Authority & Equality

Distinction within the Holy Trinity is not the only implication that influences marriage. The union between husband and wife must also consider the authority (headship) and equality of the Godhead. God who is omnipotent has complete authority to do as he so freely chooses and there is nothing that can impede his plans.

God the Father is the head of Jesus Christ to whom he bestows such authority. All authority has been given to the Son in heaven and on earth. This includes him being the head cornerstone, head of the church, head of every man (and woman) within the church, and head over the spirit realm. Despite the Father giving authority to the Son, it doesn’t negate that they are both equally God. Furthermore, the significance of divine headship and also of that within the covenant union between man and wife offers a rule of thumb for understanding God’s divine order. God created Adam first, not because he was greater than Eve but rather because God is the supreme being of order.

As it is so, the Word of God commands a husband to be the head of his wife just as Christ is the head of the church. The purpose is not to establish a dictatorship but rather to ensure that there is a covering for both husband and wife. While the role of the genders today is often fluid from a tangibly responsible perspective (cooking, cleaning, caring for children, etc.), the spiritual headship should be held to a different and higher standard. If all three persons of the Godhead were not distinctive in their authority, then this world would be in chaos. When husband and wife align with the structure of authority charged by God, then order within the marriage is both established and sustained.