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When watching people debate homosexuality and the Bible, it’s inevitable that certain parts of the Bible will be used by each side. For those who believe that homosexuality is compatible with what is taught in the New Testament, Galatians 3:28 seems to be a favorite, with many believing gender doesn’t matter in marriage because God no longer cares about things like race, gender, or occupation. But is that what’s really being said?
Context is king
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
Taken on its own, it’s easy to make this verse say nearly anything. It does away with the sin of homosexuality, the outdated concept that a man is meant to lead his family, and could even make a clumsy argument for communism. The dangerous thing about looking at a single verse is just how easily we can manipulate it to say what we want it to say.
However, an important part of reading our Bible well is to look at why something is being said, letting the author’s intent frame the meaning of the words. It’s irresponsible for us to ignore everything that’s been said around this verse, just like we wouldn’t want someone to take a few words we’ve said out of context and accuse us of something we clearly didn’t say. So what’s happening around this verse?
As a whole, the book of Galatians is a wonderful examination of how Christ has freed us from the requirements of the Mosaic law found in the Old Testament. And although we are so blessed to see God’s clear purpose for our lives as Christians, the reason Paul wrote this letter is discouraging. In fact, it’s a problem we still face in the church today.
After Paul left these new Christians, people started distorting the gospel. There was a growing belief that living without the Mosaic law would lead to lawlessness and chaos, leading to a sinful lifestyle. Thus, the only way to truly live for God was to have your sins paid for by Christ and follow all the old Jewish laws. To solidify their point, these false teachers even began casting down on Paul’s actual authority and legitimacy as an apostle.
Why did Paul say it?
For the first 2 chapters of Galatians, Paul has to do a lot of housekeeping by reminding them where his authority came from and the work Christ has done through him. It’s not until Galatians 2:15-16 that Paul comes out swinging by saying “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Paul adds some more zing by insisting that the only way they could have fallen so far from the truth of the gospel is by being under a magic spell. How else could they possibly believe that their righteousness was based on them following the Mosaic law?
You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)
From here, Paul goes on to rattle the cages of those who thought that having a Jewish lineage set them apart from those unworthy gentiles (which, in this church, was mostly comprised of Greeks) because the Jews were descended from Abraham. At that time, many found their identity in their ancestry, thus having your bloodline be part of the ancient promises made to Abraham made many believe they were somehow a better form of Christian.
However, Paul clearly points out that receiving the Law didn’t make Jews any better off. In fact, everyone was in an equally bad place.
Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19-22)
Paul goes on to further explain not only the purpose of the law, but why it is no longer in effect.
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:23-25)
Having finally dealt with the misguided belief that Christians are still under the law, Paul then turns his attention to the line people were drawing between Jews and gentiles. It’s not that some were more special because they were sons of Abraham, but all are sons through Christ.
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27)
And why does Paul say that lineage doesn’t matter? What is the logic by such a dramatic statement that surely had several readers clutching their pearls in horror at the thought of their Jewish lineage not making them more righteous or worthy compared to gentiles?
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)
Everyone is a spiritual descendant of Abraham because of their faith in Jesus Christ. His death on the cross paid for their sins, adopting them into God’s family.
Bad interpretations rob this verse of power
What’s being said here goes so far beyond modern-day politics and trying to appease people. What Paul said is actually far more radical than what modern-day people try to twist it into.
Consider the culture of the time. The people reading or hearing this were a mix of men and women, Jews and Greeks, free people and slaves. In that day, Rome and its people had a definite hierarchy, and it was easy to make certain assumptions based on your status.
- Men were far more important than woman
- Free men had more value than slaves
- Jews were privileged to be descendants of Abraham
If you were a Jewish male, you most certainly assumed you were an heir of God. After all, everything about your life showed that God favored you, and you likely grew up thinking yourself better than the women, slaves, and non-Jews around you. You were special because of your identity. Likewise, everyone of a “lesser status” may not have even known what awaited them in eternity since they didn’t tick all the right boxes.
Imagine the faces of everyone when Paul explains the freedom found in the gospel, then tells everyone listening that each and every one of them was an equal heir in Christ’s kingdom. Through faith, God makes no distinction based on someone’s status.
All are guilty of sin, all are incapable of saving themselves, and all are justified through Christ. God has a very simple system: If you belong to Christ, you are a child of God. Nothing else matters.
A better takeaway
When this verse is used on its own to make it say what it’s clearly not saying, then the beautiful truth of Galatians is lost. It’s nonsensical to say that this verse removes gender, race, or social status. In fact, in future letters Paul even talks about gender roles, the future for Jews, and how Christian slaves and masters should think of one another. These physical things clearly aren’t wiped away simply because someone is a Christian, but they cease to define our value.
Through this book, we realize that a person’s value isn’t found in race, gender, or social status. This verse certainly can speak against racism, sexism, and classism, but not in the way people want it to. Christianity is incompatible with things like racism, not because race doesn’t exist but because racism demands that we dehumanize someone, basing their worth on what we see. God doesn’t define a person’s value on anything beyond them being a sinner in desperate need of Christ, so why should we?
No, this incredible verse is a great comfort to all of us. Our status before God isn’t based on how we were created. We aren’t more worthy of salvation and an eternity with Him based on biology or our status in life. Everything was purchased through Jesus Christ. Our impossible debt was paid for on that bloody cross where Christ set us free.
When God looks at us, He doesn’t judge us based on what we use to judge others. He sees one thing: the perfect life of Jesus Christ, given to people who could do absolutely nothing to deserve it. That’s our identity. That’s our value.
