Ephesians 1:22

And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church] (Ephesians 1:22 AMP).

This verse is one sure way to qualify those churches that belong to Christ from those churches that don’t.  Can Christ’s supremacy be seen in the leadership of the church?  Is He obviously at the helm, and not just in wisdom, truth, and power, but also in gentleness, meekness, self-control, humility, honesty, faith, goodness, kindness and all the fullness of the fruit of God’s Spirit?  While we know that it is not humanly possible to hit the mark perfectly, we also should recognize that this does not eliminate the mark.  Those who lead the church need to be examples to the believers in their purity, speech, faith, and good works, but most of all in their humble willingness to be accountable to the real Head of the church. 

It is interesting to note that in the Old Testament God’s plan for Israel was always to be their King, yet His concession was to appoint a human instead since they insisted on being like the rest of the nations.  Fast forward to the New Testament and we see that God replaced the one-man “Moses model,” with a council of leaders who formed a team that studied God’s Word and sought God’s heart for the church.  While it is helpful to have a governing body in place for the purpose of operating the mechanics of a church, that government should never be a substitute for the Universal and Supreme rule of Jesus over a body of believers.  When there is a team of leaders who insist on the unity of one Spirit, there is safety against the human propensity for fallibility. 

In light of how many amazing and wonderful men of God have fallen to adultery, suicide, and other moral failures in our society over the last several years, I think the church needs to take a long hard look at this verse and consider the practicality of allowing Jesus to be the head of His church again. 

Today I will pray for the men who are leading the body of Christ to have wisdom and conviction to follow hard after Jesus.

Check out Gennarino's devotional on this verse:  Ephesians 1:22.