Seeing As God Sees: Galatians 3:27-29
Christ’s church work best when the people Christ calls have the freedom to serve however God calls.. Human beings like to control things. We establish rules and regulations and strictures, just like the Law. However, God is a God of promise and moves in unexpected ways.
Once more, Paul ends a section of writing with incredibly powerful verses. Many people prevent these verses from being as powerful as Paul meant them to be. In our human need for control, we limit the power of these verses to a more palatable version for our tastes.
Paul says that as many of us who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ. The Bible speaks about two baptisms: the baptism of John (water baptism) and the baptism of Christ (reception of the Holy Spirit). Paul connects baptism with putting on Christ in these verses, thus he is speaking about the baptism of Christ. If we have the Holy Spirit, we have put on Christ.
Next comes an incredible verse. For those who have put on Christ, there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. If I am in Christ and I meet another person in Christ, I should see Christ. Remember Galatians 2:20? I have been crucified in Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. If I am in Christ and you are in Christ, the Christ in me should recognize the Christ in you.
In Christ, there is no longer Jew nor Greek. Paul shuts down any kind of genealogical or racial means for division. One’s race and one’s genealogy plays absolutely no role in someone’s ability to put on Christ and serve God. Come from whomever you want. If you are baptized in Christ, you are in Christ and are a recipient of God’s promise through Christ.
The same is true for whether you are slave or a free person. Paul shuts down economic and social means for division. The rich or the free are no more important to God than the poor or the enslaved. After all, when those in Christ look at someone else in Christ we should see Christ, not their economic or social standing.
The same is true about gender. There is no longer male or female. Paul shuts down any argument for gender divisions in the church. If we are in Christ, we should see Christ in others, not their gender. What is important is the person has the Holy Spirit within, not the gender with which they were born.
God dramatically changed Paul. Now, we see God using Paul to change the religious community around him. Paul came from a system where the free, the rich, and the males held all the power. Paul writes about a system where God holds the power and uses whomever He likes regardless of race, status, or gender. Christ’s church work best when the people Christ calls have the freedom to serve however God calls.
