I Corinthians 11:3 - Is God superior to Christ?

[Jesus.defender]

I Corinthians 11:3 - Is God superior to Christ?

‘But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God’.

Watchtower teaching: JWs say that, because Jehovah is the head of Christ, then Christ cannot be God. They say that since I Corinthians 11:3 was written in 55 AD when Jesus was ascended and glorified, then this superior rank of Jehovah over Jesus applies to their present relationship in heaven. They claim that ‘Jesus is always presented as a lesser, separate, humble servant of God’. Should you Believe in the Trinity? p.20.

The Bible teaching: I Corinthians 11:3 has to do with patterns of authority, not to do with inferiority or superiority of one person over the other. Paul says that the man is the head of the woman, even though men and women are 100% equal in their essential being.

Biblically men and women and equal in nature.

They are both 100% human, created in God’s image, and one in Christ (I Peter 3:7 ‘Heirs together’)

Key: Hence, even though men and women are equal in nature, they function within a hierarchy. In the same way, Christ and the Father are 100% equal in their divine being and nature. ‘I and the Father are one’. (John 10:30), even though Jesus functions under the Father’s headship authority. There is no contradiction to say that among the three persons in the Godhead, there is an equality of divine being and nature as well as two members functioning under the Father’s authority.

Christ is 100% God and fully equal to the Father in being and nature, yet Christ is subordinate or submissive to the Father, especially in becoming a man.

Therefore I Corinthians 11:3 does not teach that Jesus is less than God.

Within the Godhead, the Father acts as Head without diminishing the full deity of the Son.

Question: Are women inferior in nature to men because men exercise headship over women?

Question: If ‘no’, then why does the WT teach that the Father’s headship over Christ means that Christ is inferior in nature to the Father?

[Melinda Mills]

Men and women are equal before God and intellectually equal, but  he made the man to preside over the family to keep order. Hence,  God put a strong craving in woman so she would desire the man to such an extent that she would be submissive to him. (Genesis 3:16)16 To the woman he said: “I will greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in pain you will give birth to children, and your longing will be for your husband, and he will dominate you."

 There is also a physical limitation - the reason men and women don't compete in sports. Women have to be more gentle so they can carry a pregnancy to term and then deal gently with the children. Women who do strenuous sports usually tend to look less feminine after a time.

[John Houston]

Nothing Jesus did or said made him want to be equal to his Father, that his man's doing. He wants to be submissive and in subjective in all things but at every turn man wants to place Jesus at a place where he does want to be. He prayed for his FORMER GLORY, not more excessive glory, before he died, yet when he returned to heaven John saw in vision that the Lamb was WORTHY of all the glory and power heaped upon him. Only his Father could give him that, he earned it. 

[Melinda Mills]

If the head of your firm sent you to head up a project in an out-of-city office and you did such a good job that on finishing your assignment your manager thought you should be promoted and not merely returned to your former office, this is something that happens regularly.  It is not strange that Jehovah God would wish to do the same for Jesus when he returned to heaven.  Just an understandable situation - nothing farfetched about it.

(Acts 2:32-36) 32 God resurrected this Jesus, and of this we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”’ 36 Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you executed on a stake.”

(Philippians 2:9-11) For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground— 11 and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

When an employee does a good job it is to the credit or glory of the company that employs him. Jesus was a good representative and ambassador for Jehovah while on earth, that is why he said:

(John 5:19-24) 19 Therefore, in response Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, the Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son does also in like manner. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, so that you may marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to. 22 For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Most truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes the One who sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.

(John 14:9-11) .9 Jesus said to him: “Even after I have been with you men for such a long time, Philip, have you not come to know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also. How is it you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me? The things I say to you I do not speak of my own originality, but the Father who remains in union with me is doing his works. 11 Believe me that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me; otherwise, believe because of the works themselves. 

(1 Corinthians 15:25-28) For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. 26 And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. 27 For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.

Jehovah the King of the Universe is not subject to anyone.   
 

[Space Merchant]

Is God Superior to Jesus?

Yes

[Guest]

The letter to the Hebrews begins by directing our attention to the superior position of Christ who is now a glorious spirit, "the exact representation of [the] very being [of God]". This does not mean, however, that the Father and the Son are one person or one god, for Hebrews 1: 3 adds that Jesus "sits at the right hand of the Majesty [of God, New Testament in fluent French] in the Heights". Texts such as Hebrews 2:10 and 5: 5, 8 also show that Jehovah is superior to the Son.However, Christ now has "a name [a position or reputation] more excellent than theirs [that of the angels]". Hebrews 1: 4.

 

Regarding the condition of Jesus since his resurrection and ascension to heaven, the Word of God states, "He is a reflection of his glory [of God] and the exact representation of his being." (Heb 1: 3 ). He must be spirit, just as "God is Spirit". John 4:24. 
Therefore, when Saul of Tarsus (who was going to Damascus to persecute the Christians) met Jesus Christ, he saw no form or body, only a light so bright that it made him blind (Acts 9: 3-9).It was fitting that Jesus thus appear to Saul, for in his glorious position he is the "accurate representation" of the person of his Father and God (Heb 1: 3, John 20:17). g73 22/11 4

With regard to the King, that is to say of the resurrected Jesus Christ, it is written that he is "the reflection of his glory (that of God) and the imprint of his person". (Heb 1: 3). In truth, the relative freedom of this glorified Son is a very great freedom of action that approaches that of God himself. But Jehovah, in his capacity as Superior, is the only one who has absolute freedom. 
27 Unlike Jehovah, the freedom of all creatures, from Jesus Christ to the faithful man, is limited to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the degree of inferiority of the position they occupy.w52 331, 361

 

"Jehovah is the Source of all life, all animate creation, visible and invisible, owes him life (Ps 36: 9) .The Son was therefore, not a co-creator, but the agent, or the instrument, by the which Jehovah the Creator worked with, and Jesus himself gave the creation to God, as does the whole of the Scriptures.-Mt 19: 4-6, see CREATION.it 2 "

 

[Melinda Mills]

Another nice scripture to add referring to Jesus after his resurrection to heaven:

(1 Timothy 6:16) the one alone having immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal might. Amen.