Comments on: Kephale as ‘Source’ or ‘Origin?’

By: Don

Don — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:34:55 +0000

Yes, but his head/kephale was the source of Athena. Today, we simply do not think anything like that.

By: Bill Altman

Bill Altman — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:11:09 +0000

I love that story. According to one of the myths of the birth of Athena, Zeus consorted with one of the Titans who became pregnant. But there was a prophecy that the child would be greater than Zeus. To prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy, Zeus ate the mother to be. Then he started having headaches. He asked a friend to go to work on his head with an axe and out popped Athena. She came out of his kephale, his physical head. The word is used in a purely literal sense, his actual head, not in a metaphorical sense.

When one thing is the source of another in a particular sense, it does not necessarily follow that that that thing carries the meaning “source” in the broader and metaphorical sense. To the Greeks, the intestines were the source of emotions. But that particular meaning does not carry over into intestines meaning source in other senses.

By: Don

Don — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:45:33 +0000

How about Athena springing fully formed from Zeus’s head/kephale?

By: Bill Altman

Bill Altman — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:25:33 +0000

Very interesting discussion here. Let me answer one issue about Liddel Scott and “source” as a possible meaning for kephale. LS point to two citations as evidence. In one, source of a river is the meaning, but kephale is used in the plural. When the word is used in the singular to refer to a river, it has the meaning of mouth of a river. This makes sense, as kephale has the common meaning of the point that is the end of something (head of a body, head of a column on a building, end of a pole, etc.). At the source of a river, there are usually many streams and tributaries that come together to form the river. Therefore it would make sense to use kephale in the plural. Where the river flows into a sea, the mouth, kephale is used in the singular.

The other citation is LS refers to Zeus and essentially says that he is the beginning (arche) and the end in the first line. The second line says that he is the kephale, the middle, and the perfection of all things. Kephale seems to have its regular meaning here – the end point of something (in the temporal sense) – thus, Zeus is the beginning, the middle and the end. Plus, that particular fragment has also been found with the same line, except that arche is used. And since the fragment is quoted by Plato, it’s at least 500 years older than the NT. Not great evidence.

Thsre are the *only* pieces of evidence that are used for the possible meaning of source for the word kephale.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:54:01 +0000

Welcome Jenny – it is amazing to read of how you found this site. Very encouraging to know that at any time, someone could be helped by reading old posts.

No matter what environment we are in, if we believe that God is good and loves his people without favouritism, then we will find the truth about equality, even when we are taught quite the opposite.

May you find this site a valuable tool for growth and support.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:41:20 +0000

P.S.–Jenny, if I may, it seems prudent to mention that other women might respond to your searching in ways you would not expect. Sometimes we imagine they all would be eager to know of their freedom in Christ, but for some, the fear of self-deception (and so many have been falsely taught that women are more prone to deception on account of the story of the garden), the fear of change, and the fear of what husbands would think, can actually cause them to turn on you personally and attack you. I’m speaking from much experience…. I think it is great that you want to tackle this in ladies’ bible studies, but in case these matters have not occurred to you, I recommend much prayer for timing and manner, personal protection, etc. All best, Deb

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:36:19 +0000

Jenny, that’s so cool! I use Strong’s a lot too, but it lists any way the words have been translated in the KJV (not always correctly) as its basis and so is not always very accurate. Egalitarians have a couple of different ways of viewing the word “head” and the New Testament passages where it appears. Even if you find you are not definitively sure of a particular reading of a scripture or word, I hope you do not give up searching. The overarching trajectory of scripture is, as you point out, that of God’s releasing women and viewing them as co-equals. It can take some time to sort through the weight of all the hierarchal interpretations handed down to us (it took me years), particularly when we are concerned about being self-deceived or selfish. But as you search, I’m confident you will see again and again that the explanation which makes the most sense of God’s Word and mind in the matter is egalitarian. The “difficult” passages which some focus upon as creating transcultural and severely limiting norms and the hierarchical view of head both contradict His broader message (and the hierarchal view of head would also put the Father eternally over the Son in 1 Corinthians 11:3, whereas they are one in essence–equal in power and rank, with the Son elevated to all rule and authority once again–despite the Son’s temporary emptying of Himself while on earth). Blessings~

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:57:25 +0000

I realize that no one has posted to this blog in years, but I wanted to explain how I came to this site inquiring about kepahle. I want to illustrate just one way of how women and men can reach other women like me who want to follow the will of God. Allow me to start from the beginning, please.
I was raised in the Church of Christ as most know is a very conservative belief system. I really couldn’t tell you what it means to be an egalitarian. I was raised in the theme of submission, but my mom was my dad’s help meet and dad could not have run his business without her. (I found Suzanne’s comments about ezer to not be fully explanatory. Isn’t the Hebrew ezer knegedo or something close. We do not want to state that we are God to man, but an equal compliment.)

I digress. I have been married eight years and have been slowly coming to the conclusions that the gifts that God has given me do not fall under the submissive role that the church has put on me. I was reading Gal 3:28 and thinking about all the instances where there were women publicly serving in the church and asked God why them and not me? Why do You say we are all equal and then tell us that man is the head of the woman? That women needs authority over her head and so on? I prayed for enlightenment or I would not be able to fulfill the calling that He has put on me.
One of the church ladies was emptying out her library and passing on the books when I came across “Why Not Women?” I am not a scholar yet, but know that the original context and language is important. For the first time in my life I read that head could mean “source”. What a difference this has made to me. For a while I have been secretly afraid that I have been disobedient to scripture because I have not covered my head appropriately. That I have not submitted enough. I have been trying to reconcile Gal 3:8 with my beliefs of the time and they don’t mesh! It isn’t until you speak of equal partnership and cooperation in the harvest that I don’t have to argue with what God has given me as His Word. I am supposed to measure by scripture what the Spirit tells me, but if I have an incorrect understanding of scripture, I am worried that Satan is influencing me into disobedience and pride. Last night I was using the online strong’s concordance to verify my information that I received from this book, but to my disappointment I found none. That is when I searched kephale_source that this blog came up first. I appreciate the discussion and will find further information to read. I will not let this matter stop with me, but will be bringing it up in my ladies bible class for discussion.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:27:49 +0000

I agree Sarah. Just because something happens all around the world and has done so for hundreds of years does not make it right or even desirable.

The earlier comment that suggested that if things were going to change, they would have by now is almost an evolutionary idea. Things will only change as human beings take God’s word seriously and listen to his heart on issues of justice. We can all do our small bit to help bring about change and the first would be to believe that we can make a difference.