thinking bible.

You asked

in what current social contexts might this 'all one' principle be most challenging to live out?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

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.

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christian communities in Galatia, likely in the mid-first century CE. He was addressing concerns about whether Gentile (non-Jewish) converts needed to follow Jewish law, like circumcision, to be considered full members of God's people. In this verse, Paul makes a radical statement about identity within the Christian community.

What divisions in our society today feel most resistant to a sense of shared humanity?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Colossians 3:11

    This passage echoes the sentiment of unity, adding 'barbarian, Scythian,' highlighting a similar breaking down of ethnic and cultural barriers.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:13

    This verse uses the metaphor of one body to describe how diverse people are united by one Spirit, regardless of background.

  • John 17:21

    Jesus prays for his followers to be 'one,' reflecting a spiritual unity that transcends differences.

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