In the previous installments, we exposed how modern English assumptions distort New Testament Greek, particularly in restricting women’s leadership. Part 1 dismantled misinterpretations of Romans 16:7 (Junia), 1 Timothy 2:12 (authentein), and Galatians 3:28 (arsen kai thēly). Part 2 highlighted women like Phoebe (diakonos, prostatis), Junia (apostolos), and Euodia and Syntyche (syzugos, synēthlēsan), who led mixed congregations, refuting claims that women’s leadership was limited to women. This third part examines the Greek terms kephalē (head), exousia (authority), and prophēteuō (prophesying) in Ephesians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3–10, and 1 Corinthians 11:5. We also address the Old Testament example of Deborah and the Hebrew term ‘ēzer (helper), countering claims that women’s leadership, like Deborah’s, was a mere concession to spiritual decline or limited to women. Grounded in Greek and Hebrew texts with scholarly support, this study challenges hierarchical views and affirms egalitarian leadership.
Kephalē: Head as Source, Not Ruler
The Greek term kephalē (“head”) appears in Ephesians 5:23 and 1 Corinthians 11:3:
ὅτι ἀνήρ ἐστιν κεφαλὴ τῆς γυναικὸς ὡς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας (Ephesians 5:23).
Translation: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.”
Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι ὅτι παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἡ κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν, κεφαλὴ δὲ γυναικὸς ὁ ἀνήρ, κεφαλὴ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ Θεός (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Translation: “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”
Misinterpreting Kephalē
In modern English, “head” often implies authority or leadership, leading complementarians to argue kephalē establishes male dominance. In Koine Greek, however, kephalē frequently means “source” or “origin” in metaphorical contexts (Kroeger and Kroeger 1992, 44). The Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon notes kephalē as the “source” of a river, not its ruler (Liddell, Scott, and Jones 1996). In Ephesians 5:23, Christ as kephalē emphasizes His role as the church’s source of life, seen in His sacrificial love (5:25). In 1 Corinthians 11:3, kephalē likely reflects a chain of origin (God as source of Christ, Christ of man, man of woman, per Genesis 2:21–22), not hierarchical command.
Addressing the “Women Leading Women Only” Claim
Complementarians use kephalē to restrict women’s leadership to women, claiming men alone lead mixed groups. Yet, 1 Corinthians 11:5 shows women praying and prophesying (prophēteuō) in mixed assemblies, roles involving authoritative speech (see below). If kephalē mandated male authority, these public roles would be inconsistent. Instead, kephalē as “source” supports mutuality (Ephesians 5:21, “submit to one another”), affirming women’s leadership over men and women, as seen with Phoebe and Junia.
Theological Implication: Kephalē as “source” challenges patriarchal interpretations, aligning with the New Testament’s egalitarian vision.
Exousia: Women’s Authority in Worship
In 1 Corinthians 11:10, Paul addresses women’s head coverings:
διὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλει ἡ γυνὴ ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους.
Translation: “For this reason, a woman ought to have authority over her head because of the angels.”
Understanding Exousia
The term exousia means “authority” or “power” (Bauer et al. 2000). Many translations render 1 Corinthians 11:10 as “a sign of authority” (e.g., NIV), implying submission to male authority. However, the Greek exousian echein epi tēs kephalēs means “to have authority over her head,” suggesting women control their own participation in worship (Fee 1987, 520). The context of women praying and prophesying (11:5) in mixed assemblies supports this, as these were authoritative, public acts.
Addressing the “Women Leading Women Only” Claim
The claim that women’s worship roles were limited to women is untenable. The Corinthian church included men and women (1 Corinthians 1:11; Acts 18:8), and women’s praying and prophesying occurred in public gatherings. Exousia affirms their authority to lead in worship, contradicting restrictions like 1 Corinthians 14:34–36, which are likely contextual (see Part 5).
Theological Implication: Exousia empowers women to lead in mixed settings, undermining claims that they cannot hold authority over men.
Prophēteuō: Women Prophesying in Public
1 Corinthians 11:5 mentions women prophesying:
πᾶσα δὲ γυνὴ προσευχομένη ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς.
Translation: “But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.”
The Role of Prophēteuō
The verb prophēteuō (“to prophesy”) denotes delivering divinely inspired messages to edify the church (1 Corinthians 14:3–4). In 1 Corinthians 11:5, women prophesying in mixed assemblies (Acts 18:8) indicates authoritative roles. Prophecy was public, not limited to women’s groups, as Paul addresses the entire church (Fee 1987, 511). This contradicts 1 Corinthians 14:34–36, suggesting those verses address specific disruptions (see Part 5).
Addressing the “Women Leading Women Only” Claim
The public nature of prophēteuō refutes claims that women’s leadership was women-only. Prophesying addressed the whole congregation, including men, as seen with Philip’s daughters (Acts 21:9). Complementarians allowing women to pray or prophesy but not preach or lead men inconsistently apply these texts, ignoring the Greek evidence.
Theological Implication: Prophēteuō confirms women’s authoritative public ministry in mixed settings, challenging restrictions on their leadership over men.
Deborah and ‘Ēzer: Old Testament Precedent for Women’s Leadership
The Old Testament provides a powerful precedent for women’s leadership through Deborah and the Hebrew term ‘ēzer, often misused to subordinate women.
Deborah: A Divinely Appointed Judge and Prophetess
Judges 4:4–5 describes Deborah:
וּדְבוֹרָה אִשָּׁה נְבִיאָה… הִיא שֹׁפְטָה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵת הַהִיא.
Translation: “Now Deborah, a prophetess… was judging Israel at that time.”
Deborah exercised judicial and spiritual authority over Israel, a mixed nation of men and women. She summoned Barak, a male military leader, and directed him in battle (Judges 4:6–7), demonstrating authority over men. Her role as a prophetess (nĕbî’â) parallels New Testament women prophesying (prophēteuō), reinforcing their authoritative ministry (Belleville 2000, 87). Some claim Deborah’s leadership was an exception because “Israel was doing their own thing” (Judges 21:25, implying spiritual decline). This argument fails. Judges 4:1–4 frames Deborah’s rise during Israel’s oppression, with God raising judges to deliver them (Judges 2:16–18). Her leadership is portrayed as divinely ordained, not a compromise due to rebellion. The text gives no hint that her gender was unusual or secondary, and her authority over men like Barak refutes gender-specific restrictions (Trible 1978, 95).
‘Ēzer: Helper as Partner, Not Subordinate
The Hebrew term ‘ēzer (helper), used for Eve in Genesis 2:18, is often cited to limit women to subordinate roles:
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ.
Translation: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’”
Complementarians argue ‘ēzer implies subservience, restricting women to supporting men. However, ‘ēzer appears 21 times in the Old Testament, often for God as Israel’s helper (e.g., Psalm 33:20, “Our help [‘ēzer] is in the name of the Lord”). This denotes strength and partnership, not subordination (Kroeger and Kroeger 1992, 67). In Genesis 2:18, ‘ēzer kenegdô (“helper fit for him”) implies equality and complementarity, as Eve is Adam’s partner. Misreading ‘ēzer as “subordinate” reflects modern English assumptions, not the Hebrew’s robust meaning.
Addressing the “Women Leading Women Only” Claim
Deborah’s leadership and ‘ēzer’s meaning refute claims that women cannot lead men. Deborah judged and prophesied over all Israel, not just women, under divine appointment, not as an exception to spiritual decline. ‘Ēzer’s application to God undermines subordinate connotations, aligning with New Testament women like Phoebe and Junia who led mixed congregations.
Theological Implication: Deborah’s divinely ordained authority and ‘ēzer’s strength affirm women’s capacity to lead men, consistent with the New Testament’s egalitarian vision.
Leadership Hierarchies and the Biblical Evidence
Many Christian denominations distinguish between roles like elders and deacons, often assigning greater authority to elders. Such distinctions can parallel the marginalization of women’s roles, as seen in translations that reduce diakonos to “servant” for Phoebe or misinterpret kephalē as “ruler.” The Greek terms kephalē, exousia, and prophēteuō, alongside Old Testament examples like Deborah and ‘ēzer, reveal a biblical vision of leadership where women exercise authority over mixed congregations.
Conclusion
The Greek terms kephalē, exousia, and prophēteuō, supported by Deborah’s leadership and ‘ēzer’s meaning, affirm women’s authoritative roles, refuting claims that they cannot lead men. These texts expose modern English misinterpretations, such as “head” as “ruler” or “helper” as “subordinate.” The next post will explore arsen kai thēly and adelphoi to establish biblical equality, building toward a comprehensive case for egalitarian leadership.
Bibliography
Bauer, Walter, Frederick W. Danker, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Belleville, Linda L. 2000. Women Leaders and the Church: Three Crucial Questions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Fee, Gordon D. 1987. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Keener, Craig S. 1992. Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
Kroeger, Catherine Clark, and Richard Clark Kroeger. 1992. I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11–15 in Light of Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Liddell, Henry George, Robert Scott, and Henry Stuart Jones. 1996. A Greek-English Lexicon. 9th ed. with revised supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Trible, Phyllis. 1978. God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Rooted & Reckoned 
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