Equal Opportunity in Galatia
- James Collazo
- Apr 9, 2020
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 11
Introduction
Every organization prohibits harassment or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, social status, or gender. At first, protecting people from harassment and discrimination seems like an obvious good. Yet these rules also imply that someone has mistreated another person, and such incidents occur often enough to warrant legal action. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul links the idea of equal treatment to the broader theme of legalism. He explains that God removed the curse of the Law of Moses to save us from the consequences of sin, especially harassment, discrimination, and inequality (Gal. 3:10–14).
Paul's "protected category" clause does not introduce a new idea; it offers a solution to a problem that humans have faced for centuries. In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle writes, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). This teaching resembles modern anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies. Paul told his first-century audience that God excludes no one from salvation through Christ Jesus based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, social status, or gender. Scripture also teaches that God shows no favoritism (Rom. 2:11), since he made all people in his image (Gen. 1:27). Yet some individuals try to justify harassment or discrimination by claiming that God supports such actions, directly contradicting his justice.
Equal Opportunity "in Christ"
As a Jewish man, Paul often heard a prayer that many Jews still recite today: "Blessed are you for not having made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman." In the synagogue, women respond with, "Thank you for making me what I am." While Jewish tradition emphasized separation and distinction, Paul taught that God's new covenant calls for unity and mutual respect. Jesus addressed a similar attitude among the Pharisees, saying, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people . . ." (Luke 18:11). Harassment and discrimination do not belong to one group alone; they are sins that affect all human beings everywhere.
The gospel that Paul teaches extends to all people and challenges the human urge to see oneself as superior. In the passage Paul addressed, some Jewish rabbis believed God gave the Law of Moses only to Jewish men. They saw their prayer as praise, thanking God for not assigning the Law to Gentiles, slaves, or women. Paul corrected them, showing that the Law was not a privilege but a curse, and that Jesus removed that curse for everyone—Jew and Gentile, male and female—by taking it on himself on the cross (Gal. 3).
In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote that no human being is righteous in God's sight and that all have fallen short of his glory (Rom. 3:10). Yet he was neither the first nor the only biblical author to proclaim humanity's shortcomings before God. Psalms 14 and 53 and Ecclesiastes all testify to this unfortunate reality (Pss. 14:3, 53:3; Eccles. 7:20, 28). The psalmist and the author of Ecclesiastes spoke about fellow Israelites and their pagan neighbors. Not even an Israelite under God's original covenant stood blameless before him. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul recognized that God gave the old covenant according to his purpose, not because the Jewish people deserved it. No human being earns God's favor; we must seek forgiveness and acknowledge our unworthiness. Paul addressed the Galatian church because some Jews and their Judaizing companions believed that mere mortals could impress God by their merits. God does not focus on whether someone is Jewish or Greek, slave or free, male or female. Instead, he delights in our faith and in our willingness to trust him.
Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians to correct the Judaizers, who insisted that Christian Gentiles follow Jewish rites. Yet his message applied to all Christians. Around AD 50, the Council of Jerusalem resolved the Judaizing conflict that had alienated pagan converts from the original Jewish followers of Christ (Acts 15:1–29). Paul attended this meeting and successfully argued for the Gentiles before James, the brother of Jesus. The Judaizers assumed Gentiles had to adopt Jewish customs just as proselytes did. They also wrongly believed that Jesus came to uphold Judaism in the eyes of the world, notably the Roman Empire. In truth, Jesus came not to justify any religion but to establish a kingdom where all people could worship God in spirit and truth.
Galatians 3:28 addresses concerns that affect all Christians, at all times and in all places. The Judaizers wanted to preserve the social hierarchy of ancient Israel, emphasizing the roles of Jewish men over Gentiles, slaves, and women. Paul opposed this because he understood that God offers redemption as a gift to everyone. Yet, harassment and discrimination based on claims of divine favor still happen today. In some churches, pastors claim that God speaks only through men, forcing everyone else—including unordained men, women, and children—to approach God through a human mediator. Paul's message reminds us that God's salvation is not only a spiritual reality but a practical one. We cannot welcome people to Jesus while assigning them categories that limit their access to him. He rebuked the Galatians for trying to do precisely that, and his words still challenge us to treat everyone equally before God.
Differences "in Christ"
Even Christians cannot ignore fundamental differences between people. Pretending that cultural, ethnic, religious, or socioeconomic divisions do not exist is just as harmful as prioritizing them without understanding. Ignoring these differences often dismisses the real hardships someone has faced. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul never condemned Jew and Greek, slave and free, or male and female. He recognized these distinctions, as he did in his letters to other churches across the Mediterranean. False equality happens when someone tries to erase fundamental differences while claiming their approach is fair, though it relies on subjective judgments. Paul forbade his Jewish companions from imposing their traditions on Gentiles, teaching that God's grace and salvation transcend human boundaries.
When we read Galatians 3:28, we need to see Paul's message in its original context. Some modern readers think "in Christ" wipes out all ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and gender differences. Paul shows us that God does not favor any of these, yet each still matters within the church. Ethnic, national, or religious differences can even strengthen our faith. Christians around the world worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24), each with their own music and art. African-American churches remind us of God's deliverance from slavery, while underground churches in China show how believers survived persecution. Religious traditions reveal shared truths, as Jewish teachings, Roman law, and Greek philosophy shaped Christian doctrine. Socioeconomic differences also serve the church: wealthy supporters fund ministries, while those with less show that joy and faith do not depend on money. In short, we cannot ignore these distinctions without misrepresenting God himself.
Baptism "in Christ"
Biblical scholars often see Galatians 3:28 as a first-century baptismal formula that Paul used to make a point (see "Baptism: Immersed in Christ"). From the start, these believers understood that salvation is available to everyone. Baptism acts as a covenant, and Galatians 3:28 shows how individuals receive God's gift of equality and the opportunity for salvation. The phrase "in Christ" means that all believers unite with Jesus. To be one with him is to rise above the world's divisions of ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, and gender. This baptismal covenant points back to the original creation in paradise. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, humankind knew no such barriers. Those divisions came through the curse—hard labor for Adam and painful childbirth and subjugation for Eve. Through Jesus' resurrection, God makes all things new and reverses that curse in baptism. Because of this, Christians identify themselves first and foremost with Christ, not by race, ethnicity, nationality, wealth, or gender.
Galatians aligns with Paul's messages to other churches, especially the church in Rome. The baptismal formula in Galatians reflects Paul's understanding of justification. God does not see anyone as righteous based on their race, status, or gender. Instead, justification comes through Jesus, whose righteousness covers humanity's sin. While race, ethnicity, and gender are natural differences, the unequal value humans attach to them turns them into sins. Other distinctions, like nationality and wealth, are arbitrary burdens that God never intended. Whether natural or imposed, God loves all people and does not judge them by their status or shortcomings. The righteous receive justification by faith through Jesus (Rom. 5:1).
In Galatians, Paul emphasized that God saves people by giving them faith. The Israelites and their Jewish successors trusted the Law of Moses to earn God's favor. In Romans, Paul explained that many Jews failed to believe because they thought obeying the Law alone would please God. His point was not that the Law could not work, but that Israel refused to trust God on his terms instead of their own (Rom. 9:30–32). This belief led some Jewish men to thank God for not making them Gentiles, slaves, or women, assuming God gave them the Law as a reward for their works. By contrast, all of us can trust God directly, without needing intercessors. The baptismal covenant in Galatians 3:28 shows that God sees everyone equally, without favoritism.
Conclusion
Complementarian churches often limit Galatians 3:28 to salvation, claiming it has no implications for nationality, social status, or gender. But this interpretation reads modern debates about gender roles into Paul's words. He was not addressing the twentieth-century women's liberation movement; he was responding to divisions within the early church. Paul described mutual relationships within the church but did not establish a hierarchy in his letter to the Galatians. Modern complementarians repeat the same mistake as the Jewish men Paul confronted: assuming unequal roles where God calls everyone to freedom. No one can access salvation under oppression. Just as God led the Israelites out of Egypt to save them, he must lead us out of the bondage of sin.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth! Your mercy never ends, and your love breaks down every wall. We are one in Christ Jesus. Let your kingdom be established on earth until all believers worship you together in heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bibliography
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Fung, Ronald Y. K. The Epistle to the Galatians. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
Horsley, Richard A., ed. Paul and Empire: Religion and Power in Roman Imperial Society. London: Continuum, 1997.
Pate, C. Marvin. The End of the Age Has Come: The Theology of Paul. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Payne, Philip Barton. Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Letters. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
Wright, N. T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2013.
