Accusative Assignment
Also, he has put all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the Messianic community, which is his body, the full expression of him who fills all creation. Ephesians 1:22-23 Complete Jewish Bible
Head – The Greek word kephalen in this verse is a singular, feminine noun in the accusative. This means that the word “head” is the direct object of the verb “made” (root – didomi). But this is a problem. If the word kephalen is the direct object, then the verse should read “and made head” not “and made him head,” because syntactically the pronoun “him” is the direct object of the verb “made.” This is why the ESV inserts the adverb “as” in its rendering “gave him as head.” You will also notice that the ESV correctly translates the aorist verb form of didomi as “gave,” not “made” (“put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things”). What does this little lesson in Greek teach us (beside making us wish we never had to deal with any of this)?
We find that the idea that God made Yeshua head needs to be slightly revised. The verb alone tells us that this is a gift, not a disposition. We see that the focus of this act is Yeshua, not his resulting position. In fact (and this is the real point), the word kephalé most often does not mean “head” as a sign of authority, but rather as a designation of what comes first. It is used for the top of a wall, the prow of a ship, the mouth of a river, the start of an era and the point of departure.[1] Gilbert Bilezikian has provided an exhaustive analysis of kephalé in ancient literature and concludes that “the word kephalé is never used as ‘authority’ in the New Testament.”[2] With this in mind, the Ephesians passage should be translated, “he has put all things under his feet and given him first position over everything.” This fits Bilezikian’s research and the use of kephalé to describe prominence. Yeshua is the first in the Messianic community. He has been given prominence as the first expression of the new man, the first fruit of the renewed covenant, the first expression of the renewed creation. Even the use of hyper (translated “over”) has the meaning “beyond” as a spatial relation, not a hierarchical one.
Most importantly, even in this verse we find no warrant for the idea that there is a hierarchy of authority established by God. The common belief that God instituted an arrangement of relative importance such as “Christ – Man – Woman – Child” is simply not Scriptural. It might be convenient for men who desire divine endorsement of their penchant to be in control, but it is, in my opinion, a first-rate heresy that flies in the face of Scriptural evidence and diminishes God’s intended role for women. For those who wish to live according to the text, such assertions must be abandoned regardless of prior tradition. As Katherine Bushnell pointed out more than one hundred years ago, how can men assert some sort of biblical sanction for authority when the expressed declaration of the Messiah is that there is no difference between men and women in the Kingdom?
Topical Index: kephalé, head, authority, Ephesians 1:22-23
~ Also, He has put all things under His feet and made Him head over everything for the Messianic community, which is His body, the full expression of Him who fills all creation ~ (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Complete Jewish Bible
Authority abounds. It is everywhere. When I travel to work this morning, I will obey the posted speed limit, and I will stay within the boundaries of my designated and assigned drive lane. I will drive on the correct side of the street, not where my little ol’ self wants to. I will abide under the laws or authority of the “powers that be.”
Hopefully, (hopefully) we know by now.. (it has taken some of us longer to learn this..) “authority” (all authority) is given. Authority comes from Somewhere. The policeman that stands in the middle of a busy intersection, may with a raised hand and a lighted red baton as a visual aid, stop a two-ton truck. How? Because this man, (or this woman!) has been given authority by the laws of the land. We pedestrians and civil(?) civilian drivers respect and obey the law. Authority (or power or dominion) has been granted, or given unto the one wearing the tin star and the uniform. Authority is (always) given. Yes, “respect” is earned, but for now and under the topic of authority or “headship” we will focus upon this one word.
If only we had the capacity, (where has it gone?) to focus and to hear (Yes, “shema”) our Savior, when He said,
“ALL authority has been given unto ME” (yes) in Heaven AND in earth.” – (Matthew 28.18)
Have I missed something here? Did I just hear this? Am I viewing these written words from God’s own Book correctly? Did He just say “don’t eat the fruit?” Oh, excuse me.. I have forgotten already. What a short memory this sheep has. He has said, (again, for those with very short attention spans..) “ALL” authority HAS BEEN given unto ME in Heaven AND in earth. Or in another place.. ~ AND has put ALL THINGS under His feet ~ (1 Cor. 15.27)
May I? (yes, I am asking for permission!) This is a done deal. Authority-dominion-power HAS been given unto Him. Is Christ (yes, THE Messiah) LORD of “all?” LORD of the Jew only? LORD of the living only? LORD of Heaven only? or is He- LORD of all lords? and King over all kings? LORD of the Jew AND the Gentile? LORD of Heaven AND of earth. Is He (in short), LORD of all? And.. “If” (rather, “since”) this is true, ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ (Is anyone listening still?) Pay close attention, please..
“EVERY knee shall bow..” Even vegetarian democrats? Pirates, poets, plumbers and painters? EVERY knee.. Gentiles knees? Jewish knees? Atheist or agnostic knees? Hitler? Stalin? Pilate? – “Every knee shall bow” and? “every tongue” will confess Jesus (who is the Christ) is LORD. We will all (on that day) say, “MY LORD and(?) – my God.”
Now for the matter of timing. I say (today)- why wait? Peoples, (of every tribe and kindred and nation and tongue)- why not now? Why wait for “that day” when “that day” may be today?
And here is another (just the facts) “thing” about authority.
No one, (no, not one) may be “over” until they are “under.”
By whose authority are you doing this? Whether the police-person or the soldier or even the employee of the large corporation- every one of us who live on this green planet are “under authority” and no, not one may be “over” unless they are “under.” And we all must “serve somebody.”
If I am a soldier and have been granted or given authority to carry and to use a weapon (any weapon) of destruction, I may not- I do not have “permission” to randomly start shooting at my discretion or pleasure. No, I operate “under” the authority of the one who is the “head” or authority over me. I will wait for and only operate under authority. “What are my orders, sir?” “Do it.” “Sir, yes sir.”
The orders issued to the soldiers (those operating “under authority”) at Bengazi were to “stand down.”
Who issued those orders? The came from an “authority” somewhere.
We see this topic of authority all over the scriptures.. “By whose authority do you do this?” Even Jesus was recognized to be “a man under authority.” – He gets his “power” from somewhere! ~ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons He casts out the demons.” ~ (Mark 3.22) Perhaps they were unaware- “a house divided against itself will not stand!”
Why? (he inquired) do we pray “in Jesus Name?” Because dear friends, (yes, amazingly!) He has given unto us the “permission” or authority to “ask anything” in My Name! (Yes, in Hebrew, -the word is “wow!”)
Again the question must be asked? Who is the leader of this band of fools? (from Jimmy Stewart in “Shenandoah!”- thanks Jimmy!) And they “all” quickly replied, “He is,” – The LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ.
We have (apparently) forgotten His words.. ~ if you abide in Me and my words abide in you.. ~you (Mr.)- you (m’am) shall ask anything “in My Name”- and it shall be given (or granted) unto you. ~
No one, no, not one,- may be “over,” until that “one” is under. (now) ~ Why do you call Me “LORD” (Master and Commander) and do not do the things I say? ~
If He is LORD (of all) is it (at all possible) to say, “No, LORD?” There are those who have lived among us and found out- the hard way. Ask Pharaoh. This man had (at least) ten opportunities to say “Yes” to God, but instead “hardened his (own) heart.” And at last God granted him or gave unto him what he wanted- “a hardened heart.” A heart that refused to be set free and said to his own undoing (along with many others), “we will not have this Man to reign over us.” (Luke 19.14) And the end of that man’s rebellion and fury? He was not delivered, but drowned instead. He did not “pass over” with the children of Israel, but of his own free will volition and choosing to “refuse” the salvation offered unto him through God’s “mouthpiece” Moses, was the cause of his own death and damnation.
What is our deliverance? We who are alive and well today? Where is salvation to be found on this very day?
~ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other Name under Heaven by which we (all) must be saved ~ (Acts 4.12)
~ All the prophets testify about Him that everyone (everyone?) who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name ~ (Acts 10:43)
There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a Name so dear
To this heart of mine, – as the Name divine,
The precious, precious Name of Jesus.
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
There is no name in Earth or Heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessed Name, let us all acclaim,
That wondrous, glorious name of Jesus.
And someday I shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessed Son of God called Jesus.
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest Name I know.
~ Blessed be the Name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore ~ (Psalm 113.2)
Carl, I have agreed with you on this .
I have found that there are some that are refusing to obey the laws of the land and I mean all laws and saying that they are kingdom children obeying HIM above all.
They are NOT buying marriage licenses, fishing and hunting licenses etc and are really believing that this is the Will of God.
Here is an example of one comment that has come to me this day.
HOW would you answer them if you could see the whites of their eyes ?
________________
If your Bible says to “Obey The Land’ under your feet and face, rather than The Higher Powers, over head, which is God rather than men and their Ink and Paper statues then you have a Private Interpretation that is corrupted to the point that another can claim that book as their own intellectual Property rather than it being God’s Word. The story is in those versions but the Truth has been eroded till it is more like a butter knife or spoon rather than a sWord of Truth. Sorry.
Now you too can REJECT that doctrine as my own rather than His if you like just as I prefer His Higher Order than the lower government you refer to under men.
We have been at peace for many years,, but I still refuse to put on a dress and wait on tables in the god of this worlds castes.
Carol, we (all) are to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.
THANK YOU CARL
Would it be fair to say that a good amount of salvation language in the bible is in the context of Yeshua’s being our example? We didn’t know the right way to live out love (Torah), but then He saved us from the myriad wrong ways, by showing us the right way. And as an extention, a good amount of the forgiveness for past sins – is based on the fact that we/they/Israel didn’t have a good clear example before Yeshua – so God didn’t hold them/us accountable.
I say this because more people seem to be coming around to the idea that “The Gospel” is about the Kingdom of God (built upon a foundation of repentance) — which is more more rooted in the here and now than Christianity has typically perceived it.
So, stressing Yeshua as a ‘first fruit’ — would emphasize His example – which we tangibly try to imitate. However, stressing His authority might tend to lead people to think of Him as more of a distant unattainable ideal. It is not that Yeshua does not have authority, it is that His authority does not make him a distant king or some estranged super-hero. We do not diminish our Savior, and our Messiah — be restoring the practical and temporal implications of His life.
Last sentence should read, “… — by restoring the practical…..”.
Hi Skip.
I had the privilege of listen to you speak at a church service in Peurto Vallarta earlier this year & found what you had to say most fascinating & has made me search the scriptures more.
This article on “head” has spiked my interest. I come from a church background where men are the “heads of authority” & they teach that women are not to be elders or deacons. So under that light, I have always been confused by the verse that states that God gave different gifts unto all. The churches I come from say that certain of those gifts refer to as only being given to men, such as preaching, teaching, ruling, having authority in the church, etc…and they always use 1 Timothy 2:8 thru chap 3:15 of the KJV & NKJV versions. They also use as proof that women are not to be ministers/preachers/pastors/elder/deacons by saying that none of the 12 disciples nor any of the 12 apostles were women & God created males first & that God Himself is always referred to in the male gender & the church is referred to in the female gender & since marriage is a reflection of Christ (The Head/Authority) of the Bride/body of Christ, it is clearly evident then that women are not to be preachers/elders/deacons. Are you able to shed light on this topic using the original language word meanings? These ministers in the churches I come from say they have all taken Hebrew & Greek in seminary before they could become ordained preachers. Since I do not know Biblical Hebrew nor Biblical Greek & having been brought up to beleive that what the minister/preacher/elder says is gospel truth & not to question what they say, I’ve not questioned them openly, but I have always been confused.
Then a few months ago I went to a different church & the preacher there referred to Galatians 3:28 that “there is neither male nor female” distinction when the Holy Spirit poured out His gifts.
Is it easy to decipher what the Bible, in its original languages, mean on this topic?
Do you already have an article(s) written on the topic using the original word meanings?
When I google this topic, all different veiwpoints pop us & they all use scripture to prove their point. How then, am I ever supposed to figure out what is truth & what is error since I don’t know Biblical Hebrew & Biblical Greek??
thanks in advance for any help you can provide me on this topic.
May I suggest that you get a copy of my book, Guardian Angel, which details the entire Hebraic background of Genesis and makes the case that Paul, as a Jewish rabbi, would have understood his own Scriptures according to this Genesis light. By the way, it sets aside (with historical references) the misunderstanding and deliberate misinterpretation of the Pauline passages so often cited.
You can order the book on my web site. I have also written extensively on this issue and those pages can be found on my web site. Search for ezer kenegdo or one of the verses in question.
Skip, We have and continue to reference Guardian Angel. Thanks for all that insight. On our trip last year, you and Bob taught about the word church and related words. In this translation I appreciate the use of “Messianic community” for church. Have you or could you make that a point of Today’s Word at some time. I find this terminology a good way for me to keep my thinking straight and help others who do not see how the replacement theology creeps into our paradigm.
Good suggestion.