God has always had roles for women in His grand plan of redemption. In All the Women of the Bible, Herbert Lockyear discusses more than 160 women named in Scripture, including some of its most famous and important characters. It was a woman who carried baby Jesus and delivered him to the world in the Incarnation (Luke 2:7).
At the same time, men and women are different by design and have been assigned different roles. We must turn to Scripture, not culture, to determine God’s plans for each.
• Some differences relate to creation and original intent (Genesis 2:18–25). Physiological/anatomical differences show that God intended women to be mothers and men to be fathers.
• Some differences relate to function and assignment (1 Timothy 2:8–15). All on God’s team have equal status, but not all play the same position. He assigns different tasks, roles, and spheres to each gender.
These Bible truths do not sit well in a society fighting culture wars. Many want to remove all gender distinctions in the home, church, and society. In religious circles over the last seventy-five years, social pressure has gradually opened the doors for women to do everything that men do—including preach before men. Did God change His Word in that period to match changing culture? No, Scripture has said—and meant—the same thing for two thousand years (Jude 1:3).
Galatians 3:28 is at the crux of this discussion. It has become a slogan—“neither male nor female”—for uniform roles in Christianity. What does it mean— and not mean?
THE SLOGAN INTERPRETATION MISSES THE POINT OF THE VERSE
Each citizen in the Roman world was classified by three criteria, recognized by this verse: nationality (Jew/Greek), status (free/enslaved), and gender (male/ female). In Galatia—fairly typical for the time—slaves were considered property, women were mostly confined, and Gentiles were disparaged by the Jewish community. A Gentile, slave, or woman was persona non grata in a Jewish service. The gospel removed these criteria for admittance into God’s kingdom and worship. The Spirit, “with one stroke of the pen . . . solves the three greatest problems of human society—peace, liberty, fraternity.”1
The immediate context of Galatians 3:28 discusses the Christian’s inheritance and salvation from sin. Consider an analysis of the passage:
• How were the Galatians God’s children—by circumcision or by faith/baptism? By obedient faith. Paul’s point in this place is that baptism changed their relationship with God, not their relationship with each other.2
• Now that they were God’s children, must they be circumcised to enjoy full fellowship? No, “There is neither Jew nor Greek.”
• Who is a descendant of Abraham— those who keep the law? No, those who are Christ’s (3:29). Now being a “son” of Abraham has nothing to do with genetics or gender. All faithful Christians— male/female, Jew/Gentile—are “sons” and qualified for the inheritance.
Jesus Removed Racial Barriers: There is neither Jew nor Greek. The first divider, racial antagonism, was neutralized by removing the preferred status of Jews. Since the cross, an uncircumcised Greek is no less attractive to God than a blueblooded Jew.
While Jesus came to unite, Moses’ Law was designed to divide. It created differences to make a separate, holy people and to keep Abraham’s line intact.
• Individually, it separated Jews and Gentiles by forbidding marriage between them (Deuteronomy 7:3).
• Nationally, it forbade Israel from making covenants with nations (Judges 2:2).
• Socially, relations were hindered by the Jews’ kosher diet (Leviticus 11).
• Commercially, interaction was limited by Sabbath laws (Deuteronomy 22:11; Nehemiah 7:3).
Once Jesus finished His work (Galatians 4:4), Moses’ Law was repealed. It was nailed to the cross and replaced with the gospel (Colossians 2:14). This event occurred about sixteen years before Paul wrote Galatians. The majority of Jews, though, still clung to that outdated religion.
Jesus Removed Status Barriers: There is neither bond nor free. The second divider, rank, was corrected by declaring all men free and rich in Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 5:1; James 1:9–10). No man gets preferential treatment because he is rich and free, and no one is disadvantaged because he is poor, uneducated, or a slave.
Jesus Removed Gender Barriers: There is neither male nor female. The third great divider, gender, was corrected by making both men and women a “holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices” (1 Peter 2:5). God had no female priests in the Old Testament, but now half of His temple is filled with them. This authorizes women to offer up their worship directly to God through their High Priest (Jesus) instead of going through male priests on earth. It does not, however, authorize them to have authority over man in his worship (1 Timothy 2:12).
Galatians 3:28, in a nutshell, means that when the invitation is offered Sunday, God is just as happy to see a woman walk down the aisle as a man (cf. John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; Romans 2:11).
THE SLOGAN INTERPRETATION IGNORES THE CONTEXT OF THE BOOK
Good Bible students always look at context. They consider a book’s purpose and examine closely the sentences around a verse in question. What is the purpose of Galatians? What problem is Paul addressing? Is it church leadership? Women preaching to men? Shared authority?
Paul’s purpose was to correct Jewish teachers who were undermining the inspired conclusion of the Jerusalem Conference on Jewish-Gentile relations (Galatians 1:6–9; Acts 15:22–29). In Galatians 2, Paul introduces the book’s two main questions:
• Must Gentiles be circumcised and keep the law to be saved? (2:1–10).
• Could Gentiles enjoy fellowship with Jewish Christians without it? (2:11–21).
Thus, it is about terms of salvation (2:1–10) and levels of fellowship (2:11–21).
Galatians 2 sheds light on Galatians 3. The gospel opened the fellowship of the church to all six categories—Jew/Greek, bond/free, and male/female. Salvation was now accessible to the widest range of individuals. Enslaved Gentile women (the worst combination to a Jew) were on equal footing with free Jewish males (the best). Galatians 3:28 is not about whether women can preach, but whether they can attend the fellowship meal after the service!
THE SLOGAN INTERPRETATION CONTRADICTS PAUL’S OTHER WRITINGS
Galatians was written by the same apostle who wrote the four great New Testament passages on gender (1 Corinthians 11:2–16; 14:33–35; Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Timothy 2:8–15). Those who cheer Paul in Galatians 3:28 as a broad-minded genius jeer him in 1 Timothy 2 as a narrow-minded bigot. To them, he goes from a freethinker to a woman-hater in a few pages. To criticize Paul’s writings, of course, is to slander one of Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and—more seriously—to castigate the Holy Spirit who inspired him (1 Corinthians 7:40; 14:37; 2 Timothy 3:16).
Consider the logic. The God of truth does not give contradictory doctrine. He is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). All truth harmonizes, so all verses must be considered in any interpretation. Did Paul really mean to throw out all gender distinctions in Galatians 3 only to reinstate them in 1 Timothy 2? Did he intend to say that men and women have equal authority in one place and then say that “the head of woman is man” in another? (1 Corinthians 11:3). Did he empower women to preach to men and then to restrict them to silence in the churches? (1 Corinthians 14:33–34). Such an interpretation of Galatians 3:28 is implausible even on the surface.
Although this list is not exhaustive, Scripture shows authorized actions for women include:
• Confessing Christ before others, including men (Matthew 10:32–33; Romans 10:10).
• Speaking in “hymns and spiritual songs” in a mixed assembly (Ephesians 5:19; Hebrews 2:12).
• Participating in personal evangelism studies in mixed company (Acts 18:26).
• Supporting evangelism (Philippians 4:3).
• Older women teaching younger women and children (Titus 2:3–4; 2 Timothy 3:15).
• Church work (such as children’s and women’s Bible classes) (Romans 16:1).
A summary of the gender-specific passages shows Galatians 3:28 does not include freedom for women to:
• Publicly present the word of God to mixed audiences (1 Corinthians 14:29–35). In worship, women are to “learn in silence” (quietness) (1 Timothy 2:11).
• Act as a representative of the church (administer church discipline) (cf. Matthew 18:17–20; 1 Corinthians 5:3–5).
• Lead prayer in the presence of men (1 Timothy 2:8). This prohibition is not limited to formal worship assemblies.
• Assume leadership of the assembly (lead singing, preside over any part of service) (1 Corinthians 14:15, 29–35; Colossians 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:11–12).
• Be the head of a marriage and home (Ephesians 5:23–33).
Some argue that Galatians 3:28 is meant to be God’s final word, and the other passages simply reflected ancient culture and would not forbid women larger roles today. This view is false for five reasons.
First, it overlooks that Galatians 3:28 itself is cultural. Written to the churches in Galatia (Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, Iconium), it dealt with immediate circumstances (1:6–9).
Second, Greek culture did not necessarily forbid women as worship leaders. The oracle at Delphi, for instance, was well-known. Women served as priestesses.
Third, although some teaching is based upon a custom limited to a location or time (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:2–16), the context shows when this is the case. In 1 Corinthians 11, for instance, the head covering was a “custom” (11:16). It says, “If it is shameful for a woman to be shorn . . .” (11:6).
Fourth, the context shows this teaching transcended time and culture. Paul gave two reasons for women’s assignments— and neither involved custom or culture:
• Man was given precedence in creation. Gender assignments come from the fact that God made Adam first (Genesis 2:21–22; 1 Corinthians 11:7–9; 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:13). God does nothing without purpose, so He had roles in mind on day six. Genesis 1–3 presents three basic ideas about men and women. First, it affirms human sexual distinction—male and female (Genesis 1:26–27). Second, it affirms equality—both made in God’s image (1:26–27). Third, it affirms different functions and status for the sexes (2:7, 18–23). God addressed Adam as the representative. Eve was made from man and for man (2:18–24; 1 Corinthians 11:9).
• Woman was deceived by Satan (1 Timothy 2:14). After the fall, God said to Eve, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Jesus did not repeal this judgment. Salvation does not cancel childbirth pain nor remove sexual attraction; thus, it does not cancel God’s order of submission.
Fifth, Paul’s teachings were for all churches in all times (1 Corinthians 14:33; cf. 4:17). He gave the same teaching (1 Corinthians 14; 1 Timothy 2) to two different cities two decades apart.
In summary, Galatians 3:28 is not talking about who delivers Sunday’s message or who may pass the Lord’s Supper on Sunday, but on people having access to God through Christ.
Endnotes
1 J. G. Murphy, “Union with Christ and Its Results,” The Biblical Illustrator (2011), https://biblehub.com/ sermons/auth/murphy/union_with_christ_and_its_results.htm.
2 Roy H. Lanier, “Galatians 3:28—Does It Teach Egalitarianism?” Spiritual Sword 27.2 (1996), 21.
