We are told that within a marriage, a husband should have the head of Christ and be the head of his wife.

During meditation on same I find that this headship of Christ must encompass more than just marriage for a man who has taken upon himself the headship of Christ. In a family life a father must also be the head of his sons and daughters until they themselves acquire the headship, a daughter by marrying a husband, and a son who has taken Christ's headship upon himself.

I find that this headship of Christ given to men severely lacking within our society and among humanity and that this is one of the reasons that wives, daughters and sons are leading lives without guidance and any spiritual direction, they all are lacking the headship of a father, or substitute head of Christ found within an uncle, grandfather, older brother etc.

Accepting the headship of Christ comes with great responsibilities and leadership in the love, nurturing and spiritual guidance of a wife, and children. Women and daughters being the weaker vessel need a man within their lives who has the empowerment of Christ to lead and guide them. There is nothing sadder than a woman who is without this headship of a man. What is such a one to do?. She being unable to depend upon the headship of a man must be mature enough and spiritually alive in knowing that she needs the headship of Christ.

Men will not like what I am about to say, that is that more men have to rise to the occassion of being a headship of Christ to to wives and children.

I look around at these twelve year old young girls dressed up like fallen women flaunting their goods to every boy that comes across them. Where are the fathers with Christ's headship to watch their little daughters and to protect them from the temptations and sins of this world. These are little babies who are left as prey to roving wolves. The sons do not fare any better and many wives are left to their own foolishness without any direction at all.

Our world is a mess do to the lack of men who are incapable of accepting the great honor of Christ's headship and what their responsibilities entail with same.

Of course, Phil, you are an exception to this rule.

So my question mainly addressed to men is what does the headship of Christ mean to you and how do you see your honoring same?.

quote:

Originally posted by Freebird:
[qb] We are told that within a marriage, a husband should have the head of Christ and be the head of his wife.[/qb]

Hi Freebird,

I think that St. Paul thought of husbands being the head of the household as natural, cross cultural, rather than a special revelation for Christians. My own speculation is that it is indeed natural for the partner that is typically taller, heavier and stronger physically to be in the lead. That would put men in charge. In terms of smarts, it gets more difficult. If SAT scores and scientific, and even literary, accomplishment are the measure, it seems that the pool of exceptionally smart men is bigger than the pool of exceptionally smart women. Time will tell, as more bright women get the opportunity to shine. Even so, in average households, women are very often smarter than the men, more well-read, more enlightened. I think that fits my house. I'm bigger and stronger, she's smarter.

Back to Paul's point. Over against the observation that male headship is natural, Paul adds a specifically Christian teaching: husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. Here the accent is not only on love, but a love that renounces bodily superiority as the basis of power; instead, the basis of power becomes morally-grounded, self-renouncing love.

I know of some families where the women are more enlightened and the men stronger physically (like in my house). Sometimes, these men try to keep the marriage together by demanding that their wives follow their orders. It can become absurd. A woman is faced with a choice of obeying her husband, and doing something dumb, or disobeying and doing what is wise. Sometimes these thug husbands even think they are being Christian when they assert that sort of headship.

But they are really just asserting that might makes right. If they were Christian as Paul teaches it, they would win their wives respect by love rather than coercion. That is the angle I'm working.

Of course, Phil, you are an exception to this rule. . .

LOL. Thanks for the compliment, Freebird. We're fairly untraditional in our marriage, however, with his, hers and ours divisions of responsibility. Regarding the latter, we strive for discernment and consensus, which usually works. There have been times when I wished for some kind of "head of the house" authority, but we don't view marriage that way. Christ is her "head" and mine, and he is head of our marriage. That's how we understand it. It sounds like Ryan takes a similar approach.

Nevertheless, a man is a man and a woman a woman, no matter how "headship" is understood. Only a man can be a father, and he does so in the unique way he relates to his children. Sometimes I have been the one to enforce discipline; other times not. It depends on the situation.

I'm not sure from what you've shared of your life if you've ever been married. If so, did you and your spouse work out of a traditional headship approach?

Phil and Ryan, I agree with what the Headship of a man represents for you both. I took it one step further, by stating that the Headship of a man includes his family and not only the wife.

I will give an example as to why the Jewish immigrants coming together with extended families did better in their unification of their faith and within their family units, than the Irish. Within the Jewish life there was always an elder like a grandfather, uncle, Rabbi, scholar, etc. who was always available for these children and became their Headship in the teachings of life together with furthering their spiritual roots and history. Nowadays, many children are left to their own defenses, without the much needed guidance of an older man who leads them in the ways of spirit.

Spiritual Headship means for me the extension of a man not just being the spiritual leader and protector of a woman, but being also the spiritual guide for their children. This seems to be severy lacking in todays life within Christian and other religions. The Jewish family life still follows these same principles and in the old Judaic families, this still holds true today.

What comes to mind is the loving relationship of Sarah and Abraham, Sarah calling her husband at all times "my Lord" when communicating with him. Abraham did not see Sarah less than himself, and Sarah knew that the Lord God lived within her husband and expressed her love for God by honoring and respecting Abraham's Headship of her. Abraham, therefore, was the Head of his household. Of course, there are few men today who are worthy to receive this honor from a loving wife and who could hold up their part of total obedience to God, like Abraham.

So to me a spiritual Headship of a man is evident by the love, spiritual guidance he lovingly gives to his family, his finacial support, his time and willingness to lead his children in the awareness of this world, and to teach them the ways of God, thereby leading them on paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

I think this makes a very strong point as to the spiritual Headship of a man comes with great responsibilities which, as mentioned in my earlier post, is severely lacking within the human males today. Many men are in possession of fallen heads which need to be lifted above once again. Our world would be much different today if every man would carry the spiritual Headship above.

Oh, the treasure of a man who knows within his heart and soul the meaning of a spiritual Headship. No greater gift could a wife and family wish for.

Phil, you asked if I was ever married. I became a quite young widow ten years ago. I am much wiser today than when I was married. Recalling the days of marriage, it was I who had to be the head and the strong one in the rearing of two sons. My late husband was much older than I, and the responsibilities of rearing children became overwhelming for him. I am grateful now that I have soul strengths through my marriage responsibilities, but also saddened that I never knew the great importance of the Headship of a man. My own father lacked same as well, and that may be a reason for me to see a spiritual Headship upon a man as such a treasure.

For you women, I ask what does a father's Headship and husband's Headship mean to you?.

So to me a spiritual Headship of a man is evident by the love, spiritual guidance he lovingly gives to his family, his finacial support, his time and willingness to lead his children in the awareness of this world, and to teach them the ways of God, thereby leading them on paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

I can go along with that, Freebird, and this is missing in many cultures, including some in the U.S., where single parent families predominate.

I am grateful now that I have soul strengths through my marriage responsibilities, but also saddened that I never knew the great importance of the Headship of a man.

Sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds like you've done well by your children, however. There is also the headship of Christ, with which you seem well acquainted. Not the same as with a husband, I know . . .

I think one of the problems these days is that this idea of male headship has become practically synonymous with patriarchy, which is viewed as a great evil. And there's a sense in which it is, of course. Still, something important has been lost, I believe.

Phil's quote:

...something important has been lost, I believe.
---------------------------

Absolutely!. We can have all the Churches and teachings in the world, unless people themselves change and for men especially to claim their spiritual Headship and live their lives with honor, living Godly lives, we are doomed as a human race.

http://bagpipeonline.com/index...-archives/000068.php.

Personally known to me are two men, one carries the Headship of Christ, the other man's head has fallen and needs redemption or else the fallenness of his head will continue with his girlfriend and expected offspring whose lives will be without God's spiritual direction and guidance.

The first man is a Christian Missionary and working toward a Master's degree in Aids research. He ended a long standing relationship with his girlfriend, who is beautiful, has lots of money and is also a physical therapist. She wanted to marry. He having the Headship of Christ and having surrendered his will to the Will of God knew that his girlfriend should not be his wife, and resisted all temptation and carnal influences to stay true to God therefore proudly wearing the Headship of Christ.

The second man, also a Christian, is unmarried and is having a child with his girlfriend. She informs me that she qualifies for free health care, food stamps, and other welfare benefits from the county due to her becoming a single unwed mother. She does work as a beautician, but plans to quit work once the baby arrives since there will be the income from welfare, etc.
Her boyfriend's Headship is fallen, and he is the more common male today than the first man I described. This free welfare gifting is also a way for the god of this world to continue the slavery of this man and woman and the offspring they are bringing forth.

With the fall of humanity, men who should have the Headship of Christ instead are under the slavery of Adam's fallen mind. So it is imperative for human males to reclaim their Headship of Christ and lead their girlfriends, wives and children within the light, and not to further their lives in darkness.

Since the woman is the weaker vessel, it is the fallen nature of men that has led women astray, and not the other way around. Men have made little progress in the redemption of their fallen heads to proudly carry the Headship of Christ. This sorowful state of being for men is evil spirit's greatest hold over humanity. It is Adam that failed Eve in the garden of Eden, and we see this sad state of affair continued in our men today.

There would not be one prostitute on earth where it not for a man who led her into this slavery.

What a beautiful world this would be if every man would carry the Headship of Christ.

It is Adam that failed Eve in the garden of Eden, and we see this sad state of affair continued in our men today.

You don't seem to be giving Eve much credit her for eating of the fruit on her own, nor do you leave much hope for women unless a male can somehow show them the way. There's a little too much of a chauvinistic spirit in your perspective for it to catch on, Freebird.

Here's a relevant quote from a Vatican document on "Human Persons Created in the Image of God." It recognizes obvious differences between the sexes while emphasizing our equal dignity and responsibility before God.

quote:

36. The Bible lends no support to the notion of a natural superiority of the masculine over the feminine sex. Their differences notwithstanding, the two sexes enjoy an inherent equality. As Pope John Paul II wrote in Familiaris Consortio: �Above all it is important to underline the equal dignity and responsibility of women with men. This equality is realized in a unique manner in that reciprocal self-giving by each one to the other and by both to the children which is proper to marriage and the family�.In creating the human race �male and female,� God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity, endowing them with the inalienable rights and responsibilities proper to the human person� (22). Man and woman are equally created in God�s image. Both are persons, endowed with intelligence and will, capable of orienting their lives through the exercise of freedom. But each does so in a manner proper and distinctive to their sexual identity, in such wise that the Christian tradition can speak of a reciprocity and complementarity. These terms, which have lately become somewhat controversial, are nonetheless useful in affirming that man and woman each needs the other in order to achieve fullness of life.