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The New Testament church was created by God in the form of head and body. By eternal design, the heavenly Father appointed the Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill the role of headship. The elect human beings of the church comprise the body. It is both a theological truth and a practical reality.
There are many examples of headship in the world. The president of a university is often referred to as its head. It is implied that the students enrolled at the university comprise one body under his headship. Hence, they are called the “student body.” The head and body of the university are related through a mutually agreed-upon purpose and mission. The United States of America provides another example of an entity that exists in the form of head and body. The federal government serves in the role of headship. It provides representative leadership. The federated states constitute its body. The head and body of the United States agree to abide by a mutually beneficial system of laws and principles known as a constitution. Constitutional law dictates the nature, function, and limits of the federal government. |
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Original Covenantal Headship
Within the protective framework of the Renovation Covenant, God designed the human race as one collective entity. He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27) Thus, Moses used the Hebrew noun for “man” ('adam) in a collective sense. It provided a clear indication that God made mankind as one collective, covenantal entity. Concordant with the stipulations of the Renovation Covenant, the first man, Adam, was appointed the original covenantal head of humanity. The remainder of the human race, the descendants of Adam, were appointed as his covenantal body. The Apostle Paul clarified that the human race was one covenantal body. He said, “… just as through one man (Adam) sin entered (verb – eiseélthen) into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread (verb – dieélthen) to all men, because all sinned (verb – heémarton).” (Romans 5:12; cf. Romans 3:23) The Greek indicative aorist tense is used for all three verbs in Romans 5:12. It reflects an action completed in the past with results that continue into the present. Therefore, Paul’s statement indicates that when Adam sinned, all sinned. Representative and Representational Adam’s covenantal headship was both representative (legal) and representational (organic). His representative headship referred to a relationship that was law-based. In contrast, Adam’s representational headship was life-based. Representative Headship Covenantal headship in the Bible is representative (legal). Theologically, representative headship is sometimes referred to as “federal” headship. “The word “federal” comes from the Latin word foedus, meaning covenant.”[1] It refers to a relationship that is prescribed and protected by covenantal law. Thus, it is law-based. As indicated, the human race was created as one legal entity in the form of head and body. Adam, the first man and archetype of humanity, was appointed representative head of the human race. By covenantal law, his posterity was appointed as his body. Legally representative of one another, the covenantal head and body of the human race shared the legal penalty for Adam’s original sin. The legal penalty for Adam’s sin was directly transmitted to his covenantal body by means of imputation. The New Testament concept of imputation is translated from two related Greek words – ellogeo (el-log-eh'-o) and logizomai (log-id'-zom-ahee). The less common of the two words is ellogeo. It is only used twice in the New Testament. Ellegeo has the specific meaning of “to charge to an account.” (Romans 5:13; Philemon 1:18) In contrast, logizomai is used 40 times in the New Testament. It is broader in scope of meaning than ellogeo. Logizomai fundamentally means to calculate or deliberate.[2] It is variously translated in the New Testament “reason,” “consider,” “count,” “think,” “credit,” and “reckon.” (Luke 22:37; John 11:50; Acts 19:27; Romans 2:3; 26; 3:28; 4:3; 4; 5; 6; 8; 9; 10; 11; 22; 23; 24; 6:11; 8:18; 36; 9:8; 14:14; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 13:5; 11; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 5:19; 10:2; 7; 11; 11:5; 12:6; Galatians 3:6; Philippians 3:13; 4:8; 2 Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 11:19; James 2:23; 1 Peter 5:12) Relative to the context in which it is used in the New Testament, logizomai can also mean “to charge to an account.” (cf. Romans 4) Through his position of representative headship, the legal consequence of Adam’s original sin was imputed or charged to the account of the entire human race. It was direct, immediate, and binding. As a result, all mankind became burdened by insurmountable legal debt and experienced legal alienation from God. |
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Representational Headship
Headship in the Bible is not only representative (legal) but also representational (organic). Sometimes referred to as “natural” or “realistic” headship, representational headship refers to a relationship that is “physical” or “seminal.” Therefore, it is life-based. In accord with covenantal stipulation, the entire human race existed in the first man naturally, physically, or seminally. As a result, the human race, the covenantal body of Adam, shares natural life in common with Adam, its covenantal head. Thus, covenantal head and body are organically representational of one another. Consequently, the head and body of the human race share the organic penalty for Adam’s original sin. The natural or physical penalty for Adam’s sin was separation from divine life (zoe). Positioned under his representational headship, the entire human race also experienced separation from God. Consequently, the human race was demoted to a lower, natural form of life (psuche) alone. It was suitable for existence on the fallen earth apart from God. The natural or physical penalty for Adam’s sin is indirectly transmitted to his covenantal body by means of natural or seminal inheritance. It is evidenced by the progressive physical degeneration of human life from generation to generation. Adam was physically or seminally representational of his covenantal body, the human race. Consequently, it naturally shares his fallen life and thus, the pain, suffering, and eventual death associated with its degeneration. |
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Covenantal Consequence
Positioned under the representative and representational headship of Adam, the entire human race became legally unsuitable and organically incompatible with God: |
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Relative to legal unsuitability and organic incompatibility, mankind was relegated to a fallen realm of existence apart from God:
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The fallen realm of existence is characterized by a distinct familial standing, citizenship, security, and style of governance:
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By stipulation of the Renovation Covenant, the original headship of Adam was legally representative and organically representational of humanity. Consequently, his transgression of covenantal law transformed the human race legally, from law-abiding to law-breaking, righteous to unrighteous. Further, it altered the human race organically, from heavenly to earthly and from the highest possible quality of life, suitable for fellowship with God, to a significantly lower form of life fit to exist on earth apart from God.
© 2025 James Hiatt |
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