The Answer is the Argument
Devotions for Growing Christians
The Answer is the Argument
Galatians 3:28 - “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 is often quoted by Christians who favor the elimination of any distinction between the roles of men and women in the home and in the Church. The apostle Paul is normally quoted negatively by those who consider male leadership to be a Church tradition that is old-fashioned and obsolete.
Does Galatians 3:28 erase the differences in role of females and males in the home and in the Church? Do Christians who maintain a role distinction between male and female have clear biblical foundation - or are they blindly following outdated tradition? Have the "role eliminators" forced Galatians 3:28 into a mold of their own making, or have they correctly moved from a traditional view to an updated model for men and women?
To properly determine the meaning of this verse we must first carefully examine the verses’s immediate context. In addition, we must examine the thrust of the book of Galatians in particular, and Scripture in general.
Argument Defined
The basic answer to correctly interpreting this verse lies in the argument of the book of Galatians. Ordinarily we use the word "argument" to describe a heated discussion or debate. However, in reference to a book of Scripture, “argument” is used as in a court of law. The “argument” is the overall line of reasoning of the author. Knowing the argument of a book always helps to remove misunderstandings of what God is teaching in that book.
A number of books of the Bible have "arguments" - particularly certain New Testament epistles in which the author is seeking to establish or defend a major point of doctrine. The letter to the Galatians certainly falls into this category. In Galatians, the apostle Paul defends and "argues" (in no uncertain terms) for the doctrine of salvation apart from the works of the Law of Moses. His line of reasoning runs throughout the book. Before we look further at the argument of Galatians, however, let's consider a few other points that should be kept in mind for careful and proper interpretation of this controversial text.
A Contradiction in Scripture?
When he penned the words, "There is neither male nor female," it might seem that the apostle Paul was advocating the removal of former role distinctions between men and women. However, a closer analysis reveals many inconsistencies with that interpretation. First of all, other Scriptures indicate that the statement "there is neither male nor female" cannot be construed as a blurring or removing the differing roles for women and men in the home and in the church. Consider just a few passages written by the same author, the apostle Paul. Remember - the Bible is the Word of God, and a God-inspired writer of Scripture cannot and will not contradict himself - or any other biblical author!
1 Corinthians 11:3 say, "Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." What is the context of that verse? In 1 Corinthians 11 the apostle was addressing the structure of authority within the church. If Galatians 3:28 was meant to remove the differences between men and women, then we're faced with a major contradiction in the Bible!
God's Plan for Structure
When we harmonize the two Scriptures above, we are led to the conclusion that although there is complete equality in the intrinsic essence of men and women, Scripture teaches that there are differences in their functions in the Church. Men and women, equally created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), are to follow the leadership structure that God has planned for the Church.
"Ontological equality with functional subordination" would be a formal way of expressing the teaching of 1 Corinthians 11:3. An excellent illustration is given right in the same verse: "God is the head of Christ." We know that the equality of being or essence of God the Father and God the Son was maintained at all times. However, while the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth He "functionally subordinated" Himself to God the Father.
Jesus as the model for Christian women
Christians may find this doctrine difficult to grasp, but many passages in the New Testament bear out this truth. When Jesus Christ, God the Son, become Man, He willingly accepted and followed the divine plan that He would subordinate Himself to the leadership of God the Father while He was on earth. In this passage we see our Lord Jesus Christ presented as the model for Christian women: willing and obedient acceptance of God's plan for function and structure in the Church.
Ephesians 5:22-25 indicates that distinctions between men and women are to be maintained in the home as well as in the local church. "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her."
Jesus as the model for Christian husbands
This passage teaches God's plan for the home. Again, although women and men are completely equal in their intrinsic essence, God has appointed husbands to lovingly and sacrificially care for their wives, and wives are appointed to follow the husband’s loving leadership in the home. In this passage we see our Lord Jesus Christ presented as the model for Christian husbands: willing and obedient acceptance of God's plan for loving, caring structure in the home.
Some Christians have advanced the idea that the word "head" as used by Paul does not involve "functional subordination," but this view is not borne out by unbiased word studies. And 1 Corinthians 11:9 and 1 Timothy 2:13 indicate that "functional subordination" was God's intention for men and women on earth - even before the Fall, when sin entered. But Scripture doesn’t indicate that functional subordination will continue in Heaven. It is a creation ordinance given by God for mankind's time on earth.
The many abuses of “functional headship" in the home and church bring serious dishonor to Christ and are gross and sinful distortions of the divine plan. However, abuse, distortion and disobedience to Go’s Word do not justify ignoring Scripture or reinterpreting the word "head" to fit what is culturally popular.
"My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts"
To go off on a small tangent - why did God ordain this particular arrangement for function and structure in the home and church? We don't know! But whatever we may think or feel about the subject, God planned it this way. Even if His plans don't always make sense to fallen humanity, God knows what He’s ding!! He always works in the ways that best accomplish His purposes, and best portray His truth and grace. In Isaiah 55:8 the Lord declared, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.”
However, authoritarianism and abuse was never in God's plan! In fact, His Word teaches that mutual respect, humility and love are the keys to harmonious relationships in the home and in the church. This is clearly taught in Philippians 2:1-4. There, once again, our model is the self-sacrificial humility and love of our Lord Jesus Christ (v5-11)! In 1 Peter 3:1-12, the apostle Peter also writes that husband/wife and male/female relationships are to be characterized by respect, honor, consideration, harmony, sympathy and humility.
Logical Implication
If Galatians 3:28 removed the distinction of function between men and women, then (to be logical and consistent) it also removed the distinction of race between Jew and non-Jew, and the distinctions in Roman society between slave and free person! Here again Paul went to great lengths to show that while everyone is equal in God's sight, and no one has a corner on God's grace, yet there was a divinely recognized distinction between Jews and Gentiles and between slaves and masters in race and society on this earth.
In reference to our salvation and inheritance in Christ, there are no inherent advantages. There are no racial advantages (Jew over gentile), no societal advantages (free person over slave), or gender advantages (male over female), or vice versa. Yet a divinely-recognized distinction existed between Jew and non-Jew and between slave and master in race and society on this earth. In Romans 11 Paul belabored the fact that the racial distinction and earthly place of privilege, and God's prophetic future for the Jewish people, was not erased with the coming of Christianity.
In Christ, however, there is no difference in essence between Jew and Gentile. Ephesians 2:11-22, Colossians 3:11, and Romans 10:12 clearly show this. Similarly, in Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 3:22-4:1, Paul taught that the social structure of master and slave in 1st century Roman culture (and today in the employer/employee relationship) was to be respected by Christians - even though "in Christ" there was no difference in essence between slaves and free persons. Consider just the Colossian 3 passages above: "For there is no distinction between...slave and freeman" (v11) and "Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth" (v22). Is it logical or conceivable that Paul would completely "change his mind" between verse 11 and verse 22?
Another Proposition
Another idea put forward by some role eliminators proposes that until the time that Paul wrote Galatians 3 his "theology was in process." Those who hold this view say, Paul finally “gained clarity of insight” after wrestling through the shortsightedness of his early views - and then he declared that there is neither male nor female. It's obvious that this proposition dead-ends at an immovable obstacle - the doctrine of the divine inspiration of Scripture! Another obvious shortcoming of this proposition is that Galatians was written early. It was written before Paul's supposed "theological wrestling" - not after!
Some people have turned this proposition around, and claim that Paul had his theological act together early in his Christian career, but then went downhill because he got snagged by legalistic and pharisaical hang-ups. This idea meets with equal obstacles, including again the divine authorship of Scripture.
Moreover, in his prison epistles tat were written later in his ministry, it is clear that Paul was not hung up with the teachings of legalistic "Judaizers.” The Judaizers were opposed to "Paul's gospel" because it didn't include the necessity of works as a part of salvation. They dogged the Paul’s steps wherever he went, trying to undermine his clear teaching that the gospel of God's grace was free from the Jewish Law. But in spite of the pressure, never, at any point in his ministry, did Paul back down or give an inch to the false teaching of the Judaizers. In Philippians 3:2, for example, Paul showed no mercy to the legalistic false teachers, referring to them as "dogs" and "evil workers.” It's quite obvious that Paul was not hung up with their heretical views on the Christian faith!
The Argument of Galatians
Now let's turn to the argument - the overall line of reasoning of Galatians. This is the key to the proper interpretation of Galatians 3:28. In the first section of chapter 1, you can’t miss the fact that Paul was very upset with the Galatian believers. They had accepted a distorted gospel of Christ! Because of the false teaching of the Judaizers, they had accepted a watered-down doctrine of justification that included the works of the Jewish Law along with the work of Christ! They had swallowed the false teaching that a person cannot possibly be saved by faith alone!
So Paul's letter to them systematically attacked this false teaching, and argued for the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In chapters 1 and 2, Paul showed that his apostolic authority was given by God, and that Jesus Christ Himself had revealed to Paul that the gospel of salvation is by faith alone.
The main part of his argument about justification is in chapters 3 and 4, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the question of role distinction of men and women. In chapters 5 and 6, the argument of the Galatian letter concluded by teaching that if believers would "walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh," their freedom from the Law and liberty in Christ would not result in “license for the flesh.” Thus there would thus be no abuse of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
In chapter 3, following his main argument, Paul proceeded through several logical steps to show that there was no foundation for the Galatians' idea that justification included the works of the Law. First he reminded the Galatian believers that they had not experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives by keeping the Law of Moses (v1-5). Next he pointed out that those who come to faith in Christ are really a fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham - and Abraham lived long before the Law of Moses was given (v6-9).
Beginning in verse 10, and leading up to verse 26, Paul elaborated on the fact that the Law and grace don't mix. In fact, God never intended the works of the Law to be a means of salvation! God gave the Law as a standard for holy living, and a "schoolmaster" to direct us to faith in Christ. Now, through faith in Christ (v26):
All believers, equally, are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ (v27).
All believers, equally, are clothed with the righteousness of Christ (v27).
All believers, equally, have the position of being in Christ (v28).
All believers, equally, belong to Christ (v29).
The Argument is the Answer
Now, having seen argument of the book and the context of the verse, we see how verse 28 fits, and we can correctly interpret its meaning. "In Christ" earthly distinctions lose their significance. When it comes to salvation and spiritual position "in Christ," there is no spiritual superiority or privilege because of race or culture ("neither Jew not Greek"), social status ("neither slave nor free"), or gender ("neither male nor female"). There are no differences! In salvation there is no functional subordination! We are "all one in Christ Jesus"! As Romans 3:21-22 says, "Now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction."
So, from the argument of the epistle to the Galatians, we see that the statement "there is neither male nor female" should not be used as a manifesto to abolish the distinctions of male and female roles in the home and church. In fact, it has nothing whatever to do with the different functions of women and men in the home and in the church. The "neither male nor female" of Galatians 3:28 speaks of the wonderful complementary position all Christians have in Christ, apart from any works of the Law!
Do you have questions about the meaning and interpretation of Galatians 3:28? You will find that your basic answer is in the argument of the book.
- Dave Reid