What Does “Head” Mean in the Bible? A Primer on Kephalē

Part 2 of 7 in a series on "Headship"

One Greek word—kephalē, usually translated as “head”—has stirred considerable debate in modern biblical interpretation. At the heart of this discussion lies a single question with wide-ranging theological and practical implications: Does kephalē mean “authority over” or “source”?

The stakes of this debate are far from academic. How we interpret kephalē in texts like 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:23 profoundly influences Christian views on gender roles in marriage and church leadership. If kephalē means “authority,” then these passages affirm a hierarchical structure: the man leads, the woman follows. But if kephalē means “source,” the text instead highlights origin, interdependence, and mutuality—undermining rigid gender hierarchies.

Complementarians, who affirm male leadership in the home and church, generally argue that kephalē denotes authority. This interpretation allows them to read Paul’s statements—like “the head of a woman is man”—as theological mandates for gendered leadership. The analogy between Christ and the church is cited to reinforce male headship, modeled after Christ’s leadership over his people.

But a growing body of scholarship challenges this reading. Linguistic studies reveal that in ancient Greek, kephalē was more commonly used metaphorically to indicate “source” or “origin”—as in the head of a river—than to imply authority. Importantly, in none of Paul’s key uses of kephalē (such as in 1 Corinthians 11 and Ephesians 5) does he pair it with Greek words that clearly denote rulership, like kurios (lord) or archōn (ruler).

This alternative “source” interpretation reframes the biblical narrative. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul invokes the creation account: woman came from man (Eve from Adam’s side). Later, however, he balances this by noting that man is born of woman, and all things come from God—emphasizing interdependence, not hierarchy. In Ephesians 5, the “headship” of the husband is modeled not on authority, but on Christ’s self-giving love and care—he nourishes and cherishes the church as his own body.

Theologically, this reading preserves the co-equality of the Trinity. If “God is the head of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:3) is interpreted hierarchically, it risks implying eternal subordination within the Godhead—contrary to Nicene orthodoxy. Seeing kephalē as “source” supports the doctrine of the Father as the eternal source of the Son, maintaining both distinction and equality.

In sum, how we define kephalē reshapes not only our reading of a few verses but our understanding of God, gender, and gospel relationships. A “source” reading opens the door to models of marriage and ministry rooted in mutuality, not control—offering a biblical vision as radical now as it was in the first century.