Episode 2675 - Lesson 8 - Tuesday Feb. 17 - Head of the Body (the Church) ⛪

Head of the Body (the Church)Read Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 2:10. What does "head" mean in these passages? What does Paul mean when he calls Jesus the "head of the church" (Eph. 5:23)?It is natural to speak of the head in a metaphorical sense in reference to a leadership position, as reflected in countless languages across the globe. We find similar use throughout the Old and New Testaments. Notice how "head" is used in the following verses:Exodus 18:25--Moses chose "able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."Numbers 31:26--"the heads of the fathers' houses" (ESV).Deuteronomy 28:13--God will make Israel "the head, and not the tail" if they will obey Him.Isaiah 7:8--"For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin."Hosea 1:11--"The children of Judah and the children of Israel shall ... appoint for themselves one head" (NKJV).Micah 3:9--"You heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel" (NKJV).1 Corinthians 11:3--"The head of every man is Christ."Thus, Christ as the head of the church provides leadership, guidance, and nourishment for the church's unity and growth (see Col. 2:19).Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Here also Paul describes the church as a "body." What other aspects of the church are conveyed by this metaphor?Just as the body cannot live without the head, when a part of the body is lost or injured, life can be much more difficult. We often don't recognize how important something is until we lose it.If you had to give up a limb or an eye, what would you choose? What does this tell you about how vital each person is as a member of the church?