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Eternal Headship |
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During this present age, the distinct church of the New Testament is the eternal dwelling of God on earth. It is subject to governance by His immediate headship.
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Headship refers to the position or office of a leader. One in headship provides representative leadership for the collective members of a body. For example, the president of a university is frequently referred to as its head. It is implied that the students enrolled at the university comprise one body under his headship or representative leadership. Hence, they are called the “student body”. Generally speaking, the head and body of the university are related by means of mutually agreed upon purpose and mission reflected by clearly stated rules of conduct.
The United States of America provides another example of an entity that exists in the form of head and body. The federal government serves in the role of headship. It provides representative leadership for the 50 states that constitute its body. Collectively, the United States of America is a federation. The word “federation” refers to a number of constituents united under the oversight of a centralized “federal” government. Under the legal direction of federal headship, the constituents agree to abide by a mutually beneficial system of laws and principles known as a constitution. Constitutional law dictates the nature, function, and limits of federal government. Compliance to federal law is enforced through a legally appointed government that serves in the role of headship. The distinct church of the New Testament was also arranged in the form of a “federation” comprised of both head and body. It was created before the foundation of the word to exist in the form of head and body. It is both a theological truth and a practical reality. |
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The righteousness of the New Testament church is the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. The beneficiary of His imputed righteousness and eternal positioning under His federal headship, the ecclesia of God is legally representative of divine righteousness on earth.
Made legally suitable with God according to the unconditional benefit of the Eternal Covenant, the New Testament church became qualified to share life with the mediator of the Eternal Covenant, Jesus Christ. According to eternal plan, it occurs by process of regeneration and spiritual birth (John 3:3-8; 5:21; 6:53; 10:10; 14:6; 20:31; Romans 4:25b; 5:17; 6:4, 5, 11; 8:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:12-13; 3:4; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:11-12). By regeneration the New Testament church is made organically compatible with God and through spiritual birth it is privileged to receive the impartation of divine life (zoe). Made “alive to God in Christ Jesus”, the church is positioned under the natural headship of Christ (Romans 6:11). As a result, the New Testament church forever shares His perfect natural or organic status. Under the natural or organic headship of Christ, the benefit of the Eternal Covenant is as follows: |
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The life of the New Testament church is the life (zoe) of Jesus Christ alone. The beneficiary of regeneration, spiritual birth and positioning under His natural headship, the ecclesia of God is organically representational of divine life (zoe) on earth.
By stipulation of the Eternal Covenant the New Testament church is utterly privileged to be positioned forever under the federal and natural headship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is representative of divine righteousness and representational of divine life (zoe) on earth. The headship of Jesus Christ over His body, the distinct church of the New Testament, is not only a theological truth. It is also a practical reality. |
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For a number of significant reasons, the intimate small group environment served as a condition favorable for the early church to experience Christ by grace through faith alone. They not only allowed for the personal enjoyment of Christ, but presented an environment conducive for Christ directed church practice, the spiritually gifted ministry of eternal life (zoe) to and from every believer, the safety of a collective approach to spiritual discipline and spiritual warfare, the divine protection and preservation of doctrinal purity and much more.
Concordant with the intimacy of their small group gatherings, the early church was able to recognize Jesus not only as heavenly Lord, but as the immediate, active head of their community on earth. By allowing Him to fulfill His role of headship, the intimate gatherings of the New Testament church were truly Christ-centered. Sensitivity to the Spirit “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Every member of the gathered ecclesia is necessary for the full functioning of the body under the immediate, active headship of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-16; Colossians 2:19). Concordant with the fullness of the indwelling Spirit, each has an integral, God given role to fulfill. Therefore, it is incumbent on every member to gather under the headship of Christ in the fullness of His indwelling Spirit and, as confirmed by counsel of Scripture, faithfully choose to be responsive to His leading. Experiencing the practical reality of the headship of Christ in the gatherings of the New Testament church requires a growing sensitivity to His Spirit. In accordance with His immediate, active headship, the Spirit of Christ leads the direction of New Testament church gatherings according to the will of the Father. Human responsiveness to the specific leading of the Spirit requires the careful nurture of spiritual sensitivity. It is cultivated through faith alone by the continual filling of the Spirit and willingness to interact with others in response. Sensitivity to the indwelling Spirit not only allows the gathered to discern His specific movement, but serves to unveil the spiritually gifted ministry of each member of the church body. Sensitive to the gracious leading of the Spirit, the gathered members of the church body respond through faith and choose to pursue gifted ministry to one another. Sensitivity to the Spirit also serves to guide the ministry of the New Testament church. Spirit filled ministry occurs by the gracious flow of divine life (zoe) within the body and the overflow of divine life (zoe) to the outside, unbelieving community. Jesus stated, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’…this He spoke of the Spirit” (John 7:38-39). “Rivers of living water” are reflective of eternal life (zoe) (cf. John 4:7-14). By design, God is willing to allow His ministering life (zoe) to flow “from” His Spirit residing in the “innermost being” of His children. While most certainly benefitting the believer indwelt, he or she is merely an “earthen vessel” or vehicle from which the treasured eternal life (zoe) of God purposefully overflows for the blessing and benefit of others, both within and without. In Ephesians 5:18 the Apostle Paul exhorts the ecclesia to “…be filled with the Spirit”. The verb pleeroústhe (be filled) is in the present imperative and, therefore, means to be constantly, moment by moment, filled with the fullness of the Spirit of Christ. In accordance with John 7:37, the fullness of the Spirit is not merely for benefit of the individual child of God, but ultimately for the blessing of others. Cultivating sensitivity to the fullness of the Spirit allows the ecclesia to acknowledge the immediate headship of Christ and, thus, discern and pursue His will for church gatherings. In time, as the church body matures together, it is privileged to experience an ever-increasing sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit under the headship of Christ. Time Generally speaking, there is no predetermined amount of time for New Testament church gatherings. Eternal in nature, they defy the structure and timing of a predetermined order of worship. God alone knows exactly how much time is required to accomplish His will in the lives of His people. Consequently, the willingness of the ecclesia to submit to Him and accept His timing is a condition favorable for the experience of the immediate, active headship of Christ. If any individual member of the church body is unwilling to approach church gatherings in a sacrificial manner it would be selfless and wise for them to decline to participate. Otherwise he or she will become a disruptive factor in the ecclesia as it gathers to spend privileged time in the presence of Christ. When gathered it is important for the church to be patient and wait on the Lord. It takes time to discern the movement of the Spirit. Waiting on the Lord and discerning His movement is not passive, but active. It often includes activities of faith such as prayer, song and the ministry of the Word. Silence is not to be feared. When the immediate headship of Christ is discerned through the fullness of His Spirit, the gathering must choose to move in agreement, carefully following His lead without deviation. The Spirit of Christ will clarify when His will for the gathering has been fulfilled. |
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Human headship serving in proxy serves to moderate the headship of Christ and, therefore, His ministry to His body. It serves to quench the Spirit and stifle every member ministry. Thus, if church members are to engage in personally meaningful ministry they are often forced to volunteer outside of their local church body.
In contrast, the headship of Christ encourages and supports Spirit-filled, every member ministry. Consequently every member of the body of Christ is allowed to participate in meaningful ministry of eternal significance. |
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No matter how well-intentioned, the eternal ecclesia of God under the headship of man is functionally headless. When I was about eight years old, visiting my grandparent’s ranch in rural Oregon, my grandfather and father instructed me not to watch as they prepared chickens for my family to take home and eat. Needless to say, the law and my flesh worked together and I fell to temptation. Therefore, I secretly peered around the corner of the shed. Whack!! The chicken and his head quickly parted ways. However, the chicken’s body didn't just lie down and die peacefully. Much to my eight-year-old dismay, it ran around in circles for what seemed like an eternity before finally collapsing. Later that day I rode home in my parent’s car next to several old bread bags filled with plucked, headless chickens. The ride lasted for three and a half miserable hours.
As you might imagine, I lost my appetite for chicken for the next several weeks. The point should be obvious. When man usurps headship over the church it doesn’t just lie down and die peacefully. It runs around “like a chicken with its head cut off”. Without eternal direction, it spins in religious circles, progressing through typical cycles of organizational growth before eventually collapsing and dying. © 2018 James Hiatt |