1 Corinthians 11:3 But I wish you to know that of every person the source is the Christ Creator God—Colossians 1:15-19, 2:9 and [the] source of woman[kind] is the [first] man and the source of [the] Christ in his incarnation as the human Messiah is the God Ho Theos—Jehovah [Jesus is Jehovah] [1]
Ephesians 5:23 For the man is the head of the woman even as Christ is the head of the Church [2]
[1] There are two interpretations of 1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-12. One is hierarchical, and the other is chronological. Verses 8-12
are the contextual interpreters of 1 Corinthians 3:11. Context confirms the
chronological interpretation of verse three is the correct one. But despite
contextual evidence, verse three remains a hot-bed of controversy, largely
because it is considered an ironclad, bedrock, verse subjecting women to men
within the complementarian/male-headship movement. The grammar of 1 Corinthians
1:8-12, however, refutes traditional-role-religionist and complementarian male
headship interpretations, by defining the verse as being prepositional
(indicating movement or direction, in this case chronological flow), rather
than hierarchical. 1 Corinthians 11:3 is a divine flow-chart:
- The source of all humanity is the [Creator] Christ
- The source of the [first] woman is the [first] man (God made the woman from the first man)
- The source of the Christ [born of Mary] is God (Jesus is God)
This verse is a CHRONOLOGICAL [& circular] FLOW— NOT HIERARCHICAL: All things begin and end with the Creator God>all humanity>first woman from first man>Messiah born of Mary>[Jesus is] God>source of all humanity>source of first man the first woman>source of Messiah [born of Mary] [is] God>Jesus is God the Creator>humanity>the man>woman>Messiah>God….
It shows the source and chronological order of creation and
appearance of humanity in the form of the first man, then the first woman, and finally the incarnate Messiah. It reveals the prepositional and chronological flow.
· 1.) 1 Corinthians 11:3 is a premier example of gender-biased-English-translation-theology. Regardless of how one defines kephale/head (whether source or authority) The Godhead is the source/creator and supreme authority over every human-being (Elohiym—the Godhead—created the heavens and the earth. He is creator/head/source of all people not just males Genesis 1, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:14-19, 2:9.
Taken within the context of the entire Word of God, and understanding that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus in physical form, there is no contradiction in recognizing Christ as Creator God at the beginning of verse three, which is the Divine Creative and Chronological Flow-chart of the Human Race. In scripture usage, the Greek word, aner [incorrectly translated as “man” in virtually every translation], cannot claim male exclusivity. In numerous instances, it is used of crowds/groups composed of both women and men.
In 1
Corinthians 11:3, the context is not hierarchical but rather chronological, so anēr
is correctly translated, as human-being or “person.” The Creator Christ is the
head/source of every human-being, not just of male humans.
·
2.)
The first man—Adam—the beginning of the human race, was a special creation of
God. He did not simply speak the human race into existence, he formed the first
man from the dust of the earth with his own hands. The first man [the Greek
specifically says “the” man—referring to only one man, Adam], who then became
the head, the source of …
· 3.) …the first woman [only], and only in the sense that the first man’s body was the source from which God, with his own hands, formed the first woman.
Here is a perfect picture of absolute equality of the sexes. The first woman was just as much a direct creation of God as the man. God did not take one of his ribs or one of his cells, but rather one of his sides and formed an ezer neged, an equal counter-part [not a “help-meet,” which is a completely made-up word that does not exist in the Hebrew].
The man himself had nothing to do with the creation of woman. He was the source only in the fact that God took one of his sides and used it to fashion the woman. The fact that God fashioned the woman from an entire side of the man, in no way diminished either him or her. He did not then become only half a person, nor was woman created a sub-[hu]man—doomed to subjugation to males for all eternity.
It cannot be found in scripture where the first man was designated as superior over the first woman based on chronology, or where all men are given command over all women based on order of appearance. The first man and the first woman were both special creations of God—fashioned with His own hands and not simply spoken into existence. God was the ultimate source of existence and life for both of them and ultimately the entire human race.
Both the man and the woman were commanded to dominate the earth (subdue and manage its resources) equally. The were never commanded to dominated each other. Male domination of females is a consequence of sin. Even role-religionists admit that no hint of hierarchy exists in the creation account of Genesis chapter one. Neither does it exist in the Hebrew language that Genesis chapter two was translated from. We find gender hierarchy only through gender biased translator supplements.
·
4.)
Christ/Messiah came from God [the Godhead] and entered the world as a human,
born of a woman. To interpret this verse any other way, is to reduce God, as the Bible is clear that Messiah is God. Jesus claimed
Jehovahistic identity. On one occasion,
the Jews sought to stone him because he told them they would die in their sins if
they did not believe that he was the, I AM.
The chronological flow of 1 Corinthians 11:3, From Creator/God/The Christ/Messiah, came the
human race (the first man) >>> From the first man came the first woman
>>> From the Godhead came the Christ [through a woman]. This
chronology forms a perfect circle beginning with God and ending with God. Jesus
is God. This is in absolute agreement with the entire volume of scripture
concerning the creation and appearance of the first man, the first woman, and
the birth of Messiah. The verse begins with the Godhead (for all the fullness
of the Godhead dwells in Jesus in physical form) and ends with the Godhead.
Jesus is God. It was Elohiym (the Godhead)
who in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. And Jesus made the
exclusive claim to be Elohiym
(YHWH/Jehovah) when he said, “If you do not believe that I AM (EGO EMI),
you will die in your sins.” The apostle wrote that the entirety of the Godhead
resides in Jesus in physical form.
Jesus is God.
[2] Ephesians 5:28-29 explains what Paul meant when he wrote verse :23. 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 4:15-16 show that Christ “as head” loves and nourishes the Church, which is his Bride. Paul may also have been addressing the issue of domestic violence and abuse, which was prevalent among Jews and gentiles and certainly would have carried over into the early Church as well. The Headship of Christ as Chief Cornerstone (Head of the Corner) is a direct reference to his function as The Capstone of the Church. There is only one capstone in the only building that has one, so the husband is not referred to, here, as the chief cornerstone in a marriage.
Jesus’ function as the head is described in Ephesians 4:15-16, which describes a human body using a building metaphor. In this passage the head is portrayed as a capstone. Jesus, as the Chief Cornerstone is building, edifying, and unifying the body. He will rule one day, but not yet, and there is no mention in this passage of ruling. At any rate, husbands cannot do what Christ did and continues to do in the building of his Body:
“But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together (“Fitly joined together” is a building metaphor) and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Among humans, only Jesus has headship, not to be confused with ruling. At the time this is written, Jesus is not yet ruling in his kingdom but building and nourishing his Body. This passage bears witness to the fact that Christ’s headship has to do with the building, edifying/nourishing, and unifying of the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 5:29 tells us that Christ’s Headship includes the nourishment of the his Body.
Christ as the kephale of the corner (the capstone) is the only connection between the rest of the building [his Body] and the Godhead. And though there are many angles (corner stones) within the
Body of Christ, there is only one Head
of the Corner (capstone). And husbands are not capstones. That is why Jesus said,
“I am the [only] way the truth
and the [only] life no one
comes to the Father but by me.”
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