Directed By The Head

Derek Prince

Published: 1990

Last Updated: September 2026

Read Time: 2

The Church

Christ is the head of the Church, not a distant figurehead. Derek Prince shows that the Church must look to Jesus for decisions, action, and ongoing direction rather than acting independently.

Today, we will go a step further in our study about the headship of Jesus over the Church and first go to Ephesians 5:23. This whole passage is an unfolding of God’s plan for Christian marriage but it also unfolds Christian marriage as a pattern of the relationship between Christ and the Church. It has a double application. Paul says here:

“For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.”

Notice the parallel which was also there in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3, the relationship between Christ and the husband, the husband and the wife, and Christ and the Church. So, Christ is the head of the Church.

This means that Jesus receives input from the Church. When we run into trouble, we don’t look for our own solution. We communicate with the head. My right hand would get into a lot of trouble if it wasn’t directed by the head. We cannot act as if we were autonomous, because we aren’t.

Secondly, Jesus makes the decisions for the Church. The Church shouldn’t make its own decisions.

Thirdly, Jesus initiates the actions of the Church.

And fourthly, He gives ongoing direction. When He initiates action, the members should respond to His initiative.

Does that give you a picture of the relationship between Jesus and the Church? That’s the relationship of headship. When the Scripture says Jesus is head over all things to the Church, that’s the picture that we should form in our minds, that’s the relationship that should exist between Jesus and His Church. And we may ask the question: Is that the relationship that actually now exists between Jesus and the Church?

Prayer Response

Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that You are the Head of the Church, and that You are also my head. You make the decisions! Please help me to be sensitive to Your initiatives and follow Your guiding, and not to act autonomous from You, or the rest of Your Body. In Jesus’ Name, amen.