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“The Full Rights Of Sons” Simply Put / 
K.E.Stegall
 
Chapter VIII
-
“The Head Of The Body”: Oneness Through Servanthood
 
65
 
 
“The Head Of The Body”:
 Oneness Through Servanthood
A Chip off the old block!That seems like a less than reverent way to refer to God and us, his offspring. But we allunderstand the meaning. We are like God because we are his children (John 1: 12).
We just can‟t miss the point! The similes, the parallels, and the obvious statements. Evenaside from those mentioned in our study of “head” the
re are still many many more.The apostle John especially chose to report these in his gospel. They are spread throughoutother books also, but John provides more than enough to make the point.There are times when Jesus says that what is true of the Father
is also true of himself, “I tell
you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing,
 because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) That‟s just one example. There
are many others (John 5:17,19,21,23,26, 6:32-33,38,57, 7:29, 8:19,42, 10:30,37,38, 12:44-45.14:7,9,10,11, 15:23, 16:15, 17:1,4-
5,10). “...the head of Christ is God.” (I Corinthians 11:3) “1 andthe Father are one.” (John 10:30)
 Then there are times when Jesus says that the believers a
re to be like him, “I tell you thetruth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” (John 14:12) There are manymore of these too (John 13:14, 15:12,20, 16:15, 17:14,16,19). “...the head of every man isChrist,...” (I Corinthians 11:3), “...you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
 Then there are times when Jesus tells us that we, the believers are to be like him because heis like the Father.As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my
commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father‟s commands and
remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy maybe complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12)These verses about the love and submission of servanthood are just one example among many(John 5:21,6:57, 10: 14-15,14: 19.20,21,23, 15:9,10,20,21, 17:11,18.21,22,23.24,25,26).It is Jesus who is both a member of the Godhead and a member of the church. Jesus is bothGod (John 1:1, 5:17-18, 10:30) and human (John 1:14; Hebrews 2: 14-18: Romans 1:2-4). Jesus isthe link between,
 just as he said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to theFather except through me.” (John 14:6,13,14, 15:15, 17:8) Jesus is the “...new and living way...”
(Hebrews 10:19-
20). “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the manChrist Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men...”(I Timothy 2:5
-6)
 
“The Full Rights Of Sons” Simply Put / 
K.E.Stegall
 
Chapter VIII
-
“The Head Of The Body”: Oneness Through Servanthood
 
66
 
 
“…
your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
”
(Colossians 3:3)Head
…………………………………
FullnessGod Jesus Christ ChurchHead
……………………
..
………………
.FullnessAll of these statements culminate in the great truth Jesus revealed in his prayer for us....that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be inus so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gaveme, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought tocomplete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you haveloved me.Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory,the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. RighteousFather, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. Ihave made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love youhave for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (John 17:21-26)
“...the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman
is man, and the head of Christ is
God.” (I Corinthians 11:3) It means oneness. The fullness and the head are one. Oneness is the essence of 
who God is and who we, his creation, are.
God is one God. “Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deu
teronomy 6:4; John10:30; I Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:3)
 
“The Full Rights Of Sons” Simply Put / 
K.E.Stegall
 
Chapter VIII
-
“The Head Of The Body”: Oneness Through Servanthood
 
66
 
 
The body is one body. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though allits parts are many, they form one body.” (I Corinthians 12:12: Romans 12:4; 1 Corinthians 10:17:
Ephesians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 6:17)
Man is one man. “...He who created them from the beginning made them male and female. andsaid, „For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and the twoshall become one flesh‟? Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Matthew 19:4
-6;Genesis 2:23-24, 5:2; 1 Corinthians 11:12)
Jesus said, “...that they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:11) We are one because he is one.“...there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (Jo
hn 10:16)In order to understand our oneness together as members of a body or as man and woman wemust first understand the oneness of God.In the Scriptures we are told about three persons who are God. Yet there are not three gods.There is only one God. So we have come to call these three persons members of the Godhead, theFather, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is spoken of in Scripture as somewhat different from theothers, different names with somewhat different tasks, functions, or work.
Let‟s ta
ke a closer look at the Trinity from this economic point of view. Each person of theGodhead works in a specific way, carrying out specific tasks. The Father has formulated the plan forour redemption. Jesus Christ is the instrument to accomplish the Fathe
r‟s plan. The Holy Spirit makes
the work of Christ real in the human heart.Yet in all this, we must remember that there is but one God.This oneness seems beyond our understanding, especially when we see these differences.Those who hold the subordinate position concerning women may use these differences within theTrinity as a support for their position. They may make the assumption that because there aredifferences there must also be a hierarchy of authority. They say that the Father is the ultimate authorityand that the Son and the Spirit are subordinate to the Father.This is a very complex issue and one for which there are no easy proof texts. Yet I do notbelieve that this is what orthodox Christianity has believed through the centuries about the nature of God.God is one. If the Father is in authority and the Son and Spirit are subordinate then how can webe talking of just one God. Instead, we begin to think of three Gods. How can Jesus be subordinate tothe Father when he himself is God? How can they be equal in power if the Father is in authority over
the other two? We begin to see God in our image, rather than ourselves in God‟s image. In our efforts
to make it all more understandable we make three into one the way humans tend to make three into one- through authority. This is our mentality of separation rather than his mentality of oneness.But this is natural for man in his fallen state. Our minds are darkened. We are blind. There issomething here which we cannot fully grasp. Only through faith can we begin to perceive the truth(Romans 12:2; I Corinthians 2:7-16; Ephesians 1:17). God is one God in three persons.The relationship between Christ and God is one of the first questions, perhaps the question,with which the early church wrestled. The mystery of the Trinity was not immediately apparent to theearly church leaders. And what they accepted by faith had to be enunciated and clearly set forth inwriting so there would be unity in church belief and teaching. Many varying ideas and heresies wereproposed. But with the consideration of each idea the church clarified its definition of exactly what thenature of God is, what the Trinity is.These controversies over the nature of God as he is revealed in the Trinity through Scripture
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