Daily Lesson for Tuesday 17th of February 2026
Read Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 2:10. What does “head” mean in these passages? What does Paul mean when he calls Jesus the “head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23)?
It is natural to speak of the head in a metaphorical sense in reference to a leadership position, as reflected in countless languages across the globe. We find similar use throughout the Old and New Testaments. Notice how “head” is used in the following verses:
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Exodus 18:25—Moses chose “able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
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Numbers 31:26—“the heads of the fathers’ houses” (ESV).
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Deuteronomy 28:13—God will make Israel “the head, and not the tail” if they will obey Him.
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Isaiah 7:8—“For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.”
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Hosea 1:11—“The children of Judah and the children of Israel shall . . . appoint for themselves one head” (NKJV).
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Micah 3:9—“You heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel” (NKJV).
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1 Corinthians 11:3—“The head of every man is Christ.”
Thus, Christ as the head of the church provides leadership, guidance, and nourishment for the church’s unity and growth (see Colossians 2:19).
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Here also Paul describes the church as a “body.” What other aspects of the church are conveyed by this metaphor?
Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com
Just as the body cannot live without the head, when a part of the body is lost or injured, life can be much more difficult. We often don’t recognize how important something is until we lose it.
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If you had to give up a limb or an eye, what would you choose? What does this tell you about how vital each person is as a member of the church? |
