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No.20. The title Head, and
its relation to the Fullness.
We have seen that the title ‘Head’ gathers up unto itself, all that the separate titles ‘King’, ‘Priest’ and ‘Prophet’ imply, with ever so much more than either of these titles taken separately, or all together can ever teach or contain. That church of which Christ is Head not only lacks nothing, but is infinitely more blessed, is in a closer relationship with Christ, and anticipates the goal of the ages in a way that no other company could ever do. We have seen that Eph. i. 10 finds its expansion and anticipation in Eph. i. 22, 23, and we now pass on to the other references to Christ as the Head as they occur in the epistles of the Mystery. The next reference to Christ as Head occurs in the practical section of Ephesians:
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ” (Eph. iv. 15).
Practice grows out of doctrine, and doctrine deals with calling, sphere of blessing, and standing in grace. What is stated as a fact before God in the revelation of the doctrine of Ephesians, awaits experimental realization in the practical section. Let us see this in the large, before concentrating our attention upon the detail of Eph. iv. 15.
As a consequence of the Saviour’s exaltation ‘Far above all’ in Eph. i. 20-22, He is seen as Head over all things to the church, which is called ‘the fullness of Him that filleth all in all’. Turning to Eph. iv., we find that the ascension ‘far above all’ is restated, and the ‘fullness’ indicated as a goal:
“He that descended is the same also that ascended up FAR ABOVE ALL heavens, that He might FILL ALL THINGS” (Eph. iv. 10).
It is this ascended One Who gives the ministry that has as its goal ‘the perfect man’. It is evident from the language of Eph. iv. 8-13, that here we are presented with the outworking of the truth set out in chapter i.
Coming now to Eph. iv. 15, we observe that the words of the A.V. ‘speaking the truth in love’ are a somewhat free translation, there being no equivalent in the Greek for the word ‘speaking’. The A.V. margin puts as an alternative ‘being sincere’ and the R.V. margin reads ‘dealing truly’. The Greek word under consideration is aletheuein, of which Alford, in his commentary, says ‘it is almost impossible to express it satisfactorily in English’ and suggests the translation ‘being followers of truth’, but says of this, “The objection to ‘followers of truth’ is that it may be mistaken for ‘searchers after truth’—but I can find no expression which does not lie open to equal objection.” The only other occurrence of aletheuein is Gal. iv. 16, where the A.V. renders it ‘because I tell (you) the truth’. It is not possible in English to say ‘truthing in love’ we must say ‘being sincere’, ‘being true and truthful’ or ‘speaking the truth’. None of these expressions however exactly present to the mind what the verb aletheuein does. The LXX of Gen. xlii. 16 employs this word where we read, ‘Ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies’. In Isa. xliv. 26, the LXX employs aletheuein to translate the word shalam ‘perform’, but when the same Hebrew word occurs again in verse 28, it is there translated by the Greek poiein ‘to make or to do’. If we can imagine a word in English that conjures up to the mind a person whose whole life is truth, whose very breadth and atmosphere is truth whose desires, will, plans and activity are truth, we may perhaps approach the meaning of Eph. iv. 15. This utter regard for truth, however, is kept in balance, for it must be ‘in love’—without which, such zeal in present circumstances would lead to fanaticism and to a persecuting spirit. This utter regard for truth held in love is the greatest accessory to growth, ‘may grow into Him in all things’. Growing up into Christ in all things is the practical echo of the basic doctrinal fact that has already been revealed concerning the constitution of the church of the One Body in Eph. i. 22, 23. Not only so, but it is the practical & experimental echo of the truth revealed in Eph. ii. 21.
“In Whom all the building FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER (sunarmologeomai)
GROWETH (auxano) unto an holy temple in the Lord.”
The word sunarmologemai is repeated in Eph. iv. 16 where it is translated ‘FITLY JOINED TOGETHER’, and the words auxano and auxesis are found in Eph. iv. 15, 16 “May GROW UP (auxano) unto Him”, “Maketh INCREASE (auxesis) of the Body”. Not only do these words recur, but just as the church of the One Body is the fullness of Him that filleth ALL (ta panta) in all, so this growth of Eph. iv. 15 is unto Him in ALL THINGS (ta panta). Most translators supply the preposition ‘in’ before ‘all things’ in order to make easy reading, and this reading may give the intention of the Apostle, namely, that the Church should grow up into Christ in every particular, in all ways, in all things. Nevertheless, the mind will return to the fact that what the Apostle actually wrote was auxesomen eis auton ta panta, which rendered literally reads, “We may grow into Him the all things”, which while it does not read well and is not good English, leaves in the mind a different conception from that of the A.V. Can it be that Paul intends us to understand him to mean, that by holding the truth inviolate in love, we shall be encouraging that growth into Him, which the N.T. speaks of as ta panta, some specific, blessed totality of glory, in which Christ is now ta panta “the all things” in all? (Col. iii. 11) anticipating the goal of God, when God shall be ta panta en pasin ‘the all things in all’ (I Cor. xv. 28).
“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. viii. 32).
Here ‘all things’ is ta panta, some specific ‘all things’ namely those things which come under the heading of Redemption, and which constitute the goal and consummation of the ages. Panta without the article is unlimited, panta with the article is restricted to the realm of redeeming grace. Rom. xi. does not teach that ‘all things’ without limit or restriction owe their origin, persistence and final blessing to the Lord.
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are ta panta” (Rom. xi. 36),
that conception of the universe that embraces all in heaven and in earth which come under the grace and power of the Redeemer. The advocates of universal reconciliation, while recognizing the presence of the article in Rom. xi. 32 use this verse to support their doctrine and omit the articles in their translation. It is not the teaching of Rom. xi. 32, that “God hath concluded ALL in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon ALL” but as the A.V. renders correctly, at least the first clause, and as the whole verse should be rendered:
“For God hath concluded THEM ALL in unbelief, that He might have mercy on
THEM ALL” (Rom. xi. 32).
Where universality is intended in Rom. ix. 5, the article is omitted, GOD is over ALL without limitation and reserve. In the verse that follows Paul uses ALL without the article with this same discrimination, “For they are not all Israel (pantes without the article) which are of Israel”, the ‘seed’ were called ‘in Isaac’ (Rom. ix. 6, 7). We must therefore read the words “And so all Israel shall be saved” (Rom. xi. 26) in the light of Rom. ix. 6, 7. The ‘all’ that are to be saved being those who were ‘In Isaac’—a type and shadow of the greater company of the saved at the end. In case the reader should expect to find the article here we point out that the word ‘all’ does not here stand alone and without qualification, pas Israel, ‘all Israel’ is already limited and does not need the article ‘the’. Let us note the use of panta and ta panta in Ephesians, and by this we do not intend every single occurrence, for such phrases as ‘all spiritual blessings’ do not come within the scope of this inquiry. That which is to be “gathered together in one” is ta panta (Eph. i. 10), not panta without the article. That which is ‘put in subjection under His feet’ is panta all things including enemies (Eph. i. 22). He is also Head over all things panta, good as well as evil, to the church which is His Body (Eph. i. 22), and He is the One who fills ta panta, that special company in all, without limit and reserve. The second reference to ‘all’ is without the article, and en pasin has been rendered ‘everywhere’, ‘in every way’ and ‘in every case’. The creation of ‘all things’ ta panta of Eph. iii. 9 is limited, because it is directly associated with the Mystery which had been hid in God. Where the words “One God and Father of ALL, Who is above ALL, and through ALL and in (you) ALL” (Eph. iv. 5) occur, the word used is panton and pasin without the article. This is universal, because the subject is already limited to ‘the unity of the Spirit’, and the insertion of humin ‘you’ in the text followed by the A.V. shows that this sense was clearly understood. J.N.D. adopts the reading hemim ‘in us all’ which has been rendered by some ‘and in all TO YOU’, making the passage balance Eph. i. 22, where Christ is not revealed as Head over all in the fullest sense yet, but as Head over all TO THE CHURCH.
One passage in Colossians must be included. Paul speaks of the new creation ‘where there is neither Greek nor Jew . . . . . but (ta panta kai en pasin Christos) the all things and in all Christ’ (Col. iii. 11). Here ‘Christ’ is put in a position to ‘the all things’, He Himself sums up in Himself the entire new creation. Of this He is the Head, it is in His image that all will be renewed, and where all other categories of worth and privilege are lost and put aside. So also in Eph. iv. 15 ta panta ‘the all things’ is in opposition with the “Head, even Christ”. The ‘fullness’ that embraces this ‘all things’ is Christ and His church, not Christ alone, and certainly not the church alone. Of both Christ and His church is fullness predicated, but only as Head and Body making One blessed company. True growth presses on to ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ and in this dispensation, the growth of the One Body up into Him Who is the Head, is the great example and exhibition of what the day of glory will reveal in its perfection. Christ as Head is our theme, and here we see the first unfolding of that which is in germ in Eph. i. 22, 23. As we prosecute our studies we shall learn that other phases of this growth and perfecting are associated with Christ the Head until we hope, when the survey is complete, every reader will concur with our proposition, that whatever blessings are to be associated with the great titles of King, Priest and Prophet, they are all absorbed, filled and taken to their true end, in the one great title given to Christ in the epistles of the Mystery “The Head”.
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