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". . . . . His good pleasure which He purposed in Him,--For an administration of the
fullness of the seasons--to reunite for Himself (under one head) the all things in the
Christ" (Rotherham).
". . . . . the purpose of His design so to order it in the fullness of the ages that all things
in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ" (Moffatt).
". . . . . His hidden purpose . . . . . to be put into effect when the time was ripe:
namely, that the universe, all in heaven and earth, might be brought into a unity in
Christ" (N.E.B.).
". . . . . God's merciful purpose . . . . . when the times are ripe for it . . . . . of restoring
the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ" (Weymouth).
The above translations of Ephesians 1: 10, taken respectively from the R.S.V.,
The Englishman's Greek N.T., Rotherham, Moffatt, N.E.B. and Weymouth, give
some idea of that aspect of headship which suggests that the creation will one day find its
unity and completeness in Christ.
Hence the whole creation "in Christ" had its origin, and will find its goal in Him,
insofar that He is given as Head. In the headship of man is seen a shadowy picture of this
wonderful relationship, and the building of woman took place in such a way that the truth
of God's great purpose in Christ was foreshadowed:
"And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, builded He a woman . . . . .
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called
Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man . . . . . cleave unto his
wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2: 22-24).
Here, woman had her origin in man ("the woman is out of the man", I Cor. 11: 8) and
he would find his goal and completion in her ("cleave unto his wife . . . one flesh")--a
unity indeed.
It should be observed that the man does the cleaving, and this is a reminder that it was
Christ Who cleaved to the church, not the church to Him. Although it is true to say that
the creation finds its completion and goal in Christ as Head, this only so insofar that He
first cleaves to it. He is the active one; the church responds to His love. This is always
so in the things of God:
"We love Him, because He first loved us" (I John 4: 19).
"Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5: 25).
This thought will be seen to explain why it is that the husband is told to "love" his
wife, whereas the wife is to "submit" to her husband (Eph. 5: 25, 22). Love is initiated
by the man (insofar that in this context he pictures Christ) and the woman's role (like that
of the church) is responsive.
There are obviously limitations to interpreting types and shadows used in Scripture,
and this must particularly be borne in mind when they set forth Christ. The headship of
man is a pale reflection of the Headship of Christ, it can never fully set forth the true
position, or accurately represent it. For example, as has been seen already, man and
woman stand on an equality with each other, and it is only with respect to position that
man is found associated with any suggestion of superiority. There are obvious