Literature :—Cremer, Bib.-Theol. Lex. s.v. jcs^atiii ; Grimm- Thayer, Lex. Novi Testamenti, s.m. mtuKi, a><txtfx>.x,i^ ; Comm. of Meyer and Altord ; Baethgen, Psalmen, ad loc. ; Perowne, The Psalms, ii. p. 338 ; Beyschlag, NT Theol. i. 166 fl.
Hugh H. Cuerie.
ii. In the Pauline Epistles.— The Headship of Christ, suggested in the teaching of our Lord Himself, is expressly taught in the Pauline Epp., and is applied, moreover, to a much wider sphere tlian that of Christian discipleship. For while em- phasis is especially laid on Christ's Headship over the Church, suggestions are given for a doctrine of His Headship over the human race and even over the whole created universe.
1. Christ's Headship over the Church. — In 1 Co 12" (cf. Ro 12«) we find St. Paul, in his desire to impress his readers with a sense of their unity and mutual dependence, describing the local church as ' a body of Christ ' (o-u/ta XpnrToC)— conceiving of it i.e. under the figure of a body whose several mem- bers (eye, hand, head, feet, v.=') are individual Christians. In Eph. and (\,\. this lluurc is elabor- ated at more poiiils tliaii one. In I he liist j.lace, Christ is no Icmuw tliuimlit .if as I limsrlf 1 h.' whole
body, of whicli indivi.lnals air II icmbers— the
head being a particular member like the rest. The Cliurch is now the body, from whicli He is dis- tinguished as the Head (Eph P='- 4i«- 5=^, Col l'" 2'"). He is the vital centre, the ruling and direct- ing power of the whole organism. Moreover, as the use of the art. liefore tru/jLa (absent in 1 Co 12") now shows, it is the writer's intention that the figure should be applied not to any local church merely, but to the Church universal, and to this Church ideally conceived — the actual Church, no doubt, but regarded sub specie ceternitatis, so that
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HEARING
the radiance of the heavenly antitype shines through the earthly form. To this Church, Christ is ' head over all things ' ; while it is ' his body, the fulness of him that hlleth all in all ' (Eph 1--'). See, further, art. Body, ii. (3).
2. Christ's HeaclMp over the hiiiiurn rave. — In 1 Co 11' the Apostle -ivrites, ' Tlie head of every man is Christ.' Here we have a doctrine of Head- ship stretching out beyond the limits even of the universal Chui'ch. The statement, as Hort points out (Chr. Ecclesia, p. 151), is a natural application of St. Paul's view of Christ as the Second Adam (1 Co 15^ ■""■•, cf. Ro S'-"'). The Incarnation not only reveals the kinship of the ' man from heaven ' with all the sons of men ; it sets Him before them as the true spiritual Head of humanity, in whom the race is ideally summed up.
3. Christ's Headship over the universe. —In'E^h 1" we read that it is God's purpose ' to gather together all things under a head (dKa/ce^aXatiiaao-flai to. Trivra) in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth.' And in Col 2'" Christ is expressly called ' the head of all principality and power '— words which are explained in 1'^- '^, where He is declared to be 'the firstborn of all creation,' in whom ' were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers ; all things have been created through him and unto him ; and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.' In these passages there is affirmed of Christ a relation of Headship to the universe alike for the j)ast, the present, and the future. In Him all things were created at the first. In Him they even now consist as their vital Head, the underlying ground of their very being. And unto Him from whom they had their origin they shall all finally return, in the day of that great consummation when God shall ' gather to- gether all things under a head in Christ.'
With this Pauline doctrine of the Headship of Christ over (1) the Church, (2) the human race, (3) the universe, it is interesting to compare the teach- ing of the Fourth Gospel regarding (1) the union of Christ as the living Vine with His people as the branches (.Jn 15"') ; (2) the true Light which lighteth ever}' man that Cometh into the world (1") ; (3) the creative Logos ' without [whom] was not anything made that hath been made' (V).
HEALING.— See Cures.
HEARING.— 1. There are two Gr. verbs (d/coiJw, elaa.Kovu) used for ' hear ' in the Gospels, and they are sometimes rendered in the EVbj- 'hearken,' ' listen ' (RV), ' come to the ears of,' ' to be noised.' Another verb (wapaKoiu) is used, Mt 18", and trans- lated ' refuse to hear ' (RV), and Mk 5'" where the RV is 'not heeding' (mg. 'overhearing'). The noun (dnoi}) also occurs, and is rendered ' hearing,' ' fame,' ' report,' ' rumour.'
2. The most obvious meaning of 'hear' is, of course, to be endowed with thtfacultij of hearing, as opposed to deafness ; and in this sense it is used in Mt 11= (Lk 7"), Mk '". (See Cures, De.\f AND Dumb).