Galatians 3:28 is the twenty-eighth verse ofthe third chapter in theEpistle to the Galatians in theNew Testament of theChristianBible. It is a widely commented-upon biblical passage amongPaul's statements.[1] It is sometimes cited in various Christian discussions aboutgender equality,abolitionism andracism.
In the Berean Study Bible the text reads:
The verse literally translates to "There is neitherJew norGreek,slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one inChristJesus".[2] David Scholer, New Testament scholar atFuller Theological Seminary, believes that the passage is "the fundamental Pauline theological basis for the inclusion of women and men as equal and mutual partners in all of the ministries of the church."[3] Another interpretation is that conventional translations are misleading, because the verse seems to say that all have the opportunity to become Christians, but not that social differences should be eradicated.[4][5] It is also debated if the word literally translated "Greek" refers toGreeks or to all non-Jews; it is sometimes translated "gentile".[6]
The conventional interpretation is that the passage is part of abaptismal invocation. However, there are other minority views, one of which connects the verse to thecircumcision controversy in early Christianity.[7][8] New Testament scholarBernard C. Lategan argued that a pre-Pauline origin was unlikely due to the novel and unique character of the verse.[7] There is also a theory which links the verse toGenesis 1:27, which states that man was created in theimage of God.[7] There is also an argument that Galatians 3:28 negatesGenesis 2:24, which prescribes gender differences.[7]
There are strong parallels between Galatians 3:28 andColossians 3:11 ("Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.") and1 Corinthians 12:13 ("For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."). Bruce Hansen calls this "arguably the most prominent refrain in the Pauline corpus". Its influence has also been seen inRomans 3:9 and 10:12; 1 Corinthians 1:22–24, 7:18–22 and 10:32; andEphesians 6:8.[9]
Paul's world view was influenced by the contemporarycosmopolitanism - an ideal where all people are citizens of the cosmos.[10]
Some believe that this verse, along with theNew Testament household codes, is key to understanding debates about the role ofwomen in Christianity.[11] While some holding tobiblical patriarchy orcomplementarianism argue that this verse appears within a context of justification and redemption,[12]Christian egalitarians argue that the verse supports equal role for men and women in Christianity and secular life. The verse has also been analyzed inqueer theology.[13] At the time, the verse could be considered a seditious attack on theRoman institution of patriarchal marriage.[14]
While some scholars hold that Paul has the dissolution of gender roles in view, Matthew K. Robinson argues that the verse is more concerned with a "new covenantal identity" that denotes equality of value across social categories while not erasing gender distinction.[15] Robinson writes,
Because the community of faith no longer depends upon social categories for value, Paul has no need to declare the abolition of the categories in 3:28. Thus, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ declares both that access to salvation is indiscriminate and that, in Christ, social categories have been relativised so as to afford all believers equal value, giving rise to a community of selfless servitude and love.
— Matthew K. Robinson, According to the Promise: Situating Galatians 3:28 Within Paul's Pneumatology,https://brill.com/downloadpdf/view/journals/evqu/92/4/article-p293_1.pdf
The verse is used to argue forChristian abolitionism, the idea that Christianity considers slavery an evil and wants an end to it. New Testament scholarDarius Jankiewicz considers the verse the "Magna Carta of the abolitionists' movement".[16] Abolitionists argued that the verse planted the seeds for future abolition of slavery, because accepting the spiritual equality of all believers made slavery inconceivable; black Christians also adopted this interpretation. Pro-slavery Christians disagreed, pointing to other passages in the Bible in which Paul commands slaves to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5–9).[17]
The passage was omitted from theslave bible because of fear that it could incite rebellion.[18]
In 1957,Martin Luther King Jr. cited the passage in a pamphlet oppositingracial segregation in the United States. He wrote, "Racial segregation is a blatant denial of the unity which we all have in Christ."[19] He also alluded to the verse at the end of his "I Have a Dream" speech.[20]
Considered in its entirety, the verse is cited to support anegalitarian interpretation of Christianity.[21]
According toJakobus M. Vorster, the central question debated by theologians "is whether the statement in Galatians 3:28 about ecclesiastical relationships can be translated into a Christian-ethical norm for all human relationships".[22] Vorster argues that it can, and that the verse provides a Christian foundation for the promotion ofhuman rights and equality, in contrast to "patriarchy, racism and exploitation" which in his opinion are caused by human sinfulness.[22] Robinson holds, however, that such arguments are largely anachronistic. Rather, Robinson argues, Paul is concerned with the new identity in Christ conferred upon believers when they receive the Spirit.[15]
According to Karin Neutel, "Contemporary interpreters have updated Paul’s statement and added pairs to the three original ones: 'neither gay nor straight,' 'neither healthy nor disabled,' and 'neither black nor white.'... [The original] three pairs must have been as relevant in the first century, as the additional categories are today." She argues that the verse points to autopian,cosmopolitan community.[20]