thinking bible.

You asked

what are the modern equivalents of 'jew or greek, bond or free' in communities seeking unity today?

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.

Paul wrote this letter to the Christian communities in the region of Galatia (modern-day Turkey), likely in the mid-1st century CE. He was addressing a dispute about whether non-Jewish believers needed to follow Jewish law to be part of God's people. This verse is part of his argument that identity in Christ transcends traditional social and ethnic divisions.

What divisions in our communities today might this passage call us to see differently?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Colossians 3:11

    Echoes the theme of new identity in Christ transcending ethnic, social, and cultural distinctions.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:13

    Uses the metaphor of one body to show how diverse individuals are united by the same Spirit.

  • Acts 10:28

    Peter's vision and interaction with Cornelius illustrate overcoming social and ethnic barriers.

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