How is Christ the Head of the Church? (Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Peter)
- Elaine R Kelly
- Feb 24, 2023
- 15 min read
Updated: Jun 16
Hint: it's not about being the boss. In both Ephesians 5 and 1 Corinthians 11, it seems to say that the husband is the head of the wife. Does this mean the husband is the master of the house? Did the writers of the Bible mean that God put men in charge to rule over submissive women?
This article looks at various places where the Bible says Christ is the Head. It refers to the head of the corner, the chief cornerstone, the keystone and the capstone. These passages talk about Christ as the foundation, beginning, and source of our faith, like a foundational cornerstone. They also talk about Christ as the keystone that finishes our faith and holds us together in strength and unity. Both women and men are called living stones in this new spiritual temple. Both women and men are priests, since all believers are priests in Christ. Being the head of the church is more about serving the church.
What is a Chief Cornerstone: the Origin and Beginning
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
A chief cornerstone can be laid at the beginning, forming the original foundation of a building. The cornerstone may be at the bottom, the first stone laid in the foundation.
It is from the chief cornerstone that the direction is set for the other cornerstones, angles, and walls. The chief cornerstone creates, strengthens, builds up and holds together the building.
A cornerstone may be the stone placed at the corner of the building, indicating the establishment, formation or beginning of the building.
Jesus is called the head of the corner or chief cornerstone of the church.
What is a Keystone or Capstone: the Completion or End
A chief cornerstone can also refer to the final capstone or keystone placed at the end, completing the building and holding the structure together.
A keystone, also called a capstone, has the function of holding together an arch or entrance. The keystone affects all of the stones in the arch, strengthening and holding them together. It is the final piece placed in the construction of the arch, finishing and perfecting the construction.
A keystone (or capstone) is the wedge-shaped stone at the head of an arch. It makes an arched top for a window or door stronger, locking all the other stones into position and allowing the arch to bear weight. The keystone at the top of the arch holds the arch together.
At the top of a pyramid or obelisk, the final capstone that connects all of the angles of the four walls into one point is called a benben stone or a pyramidion.
A benben stone (also known as a pyramidion) is the capstone of a pyramid or obelisk.
In ancient Egypt, the benben stone represented the mound that arose when God shaped the world. It symbolized rebirth and new life.
How Jesus is the Head of the Corner
Jesus called himself the head of the corner, often translated as the chief cornerstone:
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner..." Matthew 21:42 KJV
And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner" Mark 12:10 KJV
"And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?" Luke 20:17 KJV
Jesus was quoting the Psalms:
"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." Psalm 118:22 KJV
Jesus was quoting the prophecy:
"Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." Isaiah 28:16 KJV
Now we understand better what it means that Jesus is the head of the corner, chief cornerstone, origin and foundational stone, and finishing capstone. Let's take a fresh look at other passages that refer to Jesus as the head of the church.
How is The Head Cornerstone Shown in Peter?
When Peter is questioned before the Sanhedrin, he says:
"This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:11-12 KJV
In using the same quote that Jesus himself used, Peter explained to the elders, rulers, and teachers of the law that Jesus was the Christ, the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Peter explained that Jesus, who was rejected by the leaders of the day, has become the precious chief cornerstone of faith. In this context, the head is the beginning or foundation of the church.
When the Spirit comes at Pentecost, Peter proclaims that the Spirit has landed on women and men and that God speaks through women and men.
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy Acts 2:17-18 KJV
Peter supported women in ministry, with his wife as his co-worker on his apostolic missions (1 Corinthians 9:5). It is quite likely that baptism was originally done by immersion in the nude, symbolizing new birth. It would have been improper for a man to baptize a woman, so apostles often travelled in pairs with a woman to baptize women. The practice of nude baptism ended around the 5th century, at about the time women were prohibited from officiating baptism (coincidence?).
Jocelyn Andersen, in "Woman This Is War! Gender, Slavery and the Evangelical Caste System" [1], points out that Psalm 144 is explicit that women are included as precious cornerstones.
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace" Psalms 144:12
Peter draws out this illustration in his letter, saying that women and men are both living stones in God's new temple:
"Coming to Him as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth in Him shall not be confounded.”
Unto you therefore who believe, He is precious; but unto those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,” even to those who stumble at the Word, being disobedient, unto which also they were appointed." 1 Peter 2:4-8 21st Century KJV (KJ21) [bold by author].
Here, Peter repeats that Jesus is the stone rejected by religious leaders, yet Jesus has become the head of the corner, the chief cornerstone. Peter is saying that while Jesus is the chief cornerstone, all who have faith in Jesus are living stones in a new temple, with God residing in us. All women and men who believe are made a holy priesthood, and offering ourselves to God is an offering God finds acceptable. My post on 1 Peter is here.
Peter shows again how women and men who believe in Jesus, the Word made flesh, are living stones in God's new temple. Women and men are all living stones, priests in this new living temple, co-heirs in God's household. His letter does not support a one-way hierarchy, but a mutual yielding to one another out of compassion and love. Husbands, wives, and slaves are given identical instructions:
Servants, be subject to your masters...1 Peter 2:18
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the Word, they also may be won... 1 Peter 3:1
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with your wives with understanding, giving honor unto the wife... 1 Peter 3:7
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one for another. Love each other... 1 Peter 3:8
According to Peter, Jesus is the head of the corner, the precious chief cornerstone, as well as the finishing capstone that strengthens and holds together all the other stones. All who believe are precious stones: sojourner or citizen, slave or master, wife or husband. Together, we are all important, living stones in building the new temple of God.
Head in 1 Corinthians 11
In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul uses the word "head" to indicate the origin or source. Christ is the head of the corner because it is through Christ that believers are formed and held together as the church.
Christ is the foundation or beginning of the church.
"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3 KJV.
The origin of man is Christ because Christ created man [the human]: "the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Ancient Jews, including the first-century Jewish scholar Philo, thought that the first human was male-female [2} androgynous, a bisexual organism. Rabbis believed this based on Genesis 1:27, since God created the human in God's image as male-female, rather than as male and female (Genesis 1:27). Jesus may have referred to this belief when he said, "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male-female. (Matthew 19:4).
The origin of woman is the side of man; the man Adam was the material or source God used to create the woman. Katharine Bushnell explains that in Genesis 2:21 [3] God took from Adam's side, chambers, or flank and closed the flesh. The Hebrew word translated 'rib' occurs forty-two times in the Old Testament, and it is only translated as 'rib' in this one instance. Both the woman and the man descended from one human ancestor, and both are made of the same substance.
The origin of Christ is God; Christ is God's Word in human form "And in one Lord Jesus Christ... begotten from the Father before all ages" (Nicene Creed)
Suppose we use the word "head" to indicate authority. In that case, the result is the unorthodox suggestion that Christ is not the immediate authority of women or that women need a male mediator to approach Christ. The Bible indicates Christ is the only mediator, and Jesus is the direct authority for both women and men. Philip B. Payne, author of The Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood, says using the word 'head' in 1 Corinthians 11:3 to imply 'authority' is dangerous and heretical. Christ is God; Christ is not subordinate to God. Jesus refers to himself as God and says that he voluntarily lays down his own life and takes it up again (John 10:17-18). The church discussed the idea of Christ as subordinate to the Father in the 4th century and declared it to be a heresy. The Nicene Creed expresses the divinity of the three persons of the Holy Trinity. I have covered this in my post, Is the Trinity Egalitarian or Complementarian?
There is a confusing passage in 1 Corinthians 11:7-16 that indicates man is the image of God (while Genesis says all humans are made in the image of God). It indicates the woman was created for the man, and not the man for the woman. However, this seems to be a false doctrine. God did not create a woman as a subordinate assistant to be used by the man for the man. God's Word to Women explains that Genesis says the woman was created as an "ezer-kenegdo", which is the type of strong ally or rescuer, a partner who is your counterpart, working together with you. Paul affirms this non-hierarchical view when he says that both the man and the woman are created by God. In a similar way, Paul levels the field when he says that a master should serve a slave, remembering that both master and slave serve the same God in heaven.
"For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God." 1 Corinthians 11:12 KJV
Then there is a discussion about a woman having authority over her own head, because of the angels. The "angels" were likely messengers or spies who could spread bad rumours about the early church, so the congregation was encouraged to appear obedient to Roman laws. Some translations have chosen to add words that indicate something on a woman's head would symbolize her submission to men, and that the church has no other practice but to have women cover their heads. The original language does not indicate "symbol" or "symbol of authority". Normally, a crown or special hat indicates the higher status of the person wearing the hat. A crown represents authority over oneself, not subordination.
In ancient Rome, a veil on a woman's head indicated she was married or wealthy, and not available for courtship. This passage could mean that no church has an established practice or policy on whether or not women should cover their heads. Philip B. Payne also states that 1 Corinthians 11:10 can be correctly translated to say a woman ought to have authority over her head (she may choose whether to wear her hair up or down, veiled or unveiled). Earlier, Paul had said that women and men believers will judge angels, and are more than capable of judging matters in this life:
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:3 KJV
Paul concludes the discussion about what women and men should wear when they pray and prophesy publicly in front of the whole congregation by saying, "judge for yourself".
Since the passage seems to contradict itself, Paul may be quoting the Corinthians and then refuting their perspective. In my post on 1 Corinthians 11, I look at many ways of understanding this passage.
In 1 Corinthians 11, the head is the foundational cornerstone, the origin and source of our new life and the beginning of the Christian church.
Head and Cornerstones in Ephesians
Ephesians reinforces that we are all fellow citizens with the saints, all belong in God's household, and all are living stones built with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. It is through Christ, the chief cornerstone, that the building is formed and fits together in strength and unity. Being the chief cornerstone, or head of the corner, means that Christ is the originator, foundation, and beginning of our faith. Christ holds us together in strength and unity.
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." Ephesians 2:19-21 KJV [bold added]
Wives are not commanded to be subject to husbands or to respect husbands
As in Ephesians 2, Paul refers to Christ as the head, from whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, compacting every joint. This description of the head is very similar to a keystone or capstone, which holds an arch together, finishing the archway, fitting the stones together, and compacting the joints.
The use of 'head' to suggest the hierarchical idea of female subjugation is not in the original language. Dr Cynthia Long Westfall explains [5] that the word 'submit' for wives (vs 22) is not in the original language. The verb is borrowed from the word 'submit' for all Christians (vs 21).
Verses 21-22 are instructions for the whole assembly. The second half of the phrase "as wives to husbands" (vs 22) tells men how to submit: by following the example of wives. It is a description telling men how to do what is instructed in vs 21. Keep in mind that the ancient language did not include conjunctions; these are added by translators.
Translations typically add something to indicate that the audience has changed from men (vs 21) to women or wives (vs 22). The meaning can be obscured by adding a period at the end of verse 21, and in some cases, adding a subheading indicating a change of topic. Adding a verb to verse 22 converts verse 22 from a statement telling all believers how to submit to one another into a command to women: a wife must/should submit or be subject to.
We see a similar adjustment in Ephesians 5:24, where Paul discusses the submission of the whole assembly to Christ. Similarly, translations convert Ephesians 5:33 from a command to men, promising a positive consequence, into a parallel command for husbands and wives. and in Ephesians 5:33, where Paul tells a husband to love his wife. This entire portion from Ephesians 5:21-33 has no command to women or wives. If we saw this entire passage as being addressed to an audience of men, we may get a more accurate understanding of Paul's message.
Compare the following:
Traditional translation | Accurate translation |
Everyone: Submit to one another. Wives, submit to your own husbands. | "submit to one another in reverence to the Lord, as wives to husbands (Ephesians 5:21-22). |
"So wives submit to their husbands, like the church submits to Christ" (Ephesians 5:24 as a command to wives) | "as wives submit to husbands, so the church submits to Christ" (Ephesians 5:24 as a description for men to understand this new idea of mutual submission) |
"Each one of you should love his wife as himself, and wives should respect their husbands." Ephesians 5:33 | "Husbands, love your wives in order that wives may respect their husbands." Ephesians 5:33 |
Is the husband the Head of the Wife?
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (Ephesians 5:23-28 KJV)
Marg Mowczko explains that Paul uses the word 'head' here to indicate honour and status. Jesus has high honour and status, but voluntarily lowered himself, giving up divine glory by becoming human, to present the church to himself as glorious. A Christ-like man would voluntarily give up status and lower himself to the same level as the woman, love her as he loves himself, in order to elevate her to an equal, glorious position.
Paul tells all believers that we are no longer children:
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him [Christ] in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 [bold added]
This is about so much more than Jesus willing to die for us, or a husband willing to die for his wife. This is about a husband voluntarily giving up status and privilege in everyday living in order to bring his wife up to an equal, glorious position. While Paul tells men how to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25-31, Paul tells both women and men to walk in love, voluntarily giving ourselves to others (Ephesians 5:2). The command to love sacrificially is for both women and men.
Paul is not suggesting that a husband hold onto the glory and honour the Greco-Roman world gives to him. Jesus did not hold onto his equality with God, but voluntarily humbled himself and took on human flesh (Philippians 2:5-8). Similarly, a husband would not grasp or hold onto the high esteem that society gave him. This passage is not about a husband being a leader or authority lording it over his wife. This is about all believers being edified and raised up to be more like Christ. This is about fulfilling Mary's prophecy:
"...he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. Luke 1:51-53 KJV
There is no hierarchy in Christ's church. Those who have high esteem in the world's eyes are to voluntarily humble themselves and raise up those who are low.
let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)
What's the Main Point?
In Ephesians, the head is the finishing capstone that strengthens and holds together all the other stones.
Paul says the main point of the passage is to describe Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:32). It's not primarily about marriage. We may think that because Bibles often add a subtitle before verse 22, saying the passage is about instructions for marriage. It appears to me that the union of a husband and wife in marriage is a familiar way for Paul to explain the unfamiliar and mysterious union of Christ and the church. Nevertheless, he concludes, even though the main topic is Christ and the church, a husband should love his wife as he loves himself. My post on Ephesians is here.
Conclusion
While the English language sometimes uses "head" to indicate chief authority, the word can also mean origin, source, body part, or high esteem. Stating that men are the head or authority over women misses the key point that Christ comes to serve the church, not to be bossy, put on airs or act superior. Equating Christ as the head or authority of the church with Christ is the authority or leader misses the key point of these passages.
Jesus is the foundational cornerstone and the finishing capstone. Jesus is the head of the corner and chief cornerstone of the church. Jesus is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, the author and finisher of our faith.
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1, A Novel (2022)
The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)
Because She Was Called from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church (2024)
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)
Finding Her Voice from Broken to Bold, Book 3, A Novel of the Earliest Female Apostles (coming October 2025)
Sources
https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Gender-Slavery-Evangelical-System-ebook/dp/B00HLMT3PI/
https://margmowczko.com/head-ephesians-1-corinthians/ or https://baremarriage.com/2025/06/podcast-what-is-headship-in-ephesians-5-and-1-corinthians-11-feat-marg-mowczko/
https://baremarriage.com/2020/12/unconditional-respect-in-marriage-is-wrong-podcast/
Komentáře