Verse
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28
Meaning of Galatians 3:28
The verse Galatians 3:28 means anyone who accepts Christ as His follower they are equal. According to the context preceded by the verse, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus,’ is a direct address to the people in Galatia, who were recently baptized and were new Christians who still had their previous traditions beliefs. Hence the meaning of Galatians 3:28 is that Christians are all the same in the sight of God, even if their status, race, or gender is different. The verse also implies that there is no difference between a master and a servant.
Interpretations of Galatians 3:28
The verse is one of the most quoted in the sermons as well as a reminder to Christians. A few interpretations of the verse are as follows.
Interpretation #1 The verse is only applicable to Jews and Greeks
According to this interpretation, the readers believe that the verse Galatians 3:28 is applicable to the Greeks and the Jews who lived in the first ten centuries. In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses the church in Galatia, which were once the Greeks as well as Jewish converts. They had recently accepted Christ to be their savior. As the new Jewish Christians were hesitant to welcome new Greek Christians, Paul informed them that Greeks and the Jewish people who follow Christ are equal in God’s sight. However, in this version, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek’ the reader believes that the verse was only applicable to the early Christians.
Interpretation #2 Paul wanted Christians to set race issues aside
As early Christians were still inclined to follow the previous traditions, Jews were not ready to welcome new converts from other kingdoms or provinces. Hence Paul writes to the church of Galatia, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek’ to imply that it didn’t matter if the person comes from a different race. The verse is universally applicable to other races or countries. The verse is used to promote peace and equality in the church and also among Christians.
Interpretation #3 Only Christians are equal
In this version, the readers believe that apart from race, God has also encouraged Christians to forsake the differences of status and gender. Hence the verse ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus’ can be interpreted as a call for unity among Christians. Also, Paul wanted the early Christians to set an example as the church was growing exponentially during the ministry of Paul alongside the disciples of Jesus. The readers also understand that Christianity played a major role in ending slavery and promoting equal rights. It did so by reiterating the phrase ‘there is neither bond nor free’ from the verse. Hence, eradicating social differences.
Interpretation #4 Everyone is equal in the sight of God
According to this version, the readers understand that the verse is not about the political or climate culture. Here Apostle Paul writes to the church of Galatia to welcome the new Christians who were not from Judaism but followed Christ. Hence, he is writing specifically to the non-Judean Christians so that they do not have to follow Jewish customs. As few Jewish customs continued even after they had converted to Christianity. In order to be accepted, the non-Jewish Christians in Galatia were wondering about following the ancient Jewish customs to be accepted. Additionally, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus’ teaches all the Christians across the world to treat everyone equally despite their status, race, and gender. The verse also means that God doesn’t treat His children differently, and everyone is equal in God’s sight as long as they follow Him.
Historical background of Galatians 3:28
The book of Galatians is the 9th book in the New Testament and one of the Epistles written by Apostle Paul. Galatians is addressed to the early Christians in the church Galatia where the members were from both Judean and Greek ethnicities. The book of Galatians was perhaps written around 40-50 A.D., and it was discovered in early 200 A.D. Galatians chapter 3, Paul explains the differences between social identity and oneness in Christians. In the current period, most people associate this verse with race and gender equality. However, the verse is about spiritual unity at church and also how God looks at His followers as children. Hence historically, Galatians 3:28 is a reminder that everyone is the same at the church and in front of God.
Literary Devices of Galatians 3:28
The verse Galatians 3:28 is one of the most prominent verses that teaches unity from God’s perspective. A few literary devices in Galatians 3:28 are given below.
Consonance – The verse Galatians 3:28 has a few repeated consonant sounds and few without quick successions. For example, the sound of /r/, the sound of /l/, the sound of /n/, and the sound of /s/ in ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’
Alliteration – The verse also has a few repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of the word without quick successions. For example, the sound of /n/ in ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’
Assonance – Galatians 3:28 also has a repeated vowel sound, and few are in quick successions. For example, the sound of /ee/, the sound of /i/, the sound of /a/, and the sound of /aw/ in ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’
Diazeugma – Galatians 3:28 is also a good example of the rhetorical device diazeugma as multiple verbs connect a single sentence. For example, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’
Theme – The major themes of Galatians 3:28 is peace, unity, and oneness. The minor themes include equality and freedom.