Articles From Our Bulletins
"Decapitation"
Few words elicit such universal horror and abject disgust as “decapitation.” Throughout history, the removal of the head is considered by most cultures to be the ultimate desecration of the body. Even among those classed as murderers, extreme disdain and sentences are meted out for those willing to kill this way. Pre or post-mortem dismemberment is surely repulsive, but beheading is certainly the ultimate disgrace to any body living or dead.
Given that decapitation is seemingly such an innate abomination to us, isn’t it shocking that we so routinely accept as “normal” or even “best” the beheading of marriage and family? Note carefully Ephesians 5:22-24, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” It should be recognized that this passages is using the proper husband/wife relationship to teach about the correct relationship between Christ and the church, cf. v.32, but the spousal part still stands as God’s prescribed and wise order, cf. v.33! Consider the following:
- God created the man for the woman and woman for the man, Genesis 2:18-23;
- God also created marriage for the mutual benefit of each, as well as “family” and society as a whole, Genesis 2:24; so…
- Man, woman, family, and society “work” best when each fulfills their roles with the relationship of marriage according to his dictates, Ephesians 5:22-33.
How is it then that we have come to a point where the “head” of marriage/family is so routinely decapitated through: 1) husbands and fathers abdicating their responsibilities either through neglect or abandonment; 2) altering or seeking to delegate the God-appointed role; 3) wives/mothers refusing to acknowledge and submit to proper headship; or, 4) removing the “head” (husband/father) completely from the modern concepts and expectations of marriage and family? These “decapitations” ought to be as grotesques to us as the guillotine!
But let’s take this metaphor a step further. Remember the comparative connection made in Ephesians 5 between the relationship of Christ/church and husbands/wives. Could it be that our willingness to “decapitate” the role of the husband/father from spousal and family relations stems from our beheading Christ from the church? He is to be the undisputed “head of the church” (cf. Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:15; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). And yet:
- Some denominations have removed Jesus’ head(ship) by simply no longer following His words. “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) is a fair question! If we’re not going to accept and keep His commandments regarding marriage (Matthew 19:4-6) and divorce (Matthew 19:9), is it any wonder that we also behead Him concerning the church’s organization (Acts 14:23; 1Timothy 3:1-15), worship (1Corinthians 11:20-34; 14:15; 16:1-2), and work (Ephesians 4:11-16)?
- Still other apostate religions have supplanted Him with singular men, groups or boards of them, or their doctrines, creeds, and traditions, cp. Matthew 15:3-9. Surely this is decapitation followed by the Dr. Frankenstein approach of attaching the “wrong head” to His body!
Decapitation is an abominable desecration of the body. It ought to be equally abhorrent when it is the removal of the “head” of the family or the body of Christ, His church!
- Decapitation.pdf (69.50 kB)
