Galatians 3:28, There is No Male or Female?

Galatians 3:28 and Equality in Christ

Galatians 3 .28 says, There 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. Paul is very simply saying that in Christ no one is inferior and no one is superior.

Jews can't consider themselves better than Greeks, nor can the Greeks think of themselves as better than the Jews. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift.

Slaves were treated as less than human and had fewer rights than one who is free. But like with the Jew and the Greek, there is no distinction, for both are enslaved to sin and both are equally set free in Christ.

Women were considered by the culture to be subservient to men. But as with the Jew and the Greek and the slave and the free, both are made in the image of God and to both are given the kingdom of God.

Misusing Galatians 3:28 to Deny Complementarian Roles

That's the part of the verse that tends to get abused. What Galatians 3 .28 doesn't mean is that women can be pastors and deacons. Paul said elsewhere that those are roles specifically designated for men.

Nor does this verse mean that God is cool with transgender behavior. Paul said elsewhere it is disgraceful for men to look like women or women to look like men, and Deuteronomy 22 .5 calls it an abomination to the Lord.

Male and Female as Distinct but Equal in God's Design

God created the sexes unique and for different purposes. There are things a man can do a woman cannot, and there are things women can do that a man cannot. Both must fulfill their calling according to God's will and His design, complementing one another in strength and weakness, for we are many parts but one body in Christ Jesus when we understand the text.