“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“
Galatians 3:28, NIV
Many look to this passage as their anthem of liberation. This passage certainly is powerful. It seems to establish equality between all people before God. Regardless of nationality, social status, or gender. Is it not by such truths that the black slaves in America acquired their freedom?
Likewise, many egalitarian proponents look to this passage to support their view of women’s service in the church that includes pastoral, teaching, and leadership positions in the church. They hold these distinctions should not matter in the church.
However, I have heard others say that this passage refers only to our status of salvation. As in whether or not we are saved. Certainly this passage refers to our status of salvation and the gospel. But is Galatians 3:28 only about salvation? Should we limit its scope to a matter of going to heaven or not? Does the gospel not permeate all aspects of our lives?
To see if this passage only refers to our salvation or if it has greater implications we will begin by examining the context of this verse as it is situated in the rest of the letter. Then we will discuss what salvation and the gospel mean followed by Paul’s discussion about a new creation. We can then look at how this truth may be lived out, including what this passage means for women in the body of Christ.
Context of Galatians
What brought Paul to write this letter? Paul seems to be writing to the Galatians because they are turning away from the gospel.
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Galatians 1:6-7, NIV
He wants to remind them of the truth of the Gospel that comes from God (Gal 1.11-12).
In what way had the Galatians stepped away from the gospel? This letter indicates that there seems to be disagreement among them on the matter of circumcision. Some wanted to require that the believing gentiles become circumcised to respect the law (Gal 3:1-6). They may also have been treating the gentiles differently than the Jews, showing preference to the Jews. Paul wants to show them that this is not in line with the gospel. He reminds them that they are saved by faith and the work of the Spirit, not by the law (Gal 3:5).
Galatians 2:15-16, NIV
“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
They are falling away from the gospel because they trust in the law (circumcision) instead of in the salvation that comes from Christ.
The meaning of salvation
What is this salvation that comes from Christ? Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin. We deserved death, but instead of us dying, Jesus died for us so that we may have life. With this life-giving message, Jesus came to completely transform us. How great is it that God came to save us from all the effects of sin, to completely transform us, and to make us new! The gospel comes to change every part of our being. It is a way of life, it is life, and it came to revolutionize our lives. Jesus came to make us new.
He came to save us from our sin, but also from the effects of sin that permeate this world. He came to set us free from sin (Rom 6:18), he came to liberate the oppressed. This is also part of the gospel (Luke 4:18). So saying that Gal 3:28 is only about salvation is absurd. There is no “just about salvation.”
I think saying that Gal 3:28 is only about our salvation status is limiting the scope of this passage. Let us not limit this passage to say that now gentiles, slaves, and women can also be saved. This makes no sense. I don’t think it was ever a question of whether women, slaves, or gentiles could be saved. Rather in being saved we are completely made new. Let us live according to this.
A new creation
This brings us to Paul’s talk about a new creation and how we must not go back to the way things were before. At the end of his letter, Paul concludes that this whole issue of circumcision does not mean anything anymore, but that what counts is the new creation in Christ Jesus.
Gal 6:14-15, NIV
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.”
We no longer belong to this world but to the new creation that comes through Christ. Let us, therefore, treat each other as belonging to this new creation, not as belonging to this world. In this world distinctions such as nationality, social status, and gender matter. In the new creation, distinctions like male and female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, no longer matter.
I think Gal 3:28 contrasts this new creation with the old. It seems to me it is supposed to bring us back to Genesis 1 a. Paul does not say there is no longer male nor female as he said there is no longer slave nor free. Paul said there is no male and female, as in Genesis 1. In this earthly creation distinctions such as male and female exist, but it is not to be so in the new creation. In the new creation “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Of course, it was good that God created us male and female, there is great beauty in this. But in the new creation, it is no longer necessary.
Remember Jesus’s saying that “at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Mt 22:30). In the beginning, God created them male and female so that they could “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn 1:28). In the new creation physical procreation like this no longer matters. Now we are to spread the news of the gospel to all corners of the earth (Mk 16:15). It is a new calling in which gender has very little, if anything, to do about it.
Yes, Gal 3:28 is about salvation, but it is also about how we should live according to the new creation of God. In the new creation, we must not show preferential treatment based on nationality, social status, or gender.
How is this lived out?
How are we to live in this new creation? How should the gospel be lived out in our lives according to Paul in this letter? We can find within the letter to the Galatians an example of how this passage should be lived out. Paul called Peter out for not being in line with the gospel. Peter would associate with his fellow gentile believers as equals but then, when the Jews came, he put them aside to go towards the Jews. Peter was being a hypocrite. He was also not living according to the gospel because he was showing preferential treatment to the Jews over the gentiles. He was treating the gentiles as if circumcision still meant something whereas we are saved through Christ, not circumcision. If “God does not show favoritism» (Gal 2:6), we must not show favoritism either.
Implications on women’s role in the Church
We can also see glimpses of what this means for gender equality in Galatians. See, those who put their faith in Christ are called sons of God; not sons and daughters, but sons. At that time, it was the son that was the heir, not the daughter. But in Christ men and women alike are sons, and therefore heirs. If women in Christ can be called sons of God, do they not inherit the same Spirit as men do? Do they not have the same rights or privileges as men? Can they not now serve as men do? I think they can. God treats men and women alike in that we are all heirs of the promise if we belong to Christ.
Since God does not show preferential treatment to people according to their earthly status neither should we. We should not show preferential treatment to people according to their gender, social status, race, etc. We should treat each in the body of Christ as truly belonging to one body. We should treat others the same as ourselves (Mk 12:31).
To say that only men can lead in the church, that only men can preach, that only men can be pastors or elders, is showing preferential treatment to men over women. It is not in the spirit of this passage, nor is it in the spirit of the gospel. This is not in line with who Jesus says we are in Christ. It is not bringing new creation to this world but it is living according to the patterns of this world.
Consider this. If some had said that gentiles are saved but that there are still distinctions between Jews and gentiles implying that gentiles could not be pastors Paul would have been outraged! Why is this okay when talking about women? God does not care about my status in this world, he cares about who I am in Christ.
Likewise, to say that in the marriage men always exert authority and women submit is not to live in the accordance with the new creation, but with the old. It is not behaving as though we are all one in Christ. It is not living by the gospel.
Now, I am not saying this passage means that these distinctions no longer exist. They obviously still exist. Rather, they have no significance whatsoever in the body of Christ. They no longer matter in the new creation. Diversity is beautiful. However, we should treat each other equally regardless of our differences.
Conclusion
I have tried to show this powerful passage is about salvation, it is about the gospel. But let us not think that it only talks about who will go to heaven or not. Rather, the Gospel lives in us and completely transforms us and how we should act. What do you think? Does not a simple reading of Gal 3:28 tell you that we should all treat each other equally and not show favoritism? I think people who want to uphold women’s subordination to male authority need to convince themselves that this passage only refers to our status of salvation. Let us not limit the power of the scriptures. Let us embrace this revolutionary message to treat each other equally as belonging to one body, Christ Jesus.
a I believe I first came across this idea in a youtube video featuring N.T. Wright. I, unfortunately, do not remember which video this was. Luckily he discusses this in his book Surprised by Scripture. Wright, N.T. (2014). Surprised by Scripture: Engaging with Contemporary Issues. United Kingdom: SPCK. Scribd Edition p.84. https://www.scribd.com/book/223857493/Surprised-by-Scripture-Engaging-Contemporary-Issues
