Chapter XV – The Purpose of Christ – His Headship

[Christ] is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature, for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him, and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.

And He is the Head…

kai (AND) autos (HE) estin (HE-IS-BEING) he (THE) kephale (HEAD)

We are Called in Christ

We have now meditated upon various aspects of four of the six truths which can be grasped concerning the time prior to creation’s inception. As a reminder:

1.    God – alone

2.    All in God

3.    The Creation of God’s Son

4.    All in Christ

5.    God chooses us in Christ

6.    The Pre-eonian gifts to the ecclesia

As we move into Colossians 1:18, we would like to begin meditating on the final two points. This is because we have now passed the hinge on which Paul’s argument swings: the cross. We have observed the foundational reasons for the efficacy of Christ’s cross, in His role as the Firstborn of every creature. It is because all is created in Him, and has been created through Him and for Him, and because all has its cohesion in Him, that God ensures Christ’s cross to be a success. Thus, where He dies, we die, and since He is roused, so too will all be roused. It is on this binding premise – the creation of all established in the Image of the invisible God – that all are positively impacted by the cross.

Without verses 15-17, verses 18-20 carry no weight. Without verses 18-20, verses 15-17 carry no weight. We believe the two must be considered together, or neither lesson can fully stick. Creation is grand, meticulous, finely crafted. Its scope sweeps lightyears, a symphony of celestial bodies. God clearly has a dramatic flair. Yet, for all its majesty, the act of creation is insufficient in itself to reveal the heart of God. Reconciliation of creation is just as important, to reveal the binding heart of God. For this, tragedy must ensue. The solution God inevitably imparts must justify His use of such tragedy, while educating us as to His heart and character (Eph. 1:17.)

Both creation (exaltation) and reconciliation (high exaltation) attest to Christ and His glories. The Image of God must also become the Complement of God. It is one thing, we gather, for Christ to Simulate God. It is yet another for Christ to know why He simulates God, and to what end (if such an end is even possible.)

For this theme to become most apparent, a new connection to the race must be established via the cross – a premise on which Christ can safely wade through sin’s swamp and rescue the bodies stuck in the mire. He must be able to traverse unjust domain to nullify death.

For this, the ecclesia which is His body is formed. The purpose of Christ is simply incomplete without a meditation on His complement, His body, which is referred to as “the ecclesia” by Paul. The title “Head of the body” is of no value if we are unable to recognize the figure. Christ Jesus – in all His glories – is One individual. We refer to Him as “Christ,” or, “Anointed.” Yet this is only an official title, like “President” or “Prime Minister” (this is not truly fair, for Christ is the Official’s title, but we digress.)

What we mean is this: the purpose of Christ is not delegated solely to Jesus Himself. It is further delegated to all Who are His “body,” the “ecclesia” who believes in “the evangel of God,” as presented in detail in Romans 3:21-4:25. Though Christ saves, His purpose encompasses assuming the roles for which God has placed Him. This includes love, which requires a second person (in this case, many parties.)

Therefore, brethren, the purpose of Christ includes you.

You are integral to the fulfillment of Jesus’ goals. Without you, the Christ – both Head and body – are incomplete, and thus a moot point. All the pieces matter, not merely a few. No matter how we may feel, or our circumstances appear, we have been explicitly told our worth, and our place, at the right hand of God.

On the Agenda

As we proceed into this title, then, we wish to meditate on two subjects; first, the Head of Christ, and the body of Christ. The points presented in God’s Timeline XVII will be proven by elaboration upon the Headship of Christ in this chapter. In the next, our complementary election and role as the body of Christ will be fully realized and appreciated. We will observe how both of these subjects indeed follow directly from Col. 1:15-17, and serve God’s goal: the reconciliation of the universe.

In this chapter, we will not focus on “whether or not” Christ is our Head (for this is too easy, and we like challenges,) but how His headship over all is revealed to us: first by creation, then through opposition, then through suffering, and finally through subjection and reconciliation. We will further distinguish between Christ’s universal Headship and the present heading-up of the called in Him. Specifically, we will show that Christ is already Head over all by creation, but all are not yet headed up in Him, and in the meantime He is given as Head to the body, the ecclesia, first.  The former belongs to creation; the latter belongs to reconciliation.

We will conclude with the revelation which is so briefly given as an epithet in Colossians 1:18 – that Christ is Head of the body – that God’s allotment among the ecclesia (Eph. 1:18) is not a digression from Christ’s universal Headship, but the firstfruits of its acknowledged success.

All Headed Up

The first secret revealed to us in Ephesians concerns the will of God.

in all wisdom and prudence [God is] making known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in [Christ]) to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ -- both that in the heavens and that on the earth -- in Him in Whom our lot was cast also…

One could spend a lifetime meditating on the above portion of Paul’s first run-on in our present administration. In Ephesians, the first use of the stem “HEAD,” kephale, should always be kept in the forefront of our minds whenever it appears (nine times in the prison epistles.) We wish to reflect on many aspects of this sentence (most of which must be reserved for our inevitable concordant study of Ephesians,) but for now, we wish to broadly survey the text in the Concordant Version, in which the inflection and unity of the Greek is most accurately conveyed.

And what a survey it is! Universal in scope! Heavens (plural) and earth (Gen. 1:3) precludes any life from being left “down” (“DOWN” appearing first in Eph. 1:4, in “disruption” – as opposed to headed up.) As an apt demonstration of the verb “to head up,” anakephalaioo, we may observe its other use in Romans 13:9–

For this: “You shall not commit adultery,” “you shall not murder,” “you shall not steal,” “you shall not testify falsely,” “you shall not covet,” and if there is any other precept, it is headed up in this saying, in this: “You shall love your associate as yourself.”

Such a clear demonstration of the term’s force in use cannot be mistaken unless one intends to subtract from the Son what His suffering is due. We read of all precepts (at least those identified in a just law) to be summarized, headed up, in one singular precept: to love our associate as ourselves.

Among the Hebrew scriptures, the earliest illustration is provided for us in Genesis 2:10-14–

A stream was flowing forth from Eden to irrigate the garden; from there it parted and became four headstreams. The name of the first one is Pishon… The name of the second stream is Gihon… The name of the third stream is Hiddekel… and the fourth stream, it is the Euphrates.

Each of these streams is thematically relevant, though their figures are not immediately important. There is one stream flowing from Eden to irrigate the garden, which then branches off into four individual streams.

Both literally and figuratively, then, a head as used in scripture is designed as a kind of “hub,” from which all its deviations sprout. The four headstreams are incomplete without the headwater; nor can the headwater be called such without headstreams. Similarly, the precept “You shall love your associate as yourself” is incomplete without the others; nor can the other precepts (“headstreams”) be fulfilled apart from its source precept (“headwater.”)

So also, all must be headed up in Christ. Without all, Christ cannot be the Head of all. So also, without the Head, the purpose and function all cannot be understood and appreciated. One must have a body to be a Head – and a just body is subject to its Head.

Therefore, believers – the ecclesia which is Christ’s body. We are the first of creation to acknowledge this headship which Christ has over all other perceived “heads.” As we read in Eph. 1:22-23–

[God] subjects all under [Christ’s] feet, and gives Him, as Head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all.

As this Head, Christ is given to His body – as a hand fits perfectly into a glove, or a… well, you know. When we compare these verses – Eph. 1:10 and 1:22-23 – to Philippians 2:5-11, the picture becomes ever clearer. Christ is, indeed, Head over all. But He was not named “Jesus,” that is, “YHWH-Saviour” until His birth. The name YHWH-Saviour is now – and at no time prior – above every name that is named, at any level of creation (Eph. 1:20-21.)

For the purpose of our study, then, we may present two different aspects of Christ’s headship: that of His headship over all – an exalted glory established at creation (cf. John 1:1-3, 17:5, Phil. 2:6,) and that of His headship over the ecclesia specially (Eph. 1:20-23, 4:15, 5:23, Col. 1:18, 2:19.)

Distinguishing the Two

Christ is not “Head over all” because He is Head of the body. These two roles are related, but not interchangeable. We know that He does not assume the role of “Head of the body” until after His death. His crucifixion is the premise on which we are called; therefore, He could only become “Head of the body” by means of His death.

As we just read in Eph. 1:22, He is already called “Head over all” when He is given to the body. When we read of His headship over all, we must acknowledge that this is because the all that was once in God was placed in Christ, and came through Christ.

As with Philippians 2:5-11 and Colossians 1:15-20, then, we may acknowledge the complementary glories of our Lord; one which comes with creation, exalted in the form of God, and the other, which comes with reconciliation, high exaltation as the Head of the Christ. The present administration draws comparison to both for the sake of educating us as to our position in Him, and its purpose.

After speaking of all celestial blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3,) Paul tells us that we were chosen in Him before the disruption of the world (Eph. 1:4.) This is the seminal stepping stone which builds to the great fact that all will be headed up in Christ. A great contrast, then, may be drawn between those subjected to Christ and those not subjected to Christ. Indeed, in almost every reference to His headship, Paul mentions His subjection in tandem. We read that Christ subjects all, before mentioning that He is Head over all (Eph. 1:22.) The complement of the eras completes this subjection (Eph. 1:10, 1 Cor. 15:25-28.) Even individually, Christ is called the Head of every man – the premise on which Paul attests to His subjection of every man (1 Cor. 11:1-3.)

The similarities between these two roles are as important as their differences. The Headship of Christ was only implemented because there came to be enemies who opposed it. At no point during the eons does Christ relinquish this status. On the largest scale, creation was established in Him and propped up in Him – making Him the Head, and creation the body. This is a clean figure, but unsatisfying for a revelation of the depths of God. Therefore, the world as created in Genesis 1:1 is disrupted (Gen. 1:2, 2 Pet. 3:5-6, Eph. 1:4.) To subject all, insubordination must be introduced.

Here, there is hardly a rational disagreement which could be made, from Trinitarian and Socinian alike. One cannot subject if One does not first experience the opposition. You might as well expect one who just learned how to count to properly solve a trigonometry question. Christ cannot refute the bitter and sustained opposition to His headship if He is not present to sustain it. Thankfully, the Trinitarian does not suffer this issue, but they do mar the pattern – that Christ Himself has a “Head,” being God (1 Cor. 11:3.)

We quote our brother, full of wisdom, Alan Reid, in his study, The Secret of Marriage. He says, “The rousing of God’s beloved Son through the glory of the Father (Rom. 6:4,) and by the power of God (2 Cor. 13:4, Eph. 1:19-20,) and the vivifying power of Christ as the Firstfruit (1 Cor. 15:22-23,) combine as the greatest proof of and witness to Christ’s universal Headship.”

We love this quote – yet in this study we are compelled to simplify and expand packed statements such as these. Alan is correctly arguing that, if Christ were not Head over all to begin with, His outward appearance would not have been voided, with a view to demonstrate His mastery over death. Christ did not appeal to God by election, or by nature of His sinlessness. He has been roused by the ability of God, and has the power to give life (John 11,) even beyond the reach of death, and expound upon that which His own spirit testified (Luke 2:41-50, 1 Pet. 1:10-11,) well before the scene at Golgotha. He has a universal Headship by way of creation, as with the streams in Genesis, and as with the new creation inaugurated with the ecclesia. “Headship” is not provided by any other method.

Thus the distinction between the two may be readily asserted, and the points hitherto considered may be restated thus: Christ is, and has always been, Head over all. All have yet to be headed up in Christ, for all have not yet been called in Christ. He has instead been given to the ecclesia, to complete the Christ first.

The Underlying Problem

Mankind opposes Christ – though we hardly understand why. We are compelled to stand against Him because of an internal disdain which is not our own. We do not create a hatred toward Him; we are born into sin’s domain and spend much of our walk dismissing His glory and loathing His role. We either degrade Him to a position of every other man, so as to remove His headship as the physical Source from which our race was brought from, or deify Him to the extent that He is His own God, so as to rip Him from His Head.

Yet it remains a fact that mankind’s hostility is derivative, not inherently in us (Gen. 1:27, Rom. 5:12.) The source of this enmity must be sought earlier than Adam — in the prior celestial rejection of the One in Whom all stood. For this, we must look farther back, to the disruption of the world.

Sin, as considered elsewhere, means hamartia, to “MISS.” In regards to Paul’s evangel, to sin is to miss His mark of righteousness (Rom. 3:20-26, 14:23.) Sin serves as the opposite of faith in Romans, and directly relates to our actions. The disruption of the world is the introduction of sin to the creation.

When we consider this, along with Colossians 1:15-17 and Philippians 2:6, a startling truth becomes clear: the disruption of the world stems from an opposition to the Image of God. The headship of Christ had been opposed by the celestial beings. This is more than the supposed “rebellion” of which Christendom speaks. They claim that a rebellion occurred from a perfect angel named “Lucifer,” who used the free will God gave him to lead “a third” of the heavens into open rebellion against God. They further posit that God has been fighting ever since to save some of creation from the clutches of the Satan.

God’s word does not sustain such a farce. Satan is said to be a liar from the beginning (1 John 3:8.) He is never portrayed first as an angel; the passages often used to “prove” this claim are unsatisfactory, since it is expected of man to reason out new truth.

Our claim, in contrast, does not contradict the scriptures. The faith of Christ was the only manner of proving God’s righteousness; ergo none of creation had faith toward God aside from Christ. The disruption of the world thrust all (aside from the Original) into a jurisdiction of darkness (Col. 1:13.) With no way of proving the value of Christ’s Headship, an “information war” of sorts has ensued among the celestials for thousands of years, rooted in antagonism toward His authority. This is reflected on the earth we walk on. The disruption of the world, the effectual jurisdiction of darkness, the necessity for the cross of Christ, founded upon the inclusion of all in Him, together furnish our evidence for the opposition to and rejection of the Headship of Christ. Such a case is much harder to disprove, given the various plain statements from Paul which support such a conclusion.

The rebellion among the celestial hosts, then, is not an unplanned event, seeing as the cross of Christ was a foreknown conclusion by God before the disruption of the world commenced (1 Pet. 1:20.) The repercussions of this – misery, chaos, and evil – have been developed upon the earth, to our horror. Yet we are consoled by the fact that this event was foreseen. God was not reactive, but proactive by placing His Son as the Head of all before sin swept the universe. The disruption is incited by the counsel of God’s will, for it is the only way in which the will itself (the salvation of all mankind, and our realization of the truth) and its secret (that all becomes headed up in Him) can be accomplished.

Christ’s Headship Affirmed

We have no statement of “reaction” from Christ concerning the disruption of the world. From what we do know concerning His character in the scriptures, He would have been sorely hurt by such animosity from His progeny, regretful and angered that He brought forth such bitter fruit. Here is where His journey of faith begins, for His faith is not limited to what He could not see on earth, but concerning the righteousness of God He could not see among the celestials!

Yet faith itself – even a just faith – cannot sustain Him in light of such an event forever. It is difficult enough to face rejection from some family and some religious men, who repudiate our calling by attempting to reproach the faithful sayings which we proclaim (1 Tim. 1:15, 3:1, 4:10.) How much greater is the suffering of the One Whose Headship is continually challenged by all creation?

 By considering the event from Christ’s perspective, the ultimate tragedy becomes apparent. This event was clearly of the utmost gravity for Him. All believers agree that His suffering on the cross is the ultimate example of anguish. Yet when we acknowledge the entirety of our Lord’s existence, this suffering takes on new depth and meaning. No longer is He suffering at the hand of earthly principalities led by ambiguously angry and defensive celestial beings, but facing the agonizing humiliation of all creation, which has rejected His authority and place. When He cries, “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?” He is not solely crying in pain, or referencing a Psalm, but calling to His Head for consolation amidst all enmity, from all authority.

It is not until His rousing that His headship is affirmed. It is the first and greatest affirmation from His Head that He has acted righteously. Moreover, it is this act that enables the prophesied evangel of God to be revealed (Acts 13:1-2, 35-38, Rom. 1:1-2, 16-17, 3:21-32.) Because of His death, grace is now revealed to be a fundamental characteristic of God. And through His faith, righteousness is now revealed to be the Cause of grace (Rom. 3:21-24.) With this message, God began to assemble the body of Christ, which is the ecclesia.

God’s Allotment Among the Saints

In the first Ephesian prayer, we read this beautiful compound expression:

I do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention in my prayers
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may be giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him… for you to perceive… the riches of the glory of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints…

Paul typically writes these kinds of sentences, which serve as mini word-puzzles for us. The only true way to solve it is by working backwards, like so:

1.    Among the saints

2.    Of His allotment

3.    Of the Enjoyment

4.    Of the glory

5.    The riches

In doing so, we grasp the full scope of the phrase. We wish specially to stress His allotment. This term is not in reference to our allotment, though this is often supposed. The saints (that is, us,) are being acted upon in this expression, by the nominative God. For fans of the Greek, the term “saints” is written in the dative case, to indicate the direction the allotment is toward. This is in contrast to a passage such as Romans 8:16-17, where “saints” (“children,” in the text) are in the nominative case, to indicate that believers are the subject who partake of the allotment.

Therefore, while it is true that believers are indeed partaking of Christ’s allotment of all, we insist that Ephesians 1:18 is not teaching this same point, or the nominative case would refer again to the saints, and we would be reading again of our allotment, not His.

God’s Son was, from the beginning, appointed enjoyer of the allotment of all (for one cannot enjoy those He was never present for.) The allotment of God among the saints, however, is a special allotment. These two also should not be interchanged, or we again lose the force of the terms. His allotment refers to that special ecclesia chosen in Christ before sin made its entrance (Eph. 1:4.) Oh, that we may competently speak before the One Who composes such a progression! That to Christ was elected a group of people to know Him most intimately when He fulfills His responsibility as the Kinsman Redeemer – and all this before creation was estranged from Him.

This ecclesia, unlike the Israelites, were called before the disruption of the world. Israel’s special calling was to be called from the disruption of the world. Now, no one in Christ should presume that God did not fine tune every detail of His plot before it commenced. How, then, are we to rationalize the two quotes, if not in light of the audiences for which they are intended? Israel’s allotment is necessitated by sin; to restore the earth from its corrupted position on a national scope, while its King restores the earth on an individual scope. This is as far as their evangel enables them to see.

For us, meantime, we are justified, and conciliated – therefore our journey to be brought into the deepest recesses of the heart of God is active (Rom. 5:5, Eph. 1:17-18.) We are invited to view the story, not from the terrestrial supremacy of Israel, but from the birds-eye view of God Himself. From His perspective, we are specially revealed to be elected from before the disruption of the world, and have been prepared a spirit of wisdom to perceive such a revelation, and its import.

The calling of the ecclesia occurs in spirit, but on stage, on the earth. Christ does not invite a relationship which meditates upon His sufferings among the celestials. It is from the celestials that repudiation of the headship of Christ originated – nor are any prepared to feel such a connection. The ecclesia is repeatedly said to be called from the nations. How fascinating that we are chosen before the need for nations themselves were apparent?

This election paved the way for God’s allotment among the saints – itself the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the Head. As we are discussing in our Romans study, and have presented in God’s Timeline, God planned for two administrations – the eighth and the ninth – to call out this ecclesia through Paul’s evangel, and develop us into maturity through secret graces which were concealed within Himself until Paul finally penned the prison epistles (Eph. 3:8-9.)

What may we conclude, in light of all of the information presented in our studies thus far? That the ecclesia is God’s tenancy. Whereas in the Old Testament, the “dwelling place” of God was the tent of appointment, and the first and second temple, here through faith, to account us righteous, God makes us His dwelling place (Rom. 8:11,) and slowly reveals the full extent of the life of the Son of His love to us, now in Christ.

Let us maintain Christ’s perspective, then: one that is consoled by the very existence of the ecclesia!

The ecclesia is God’s affirmation to the Son that the animosity from creation will not last, for God has been reversing it among the called. Since we were elected before sin’s advent, Christ, through faith, had the earnest (or “pledge”) of the enjoyment of His allotment of all! He had this affirmation before Satan ever challenged him.

And we are the first to highly exalt Him, to ACKNOWLEDGE His place and right. Our realization of Him is proof that the love of God is poured out in our hearts, and that Christ will receive all that He suffered for. No longer are we ignorant to the Image of Love, but are the first to come to terms with the Outward Appearance of our Creator.

*   *   *

The topic of Christ’s existence at creation is so divisive that it has created a critical rift among the mature and the immature – so much so that some in both camps are willing to scorn God’s calling of the other. To the immature, who do not yet recognize Christ’s headship at the creation of all, this topic is not important on the grounds that it “does not affect our salvation.” This unfortunate reasoning places the focus squarely on the ecclesia – effectually neglecting Christ’s say and view of the matter. Man cannot appreciate Christ as our Head if we view Him solely as the Means of salvation. The only reason His role, as Head of the ecclesia, is of any value is because He is Head over all.

The mature in the ecclesia have indeed come to terms with this glorious truth of Christ’s headship. Of course, we entreat all who understand the points made thus far to have patience with the immature – not at the cost of truth, but for the sake of it. We are not meant to wield a truth we now have – as if the Headship of the Firstborn of every creature is a means of piety. We know that it is an abiding pledge of the universal acknowledgement of Him (Phil. 2:9-11, Col. 1:18.) It is not merely that this is, but what this entails.

Therein lies the connection between “The Character of Christ” and “The Purpose of Christ.” The two are complementary; Christ rules with His characteristic humility. This One, Head over all, voided His outward appearance, taking up a frail, soilish frame molded for death. God demonstrates His humility – and therefore bestows upon Him the ecclesia, to begin knitting the body – His own allotment – into reality. Salvation,  in Paul’s argument, is not an isolated, singular act of rescue detached from creation, but the procedural reclaiming of what was first established in Him. Therefore, if Christ is not antecedent to creation, He may be imagined as a helper or appointed champion, but not as the One in Whom all stands, through Whom all coheres, and to Whom all must finally be headed up.

We are thus prepared for a consideration of the body, the ecclesia crafted through Paul’s evangel. In the next chapter, we will reflect on the ecclesia, the complement of Christ’s headship, and thus round out the purpose of His headship over the ecclesia as we progress into the secret of the reconciliation of all creation.

- GerudoKing