Symbolic Head in the Bible

Who is whose spiritual head, and how does this work?  To look into this, we need to look into foundations and sources...

The Bible is HUGE on source language. In both Testaments, it'll quite often go into one's spiritual foundation - the Rock.  Is your foundation Jesus, the Cornerstone of your faith, or sand?  Both Testaments also mention Christians as trees, or as branches from a vine.  Jesus says in the New Testament that He is the Vine, and Christians branch off of Him, for He is our Source.  Christ is the Source of the Christian Church - the roots - the foundation - the cornerstone.

The Cornerstone of our Faith - Combining Source with Foundation

While most of the time the Bible will use foundation and source language in separate places, sometimes it uses them together.  We see this in the New Testament - at least, we do if we look in the Greek.  Most English translations leave a word untranslated in some of the places where the Bible references Jesus as our Cornerstone. "Cornerstone" is the foundation stone, but the untranslated word in some of these cases is a source word - combining source and foundation together.  Multiple times in the New Testament, when referring to Jesus as the Cornerstone, it actually says in the Greek that Jesus is the "head cornerstone."  If head symbolically means authority, then we have multiple cornerstones with Jesus as the leader Cornerstone.  The  untranslated Greek word in these instances for "head" is kephale.  Kephale is the Koine Greek word for "head." It literally means the physical head on the top of the body, but it also has a symbolic meaning, and it is not 'authority,' like what symbolic head means in English. 

In the Koine Greek, at the time of Paul the Apostle, symbolic kephale/head meant source/beginning/origination.  Jesus isn't one of many Cornerstones, He is THE Cornerstone, thus the head Cornerstone doesn't mean 'the leader cornerstone (of many).'  It means the origination (kephale) of the Cornerstone.  Jesus isn't just the Cornerstone of our faith - the foundation of it, He's also the beginning of it - the source.  Thus He is both the source - origination of the Cornerstone of our faith, and He's the foundation - Cornerstone of our faith.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone [kephalē gōnia - origination and the cornerstone]; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?  Matthew 21:42 NRSVue

Jesus was quoting Psalm 118:22.  The Hebrew word for head can mean both source/beginning or leader.  In Psalm 118:22 we see it means 'source/beginning,' just like it does in the very first verse of the Bible, where it says - "In the beginning."  "Beginning" in Hebrew is ray-sheeth, which is derived from the root word roshe, which is the word "head."

How Ancient Writers saw the Greek Kephale/Head when Used Symbolically

Ancient writers also agreed that symbolic "head" in the New Testament means "source," and not "authority."  For example:

From the Apocalypse of Moses 19:3:

Lust is the head [kephale] of every sin.
Lust (selfish wanting) is the source of sin.

From the Testament of Reuben 2:2:

For seven spirits are established against mankind, and they are the sources [kephalai  - kephale in the plural] of the deeds of youth.

Cyril of Alexandria, who died in 444 AD, said:

For the Word, by nature God, was begotten from Him.  Because the head [kephale] means the source ... the man is said to be the head [kephale] of woman, for she was taken out of him.

Athanasius, who died around 373 AD wrote:

For the head [kephale], which is the source of all things, is the Son; and the head [kephale], which is the source of Christ is God; for thus we reverently lift up all things to the One without beginning, the source of everything that exists through the Son.

What Symbolic Kephale/Head Meant at the Time Paul Wrote About it in the Bible

The Greek word kephale didn't take on the common symbolic meaning of 'authority' until about 300 years after Paul the Apostle.  Therefore, we must understand symbolic head in the New Testament as it was meant to mean to the original recipients, and symbolic head meant 'source' to them.  The Greeks viewed symbolic 'head' as the head of a body, in which the sinews, veins, ligaments, and all body parts grew from the head, and the head gave nourishment to the body.  They saw this symbolic head as the source of this symbolic body.  We see this Greek imagery therefore also depicted in the New Testament:

and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God. -Colossians 2:10 NRSVue

but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.  -Ephesians 4:15-16 NRSVue

Here we see the symbolic relationship between Christ the head, and the body  - the church.  Christ is our source, as the Greek head was seen as the source from which the body grew from.  Christ is the source of the church.

Bible Passages that are Taught Incorrectly Because of Ignorance of Source Language

We now carry this meaning of symbolic head to some trouble passages...

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.  -1 Corinthians 11:3  NRSVue

Note that "every man" in the above verse is meant to mean 'every person.'  'Man' above is translated from the Greek aner, which primarily means "man," but because of the masculine nature of the Koine Greek, it sometimes means both genders as a mixed group.  We also see this in such places as Romans 4:8, James 1:12, James 3:2, Ephesians 4:13, and Acts 17:34, etc.

If we were to put our modern meaning of 'authority' on "head" above, then we would be committing the heresy of the Arians.  The Arian teaching was declared a heresy in 325 AD.  This errant teaching taught that 1 Corinthians 11:3 is saying that since the head of Christ is God, Christ must therefore be lower in authority than God, and thus eternally subordinate to Him.  

This is at odds with the Scriptures, which teach that Christ willingly subjected to God when in Human form, as an example to us, but otherwise, the Scriptures show that Christ and God are the same entity, thus one part of one entity cannot be under the authority of another part of the same entity.  The entity is one.

Therefore, 1 Corinthians 11:3 cannot be giving the above order in order of authority, or that destroys the essence of the Trinity.  The order given in 1 Corinthians 11:3 is in the order of Source and appearance on earth:  

1) Christ, the Word of God in the flesh, who is also God Himself, is the source of not only Adam, but every human being.

2) THE man (the original man - Adam) is the source of THE woman (Eve - the first woman).

3) God is the Source of Christ in His human form - God placed Jesus to be born from the womb of a virgin, and God provided the Y Chromosome, etc.  

The order is of human appearance on earth.  First was Adam, then from him came Eve, and then later from God came Jesus Christ in human form as the last Adam (Romans 5:12-19).  Do you see the pattern?  Adam is the source of Eve, as Jesus, the Last Adam, is the Source of the Church, which the Bible symbolizes as the bride (2 Corinthians 11:2).

As we see, this verse is not saying that the husband is the spiritual head of the wife.  It is saying that Adam (THE man) was the source of Eve (THE woman).  This is why later in this chapter it goes from the singular - "the man" and "the woman," to "any man" and "any woman."

We see further verification of this source language in verse 12, where it says:

For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God.  -1 Corinthians 11:12 NRSVue

'Come from' is being used synonymously with "head," which is 'source.'  It is expounding further on what we saw in verse 3.  Verse 12 is telling us that yes, Eve came from Adam - thus Adam was Eve's symbolic head/source, but since then, all men have come through women as their source - which would essentially make women the spiritual head of men since after Adam, except "all things come from God."  GOD is our head/source.  This is why it borderlines as blasphemy when people go around calling a mere human being their spiritual head, because 1 Corinthians 11:12 makes it very clear that our source is God - God is our spiritual head.  This matches ALL the source language we see used throughout the Bible, in both Testaments.

Next, we move on to a tricky passage in Ephesians 5:

for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  -Ephesians 5:23  NRSVue

Some translations don't say "husband" and "wife" in the above verse, because the Greek words underlying both of these equally also are "man" and "woman," as translated as such in most translations of 1 Corinthians 11:3.

Is this saying that a woman's husband is her spiritual head?  No.  Look closer.  It is saying that THE husband (or THE man) is the head of THE wife (or THE woman).  We see this is referring to a specific man and a specific woman, just as it did in 1 Corinthians 11:3.  Like in 1 Corinthians 11:3, here it is also referring to the original man - Adam, and the original woman - Eve.  This is why after this verse it switches to "wives" and "husbands" in the plural.  

Recall that "head" is 'source,' and not 'authority.'  Thus we see that Ephesians 5:23 is being synonymous with 1 Corinthians 11:3.  Adam was the source of Eve, just as Christ - the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) is the source of the church.  Recall that "husband" in the above is the same Greek word for man, and "wife" in the above is the same Greek word for woman, so the above can equally say "man" and "woman."  Thus we see the same source order as was given in 1 Corinthians 11:3 - Adam is the source of Eve, as Jesus, the Last Adam, is the Source of the Church, which the Bible symbolizes as the bride (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Note:  In verse 22 it says wives are to be subject to their husbands.  The word "subject" is not there in the Greek.  It just says "wives to your husbands," meaning that it's carrying the definition of subjection given from verse 21, which says:

being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.  -Ephesians 5:21 NRSVue

This is mutual subjection.  Also, we must pay attention to the word "subjection," as the Greek word that underlies it gives two definitions - one is a military definition of obedience, and the other is the non-military definition of cooperating with others.  A marriage is not a military.  The form of subjection in a marriage means to cooperate with one another, as defined from the mutuality of verse 21.  

Verses 22-24 explain the wife's "subjection," and verses 25-30 explain the husband's "subjection."  

This whole passage that began in verse 21 cannot be patriarchal, because it wraps it up by saying:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  -Ephesians 5:31 NRSVue

In patriarchy, the woman leaves her family to join the husband, which is the opposite of the above verse.

And verse 32 reminds us that:

This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Just as Eve came from Adam, the church is to grow from Christ (the last Adam) as its source:

but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ  -Ephesians 4:15 NRSVue

Recall that Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, and also that the church is the bride of Jesus the Last Adam, just as Eve was the bride of the first Adam.  1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:23 are giving source order, starting with the physical and ending in the spiritual:  

Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the physical and then the spiritual.  -1 Corinthians 15:44-46  NRSVue

And Ephesians 5 verse 33 sums up how the husband and wife are to subject themselves to one another in stating:

Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.

The husband was told to love, because in that culture, adult men married young, uneducated girls who were often still children, and they were treated like property.  The wife is to respect, because it's hard to respect someone who took you without your permission to be their property.

Other Symbolic Head Scriptures in the New Testament

Ephesians 1:19-23  (NRSVue):

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work 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 above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 

This passage is describing two powers of Jesus: 1) Rule and authority (vs 21); and 2) Power through Him for us who believe (vs 19).  In verse 22a, the Rule and Authority are put under Jesus's feet.  Symbolic 'under the feet' means 'authority over.'  In 22b we see that Jesus is the head, which is source of the church - His body (vs 23).  This passage is about the spiritual warfare of the depraved Divine Council members (Psalm 82) trying to take down the people of God.  Jesus took power over these depraved spirit beings in the "heavenly places" (vs 20, Psalm 89:6, Ephesians 2:2 ) and Jesus is far above the Divine Council's "rule and authority" (vs 21) because Jesus is God - the Most High (Deuteronomy 32:8), and Jesus conquered sin and death (vs 20).  In conquering these powers of sin and death, the resurrected Jesus became the source (head) of power for the church, and thus through Him the church has this power, and therefore protection though Christ our head/source from the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Colossians 1:15-18 (NRSVue):

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.

Jesus is the head/source of the body, which is the church.  Thus he is the "beginning."  He has "first place in everything," because He is the "firstborn of all creation" as per verse 15, which is describing Jesus being the firstfruits of the resurrection of believers, when we will eventually be resurrected or changed into our incorruptible bodies - see 1 Corinthians 15.  Note that Colossians 1:15, is also alluding to Jesus's pre-incarnate form, which was Lady Wisdom from Proverbs 8.  Recall that Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1).

Colossians 2:8-10 (NRSVue):

8 Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

Mature Christians have come to fullness in growth, growing into the Head.  The body growing into the head is the source language picture the Greeks used to describe how symbolic head is a source or beginning of something.  Jesus is also the head/source of every ruler and authority, as He is the Creator of all.  He created all human rulers and authorities, and he created all spiritual rulers and authorities (Colossians 1:16).  Those who have come to fullness in Christ cannot be spiritually harmed by rulers and authorities, whether they be earthly or spiritual.  Thus why a few verses later, verse 18 says - Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking. 

In Conclusion

The church runs into trouble when it (ignorantly) teaches that symbolic head is 'authority.'  This disrupts the Bible's teachings about source, which flows from Genesis through Revelation, and this also hides an important element Christians need to know in regards to spiritual warfare - see the above Ephesians 1:19-23 and notes.  To the original recipients of the New Testament, symbolic "head" did not mean 'authority,' it meant 'source,' so that's what it should mean to us, as that's how it was meant to be understood.  This is source language, not human hierarchy language.

Note on Greek Dictionaries

Unfortunately some Greek dictionaries have fallen to making words fit one's definition, rather than defining the word by what it actually means.  BDAG butchers kephale in this way.  However, the Standard LSJ Greek Dictionary is more accurate and honest when it comes to kephale.