Pt. 8: Male Headship: Is it REALLY Biblical? - Women in Ministry Series
Jul 18, 2022
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Dive into the age-old debate over male headship in marriage and its biblical implications. The discussion challenges traditional views, arguing that 'head' might indicate 'source' rather than authority, influenced by ancient medical beliefs. Compelling insights from historical context, linguistics, and theology shed light on this contentious topic. Personal journeys from skepticism to support illuminate the evolving conversation around women in ministry, encouraging critical engagement with evidence over blind acceptance.
01:37:34
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Quick takeaways
The podcast asserts that the term 'head' in biblical context traditionally implies authority, contrary to egalitarian interpretations suggesting it only means 'source'.
It emphasizes that understanding first-century Greek cultural perspectives is crucial for interpreting the dynamics of headship in marriage and authority roles.
The discussion critiques modern egalitarian views by highlighting historical church perspectives that reinforce male headship as a consistent teaching throughout Christian history.
The podcast argues that male headship does not negate love and care but rather signifies a responsible, authoritative leadership role within marital relationships.
Deep dives
Headship in Marriage and Scripture
The concept of headship in marriage, particularly whether husbands are the head of their wives, is considered a biblical principle based on scriptural references. Key verses from 1 Corinthians and Ephesians state that the husband is the head of the wife, establishing a hierarchy that some argue indicates an authority structure. The podcast explores differing interpretations of the word 'head,' primarily focusing on the debate between egalitarian and complementarian views. While egalitarians claim that head simply means 'source' without authority implications, the discussion points to the biblical context that supports the authority aspect of headship.
Egalitarian Views and Their Implications
Egalitarians advocate for equal roles for men and women and assert that traditional headship implies an unequal power dynamic that is detrimental. They challenge the authority structure traditionally associated with husbands, arguing that such interpretations are oppressive and not aligned with biblical intentions. This view raises questions about the dynamics within marriages and suggests that if husbands hold no authority, their role in leadership may be compromised. The podcast underscores how these perspectives impact not only church leadership but also everyday marital relationships.
The Importance of Contextual Understanding
A thorough examination of the cultural and contextual understanding of headship, particularly within first-century Greek thought, is vital in this debate. The podcast presents medical and philosophical perspectives from ancient times to illustrate that the common view often portrayed the head as the source rather than an authority figure. In particular, it references the belief that behavior was governed by the heart rather than the head, challenging interpretations that assign authority to headship. This discussion emphasizes the necessity for careful consideration of historical context when interpreting biblical texts regarding marriage roles.
Biblical Evidence for Authority
In contrast to some egalitarian interpretations, the podcast posits that biblical passages imply that headship includes an element of authority. Specific New Testament verses are cited to clarify the context of headship and authority, with references to Jesus as the head of the church serving as a parallel to the husband-wife relationship. Moreover, the argument is made that headship does not negate love and care; rather, it denotes a responsible leadership role. This authority is viewed as integral to the functioning of both familial and ecclesiastical structures.
Scholarly Perspectives and Lexical Analysis
The podcast delves into scholarly research and lexical studies regarding the interpretation of the term 'head' in scripture. It discusses how various Greek lexicons and scholars have examined the meaning of 'kephale,' suggesting that while it can denote 'source,' it also encompasses notions of authority and leadership. These discussions point to the majority consensus among translations that favor a reading of kephale that implies authority. The examination of different lexicons highlights that many respected resources do not consider 'source' to be the primary meaning in a marital context.
Historical Church Context
The historical context of the church reveals a consistent recognition of male headship in both marriage and leadership roles throughout Christian history. The podcast references early church fathers and documents that illustrate the foundational views of authority structures that have persisted over centuries. While acknowledging some interpretations that emerged later, the evidence suggests that the tradition of male authority within the church and the home remains widely supported. This examination raises critical questions about contemporary interpretations that challenge longstanding traditions.
Conclusion of the Debate
In summarizing the podcast's arguments, there is a strong inclination toward affirming traditional male headship within marriages based on scriptural and contextual evidence. The podcast argues that egalitarian claims often lack sufficient biblical support and highlights the richness of the scriptural teachings on headship. By emphasizing the importance of both subordinate roles within marriage and the loving, responsible leadership of the husband, it concludes that interpretations supporting male authority are more consistent with the biblical narrative. This discourse calls for vigilance against misinterpretation and urges listeners to engage deeply with scripture.
It's undeniable that the Bible explicitly teaches that a husband is the "head" of his wife. While church history has pretty much always believed this means the husband is the primary leader in the marriage and household, there has been serious pushback against this view from egalitarian scholars in more recent years.
Time Stamps!! 0:00 - Intro 1. 10:33 - Part 1: Medical Claims That "Head" Means "Source" 2. 31:47 - Part 2: Bible Context Claims That "Head" Doesn't Imply "Authority" 3. 54:20 - Part 3: Church History Argument 4. 1:01:10 - Part 4: The Battle of Lexicons; does kephale mean authority? 5. 1:33:33 - Conclusions
Their basic contention is that "head" doesn't mean what you probably think it means when you read it in Scripture as the description of the relationship between husbands and wives. They tend to offer 4 main arguments to support their case:
1) In the Greek speaking world of New Testament times, general medical opinion was that the heart or liver controlled the body while the head was merely the "source" of nutrition. The egalitarians say that we need to factor in this popular medical understanding of "head" or we will mistakenly think the husband is the leader of his wife.
2) Egalitarian scholars say that when you look carefully at Paul's use of the metaphor "head" and the specific context of the passages when it is used, you come to see that Paul is NOT meaning to imply anything about authority, but is speaking of nourishment or source. For instance, they will say that man is the source of woman in the sense that Eve was formed from Adam. Adam was her source.
3) Surprisingly, some Egalitarians will actually share a quote from Chrysostom to show that one of the church fathers understood perfectly well that this term "head" didn't mean to imply authority. Catherine Kroeger, founder of CBE promotes this view, and many echo her.
4) Finally, we get to the biggest one. They will claim that the Greek word translated "head" really means "source" and not "authority." I've found that egalitarians will repeatedly make very similar claims that ancient lexicons do not support the meaning of "authority" and that one very respected lexicon in particular (the LSJ) defends their case.
I'm going to analyze each of these claims to see what the Bible really says about husbands being the head of their wives. This is super important, because it doesn't just impact who is in church leadership, it impacts every single marriage in the body of Christ! I can't overstate the practical impact of getting this topic wrong, so I have spent a ton of time gathering and, more importantly, researching to properly vet and test egalitarian claims about male headship. I'll give you the spoiler here in the description. On every single point they are very wrong, and even putting out blatant misinformation. I'll provide both analysis and evidence to support all this in today's video.
After years of being a bit confused about the topic of women in ministry, I set out to spend months researching the topic in great detail to produce this exhaustive teaching series on the topic. This is just part 8.
CLICK HERE for the playlist of ALL the videos in this series (more will be added as I make them).
To get ALL the references, you’ll need to grab my notes (for free) HERE, but here are some quick links relevant to today’s study:
Stephen Bedale’s overly influential little paper on kephale from 1954: Click HERE
Wayne Grudem’s initial survey of over 2000 examples of kephale (he also addresses Bedale’s): Click HERE
Plato’s passage which refutes Payne’s use (use this same link to find 44d, where Plato speaks on this again): Click HERE
Frank Freeman’s article on “Galen’s Ideas on Neurological Function”: Click HERE
Catherine Kroeger’s article chopping up a quote from Chrysostom. Still on CBE’s website: Click HERE
Egalitarians regularly quote Cervin for understanding kephale. His work is suspect but his conclusions don’t actually support their position. Here’s his article, and please don’t miss his conclusion, which supports a generally complementarian position.
Wayne Grudem wrote a response to Cervin and several other critics which is well-worth reading HERE.
World renowned Bill Mounce discusses the relevance of the LSJ lexicon to NT studies HERE.
A final resource from Grudem going over 30 years of debate on kephale: Click HERE.
I have other references and data in my notes from this series, which you can freely have through my website: https://BibleThinker.org
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