Galatians 3:27-29 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
The gospel is open and free to all. The as many of you in v. 27 refers to those who believed in Galatians. Paul makes a clear statement as an assertion of what the Galatians had experienced when they became believers in Jesus. Baptism into the name of Jesus Christ marked the transition from the old life to the new life. It not only showed that a person believed in Jesus but that the person had also put him or herself on the cross, like Paul in 2:20. In Romans 6:3-4, Paul shows how baptism is the symbol of the sanctifying process of dying to the old life controlled by sin and rising to a new life controlled by Christ. To be baptized into Christ is the symbolic act that a person identifies with Christ’s death and resurrection and is now a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old self is also symbolized by putting on new clothes as a new person. The old identity is removed and a person now has a new identity that is being transformed into the likeness of Christ. This person has put on Christ. What is now visible to others is a new person who takes on the characteristics of Christ.
Verse 28 shows that this is an inclusive and open invitation. It does not depend on religious or racial background, economic status, or gender, the three major devisions among people. When persons comes to Christ in faith, they become part of the church, the body of Christ. The distinctions of the world do not matter. The result is unity in identity and purpose. The Galatians were struggling with identity. They obviously had their own ethnic background, but as Gentiles, they were now being compelled to take on the identity of Jews in order to be Christians. Paul basically says that that practice is not necessary. It accomplishes nothing for salvation and only adds additional burden upon people.
It must be noted, however, that Paul is also not advocating here asexuality or gender blurring. Those ideas were not part of his thinking and are modern political agendas. The context clearly shows that the real issue was how a person is considered righteous before God. This comes through faith, not privilege, background, or birth. It is all by grace. No one can claim a special position when it comes to salvation. All must enter the same door.
In v. 29, Paul connects this message of good news and open invitation to the promise made to Abraham. The gospel is the fulfillment of God’s promise in Genesis 22:17, that Abraham would have descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore. The promise to which Paul refers is connected to receiving the Holy Spirit in v. 14. Verse 16 uses the plural “promises.” Second Corinthians 1:20 says that all the promises of God are found in Jesus Christ. At the heart of these promises is relationship with God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes real in the lives of those who believe what Jesus accomplished on the cross and through resurrection. This promise is to be justified before God and given the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). This invitation is wide open because anyone can become an heir of the promise if he or she believes. That is because it is not dependent on human effort but on God’s grace. If it was through human effort, no one could reach it because of the law and the power of sin and the pull of the flesh.
For older posts, click here.