the First Week of Advent
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Bible Dictionaries
Head
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
or It would have been unnecessary to have noticed this article in the general acceptation of the word, since every one cannot but know, that as the head of the body, in every thing that liveth, is the prime mover of the body; and, indeed, is sometimes put for the whole of the body, so is it in common conversation considered as the first and pre-disposing cause of all life and action, whether considered individually, or in a community at large. But the term Head when applied to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Head of his body the "church," opens so sweet a subject for contemplation, that in a work of this kind it would be unpardonable to pass it by. Indeed, the subject even looks farther than this, and directs the mind of the truly regenerated believer to behold JEHOVAH, in his threefold character of person, as being the Head of Christ, considered in his mediatorial office, and giving truth to all the glorious purposes of salvation in him. It was the Lord JEHOVAH, in the great scheme of redemption, before the earth was formed, that set up Christ as the Head of his church. All the persons of the GODHEAD engaged in this plan of grace, and set the wheels agoing from all eternity; and hence God the Father is called the God and Father"of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family, in heaven and earth, is named." (Ephesians 3:14-15) And as to God the Father is peculiarly ascribed the calling, of Christ, as the Head of his body the church, (Isaiah 42:6) so to God the Holy Ghost is peculiarly ascribed no less the anointing of Christ to the special office of Mediator. (Isaiah 48:16-17) And hence, in conformity to this order of things, the apostle tells the church, when speaking of this subject, "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)
Next, in the order of things, we may view the Headship of Christ to his church, and a most blessed and interesting subject it becomes to our view. The Scriptures are full of this most delightful truth. Jesus, as Mediator, is the Head the Surety, the husband, the all in all, of his people. He is the source of life, of light, of salvation, of grace here, and glory forever. So that in this view of the Lord Jesus, and the church in him, it is incalculable in how many ways, and by what a variety of communications, this Headship of Christ becomes a source of continual joy and comfort to all his redeemed. They have an unceasing, communion with him whether they are conscious of it or not; and it should be among the highest felicities of the soul to go every day, and all the day, in the perpetual actings of faith upon the glorious person of the Lord Jesus, as the Head of his body the church, "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23)
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Hawker, Robert D.D. Entry for 'Head'. Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance and Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/pmd/h/head.html. London. 1828.
