogmatism on either side. My interpretation of kephalē is based on the context in which it is used.
**The Greek word ὑποτάσσω (hypotássō), translated as “be subject” can be translated “to place in subjection” when spoken in the active voice. For example, “He has put all things in subjection under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:27). In this context, Christ is actively subjugating the enemies of God. However, when used in the middle or passive voice hypotássō denotes a voluntary act. For example, “as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands” (Ephesians 5:24). The passive voice does not refer to the subjugating activity of Christ over the church; or husbands over wives. Therefore, hypotássō does not imply ontological subordination, nor enforced subjugation; but deference given by one to another out of humility and love. In fact, there is not one example where Paul used hypotássō in the active voice when speaking of wife/woman submission to “husband/man.” Even when Paul says that women “are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves” (1 Corinthians 14:34) hypotássō is in the passive voice. Paul is not suggesting the active repression of female speech, but occasional voluntary silence (which is good counsel for men too!)
Also see: Adam, Eve, and Paul: Discerning the Role of Women in the Mission of God
