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Galatians 3:28
Galatians 3:28 is the twenty-eighth verse of the third chapter in the Epistle to the Galatians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is a widely commented-upon biblical passage among Paul's statements. It is sometimes cited in various Christian discussions about gender equality, abolitionism and racism.
In the Berean Study Bible the text reads:
The verse literally translates to "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus". David Scholer, New Testament scholar at Fuller 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." 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. It is also debated if the word literally translated "Greek" refers to Greeks or to all non-Jews; it is sometimes translated "gentile".
The conventional interpretation is that the passage is part of a baptismal invocation. However, there are other minority views, one of which connects the verse to the circumcision controversy in early Christianity. New Testament scholar Bernard C. Lategan argued that a pre-Pauline origin was unlikely due to the novel and unique character of the verse. There is also a theory which links the verse to Genesis 1:27, which states that man was created in the image of God. There is also an argument that Galatians 3:28 negates Genesis 2:24, which prescribes gender differences.
There are strong parallels between Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 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.") and 1 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 in Romans 3:9 and 10:12; 1 Corinthians 1:22–24, 7:18–22 and 10:32; and Ephesians 6:8.
Paul's world view was influenced by the contemporary cosmopolitanism - an ideal where all people are citizens of the cosmos.
Some believe that this verse, along with the New Testament household codes, is key to understanding debates about the role of women in Christianity. While some holding to biblical patriarchy or complementarianism argue that this verse appears within a context of justification and redemption, Christian egalitarians argue that the verse supports equal role for men and women in Christianity and secular life. The verse has also been analyzed in queer theology. At the time, the verse could be considered a seditious attack on the Roman institution of patriarchal marriage.
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. Robinson writes,
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Galatians 3:28
Galatians 3:28 is the twenty-eighth verse of the third chapter in the Epistle to the Galatians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is a widely commented-upon biblical passage among Paul's statements. It is sometimes cited in various Christian discussions about gender equality, abolitionism and racism.
In the Berean Study Bible the text reads:
The verse literally translates to "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus". David Scholer, New Testament scholar at Fuller 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." 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. It is also debated if the word literally translated "Greek" refers to Greeks or to all non-Jews; it is sometimes translated "gentile".
The conventional interpretation is that the passage is part of a baptismal invocation. However, there are other minority views, one of which connects the verse to the circumcision controversy in early Christianity. New Testament scholar Bernard C. Lategan argued that a pre-Pauline origin was unlikely due to the novel and unique character of the verse. There is also a theory which links the verse to Genesis 1:27, which states that man was created in the image of God. There is also an argument that Galatians 3:28 negates Genesis 2:24, which prescribes gender differences.
There are strong parallels between Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 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.") and 1 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 in Romans 3:9 and 10:12; 1 Corinthians 1:22–24, 7:18–22 and 10:32; and Ephesians 6:8.
Paul's world view was influenced by the contemporary cosmopolitanism - an ideal where all people are citizens of the cosmos.
Some believe that this verse, along with the New Testament household codes, is key to understanding debates about the role of women in Christianity. While some holding to biblical patriarchy or complementarianism argue that this verse appears within a context of justification and redemption, Christian egalitarians argue that the verse supports equal role for men and women in Christianity and secular life. The verse has also been analyzed in queer theology. At the time, the verse could be considered a seditious attack on the Roman institution of patriarchal marriage.
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. Robinson writes,