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Federal Headship
Federal Headship is foreign to the modern mind, but it
is a biblical concept. It is the teaching that the father is
the one who represents his family, his descendents. Proof of
this can be found in Heb. 7:8-10.
"Here mortal men receive tithes,
but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
9Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through
Abraham, so to speak, 10for he was still in the loins of
his father when Melchizedek met him."
Levi was a
distant descendent of Abraham, yet it is said that Levi paid tithes
to Melchizedek even though he wasn't born. How is this so?
We know that Levi did not physically carry out the act of paying
tithes, but we do know that Abraham did and we also know that
Abraham was the representative head of his descendents. This
is how it can be said that Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek.
Federal Headship also finds its place in the Epistle of
Romans when Paul says in Rom. 5:12-14,
"Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus
death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13(For
until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when
there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from
Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to
the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him
who was to come."
The Bible knowledge
Commentary says, "The federal headship view considers Adam, the
first man, as the representative of the human race that generated
from him. As the representative of all humans, Adam’s act of sin was
considered by God to be the act of all people and his penalty of
death was judicially made the penalty of everybody."1
Also, "The federal headship of Adam presupposes and rests upon his
natural headship. He was our natural head before he was our federal
head. He was doubtless made our federal representative because he
was our natural progenitor, and was so conditioned that his agency
must affect our destinies, and because our very nature was on trial
(typically if not essentially) in him. Whatever, therefore, of
virtue in this explanation the natural headship of Adam may be
supposed to contain the federal theory retains."2
Therefore, it should be clear that Adam represented us and when he
fell, we fell.
But some may object and say that this is not fair.
They will say that we should not be held responsible for Adam's sin
because we never sinned. If this is the position that they
want to hold, then let's take a look at the cross and see why
Federal Headship is important in relation to Jesus.
Jesus represented
His people
1 Cor. 15:45 says, “The first
man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving
spirit." The "last Adam" is a reference to Jesus because
of the similar relationship that exists between them both.
That is, both Adam and Jesus are representative heads. Please
consider 1 Cor. 15:22 that says, "For as
in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive."
This is teaching us that Adam and Christ are heads of groups.
Notice "in Adam" and "in Christ" referencing our position in
relationship to both of them.
If Adam did not represent mankind, then Jesus could not
represent the Christians when He died on the cross. As Adam's
offense resulted in condemnation to all people, so also, Jesus'
sacrifice results in justification for those who believe in Him (Rom. 5:18). It is because of
Federal Headship -- legal representation -- that we are able to be
saved at all. As Adam's sin was imputed3
to us because of the Fall, our sin was likewise imputed to Jesus on
the cross and Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us when we receive
Him. In other words, if it was not for the biblical idea of
Federal Headship (of one person representing others), then Jesus
could not have represented us on the cross. If Jesus did not
represent us on the cross, then it could not be said of us that
"...you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:3); and, "Now if we have died
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him," (Rom. 6:8).
Jesus represented us so completely on the cross that it
can be said that we have died with Him. If it were not for
Federal Headship, this would not be possible and we could not have
died to sin.
Conclusion
Federal
Headship is a biblical concept with some very important
ramifications. Because of the biblical concept, we are able to
enjoy salvation; we have died to sin, and we can rest in Christ who
represented us before the Father in His satisfaction of the Law of
God.
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1. Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible
Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press
Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
2. Hodge, A. A., Outlines of Theology, (Escondido,
CA: Ephesians Four Group) 1999.
3. To impute means to reckon to another's
account, to credit to another's account.
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