The Closet Professor

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

-Galatians 3:28

I’ve always liked this Bible verse. Galatians 3:28 shows that all Christians are children of God, and there are no exceptions, no inequalities. All Christians alike, no matter what their race, status, or sex, stand on the same footing before God. There is a unity or solidarity in the Christian body. What is true of one is true of all. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

I did a search for the meaning of Galatians 3:28 and came across a lot of interpretations that were interesting, but not in a good interesting. It is amazing how many Christian organizations try to justify using this verse to discriminate. These commentators interpret the verse as teaching that Paul is calling “only” for spiritual equality in Christ Jesus. They make the claim that natural differences between peoples are to be maintained as God’s policy for us in our lives on earth. This line of thought was established by those who, recognizing the radical implications of equality, immediately moved to temper any application of it beyond their own prejudices. By doing so, they are saying that we are equals in the eyes of God in only the possibility of what we can become by following their own prejudices, and we are, in fact, not truly equals. They claim that this is only referring to how God sees us, not how we should see ourselves and others.

Those using Galatians 3:28 in a way to claim that it means we are not all the same in society, but it means only that all people are equal “in regard to religion.” They believe this is the sole point under discussion; and the interpretation should be limited to this. These same people proclaim that all people are equal in all things and claim that the gospel was not designed to break down all the distinctions of society. Throughout history, people have called for equality when they see injustices imposed on people who are seen as different. Governments, politicians, and even religious leaders have taught people should not be treated as societal equals. They used this to defend slavery, discrimination, and genocide. 

The Bible can be seen as a static and literal in all things, or it can be seen as the living and active Word of God. It is to be restudied and reapplied on a continuing basis within the context of societal changes and enlightened thoughts. If we always remain narrowminded, then we will never grow as humans. Therefore, as man creates more and more distinctions, divisions, and prejudices we have to continually remind ourselves that we are all one in God’s eyes. It is imperative that we open our minds to changes that will improve the equality of all. Whenever someone finds a new way to discriminate, fight to end that discrimination. Christ taught us how to make the world a better place and that we are all God’s children, and time and again in the apostle Paul tells how we can do this in his letters to the Galatians, Colossians, Ephesians, Romans, etc. Paul’s call for equality is arguably the most prominent reiteration in Paul’s letters.

So, just as Paul and Christ challenged you to not see distinctions when we look at others, we should look for the similarities that make us all one in Christ. We constantly find ourselves judging others by their appearance, their manners, or any number of superficial differences. So, the next time you catch yourself seeing these differences remind yourself that God tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female” We are all one in the eyes of the Lord.