For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek... And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
-Galatians 3:27-29 (edited) KJV
This passage is often trotted out to tray and make two related arguments.
- The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile noted in Ephesians 2:14 was removed at Pentecost
- All believers of all ages (including the current age) are Abraham's seed
The first should be readily rejected when on simply reads the entire 28th verse.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
While the privilege of being “one in Christ Jesus” in this context is enjoyed by all to whom Galatians was written, to both Jew and Greek, and to both man and woman, the Law was still very much a present distinction among believers.
Matthew Henry addresses the question of "neither male nor female." as we look at that part of the passage.
That this privilege of being the children of God, and of being by baptism devoted to Christ, is now enjoyed in common by all real Christians. The law indeed made a difference between Jew and Greek, giving the Jews on many accounts the pre-eminence: that also made a difference between bond and free, master and servant, and between male and female, the males being circumcised. But it is not so now; they all stand on the same level, and are all one in Christ Jesus; as the one is not accepted on the account of any national or personal advantages he may enjoy above the other, so neither is the other rejected for the want of them; but all who sincerely believe on Christ, of what nation, or sex, or condition, soever they be, are accepted of him, and become the children of God through faith in him.
-Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible
Matthew Henry makes the case in his commentary that the reference to the difference between male and female is a reference solely to circumcision. Whereas I would agree that has an application, the problem he has is that Paul was still teaching circumcision for the Jews as late as Acts 21.
This is the
greater point, that elements of the Law still applied in the Acts Age, but it
was no longer a hindrance to Gentiles receiving the blessings of
the promises to Abraham and to Israel, after the grafting in. Galatians
are arguing on the grounds of the blessings of justification in the earthly
plan. This idea cannot be a universal statement about all believers of all
ages.
To our second
point above we extend the argument, do we believe Adam, Abel, and Noah are
"Abrahams's seed?"
In John chapter 8:31-33 the Lord is addressing unbelieving Jews who are seeking to kill him. In his response he affirms that even though they are trying to kill him, they are "Abraham's seed." So let's break this passage down.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been in bondage to anyone. Why do You say, ‘You shall be set free’?”
Remember, the Lord's earthly ministry as King was to Israel alone (Matthew 15:24) and his disciples were sent to Israel alone (Matthew 10:5-7). The Son of David came unto his own and the King was rejected (John 1:11). The Kingdom he offered was then again offered to "Ye Men of Israel" in Acts 3. We make careful note here that Acts 3 follows Acts 2 (Pentecost). That offer came by the lips of Peter, an Apostle to the Circumcision. Unironically, we turn back to Galatians chapter 2 and note this distinction.
On the contrary, they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, as the gospel to the circumcised was to Peter. For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles.
-Galatians 2:7-8
But let's continue in John 8, starting with verse 34.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s seed. But you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I am telling what I have seen with My Father, and you are doing what you have seen with your father.”
No Gentile,
believer or not, would be called “Abraham's seed” by the Lord and no
gentile would be called a "son of the Kingdom" by the Lord,
but unbelieving Jews are called both by the Lord. Here in John 8 he
acknowledges the position of the Jew as “Abraham’s seed” and in Matthew
8 the Lord states, juxtaposing the faith of gentile dog (the centurion there),
that the "sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness."
“Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no,
not in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from the east and west
[Gnetiles] and will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of
heaven. But the sons of the kingdom [some Israelites] will be
thrown out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
-Matthew 8:10-12
The plan of blessing and redemption was always available to the Gentile. Abraham himself was a Gentile when justified. The blessings for the Gentile are not just part of the Mystery of Ephesians.
Does this blessedness [the forgiveness of sin by faith] then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? We are saying that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision? Or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while being uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them also...
-Romans 4:9-11
Paul is addressing the gift of justification in Galatians. Now, what is also there is the grafting in of Gentiles. That is a difference from the gospel age. Were Gentiles grafted into "justification?" No. As we have seen, Gentiles since the beginning have believed. The gift of justification has always been available to Gentiles. Jonah did not preach the Law to Nineveh (as the Law was never given to Gentiles), but he did offer them forgiveness by faith.
For I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles [we pause to note that this office is no longer needed nor recognized Post Acts, but it is here in Romans and in Galatians], I magnify my ministry, if somehow I may make my kinsmen [Jews] jealous and may save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the first portion of the dough is holy, the batch is also holy. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the root and richness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. If you boast, remember you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. You will say then, “The branches were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.” This is correct. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God—severity toward those who fell, but goodness toward you, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you [Gentile believers] also will be cut off.
-Romans 11:13-22
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.
-1 Cor 12:13
Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy...
-Romans 15:8-9a
They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.
-Romans 9:4-5
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all nations [Gentiles], according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
-Romans 16:25-27 (the end of the book)
Back in Galatians we are still under the earthly plan and the plan for Israel. Entrance into the Kingdom blessings for any Israelite (Jew) of any age was faithfulness. This is clearly expressed in the parables. But we note again that even the unfaithful are called "sons of the kingdom," "children," "masters," and "servants" by the Lord in the gospel while even faithful Gentiles are called "little dogs" until the grafting in.
With this
context in mind, our passage in Galatians becomes clearer. In Christ, in
justification, there is no Law to impose differences between Jew or Greek,
Master or Servant, Man or Woman. Justification does not vary. And in the Acts
age, with Gentiles being grafted in, while the difference was still recognized
under the Law in terms of order, there was no difference in terms of justification
or blessing. In the gospel age and prior, a Gentile might have life by faith,
but he had no access to promises of the Kingdom.
As we know,
the final revelation to Paul, revealed in Ephesians, and in the Post Acts
epistles, eliminates any differences between Jew and Gentile, temporarily sets
Israel aside, and the hope is no longer a restored kingdom in Israel on earth,
but a hope in the far above the heavens. The entire setting changes.
Galatians and Ephesians are acted out in two different stages in two different
cities.
Let us go
back and finish the exchange in John 8 and note what I skipped over. The Lord
had affirmed that the unbelieving Jews he was addressing were part of the
children of Abraham, (“I know that you are Abraham’s seed”), but
the condition of faith and faithfulness was still part of the covenant
God has with that earthly people.
They answered Him, “Abraham is our father. Jesus said to
them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But
now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from
God. Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father.”
-John 8:39-41
This speaks
to the "two seeds" principle which goes back to the very beginning of
the ages ("I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed" Gen 3:15). We see the two seeds in
the parables. Abel was of God, Cain was "of the wicked one" (1
John 3:12). This distinction does not change by one's race. The wicked ones of
Israel who rejected the Lord and questioned even the story of his birth were
nevertheless "Abraham's seed" in the flesh and could still
obtain the promises if they would come to the Lord by faith in
that age. This could never be said of a Gentile before the grafting in.
The promises are for Israel (Romans 9).
Do you we
the distinction? The Gentiles referenced in Galatians were indeed fully
children of Abraham by faith, but that was only possible because of the
grafting in. The purpose of which was to make Israel jealous (and it made
believing Jews jealous as well). As we have seen, there is no distinction in
justification between Jew and Gentile (and there never was), but in the Acts
Age Paul was explaining that because of the grafting in of Gentiles into Israel
which started in Acts 10, there was now no distinction in the kingdom
blessings.
But that condition did not apply in the gospel age (the age of
the Law) and it does not apply in the current age of the revelation of
Paul in Ephesians which concerns, not earthly blessings, but blessing in the
far above the heavens.
Some summary context for any who might be new to Right Division:
The Apostles
made clear distinctions between Jewish and Gentile believers in practice
(notably in Acts 15 and 21) and among believing Jews and unbelieving Jews
(would we preach Peter's message in Acts 3 today?) in their ministries, but
never in terms of Resurrection Life which, from Adam, has always been a gift
by grace through faith.
The middle wall between Jew and Greek (Gentile) did not come down until after
the Book of Acts and that truth was revealed to Paul alone. Paul witnessed that
he was in chains for the hope of Israel (very much at the center of God's plan)
as late as Acts 28 and he stated that was imprisoned for Gentiles post-Acts in
Ephesians.
Paul testified that he taught nothing that was not taught by Moses and the
Prophets in Acts 26. While the blessings in the land and the Kingdom were made
known to the sons of men, the revelation of the "one new man" of
Ephesians was kept hidden from before the ages; unknown to the Prophets. The
apostles anticipated the Kingdom in a restored Israel in the Acts (as the risen
Lord taught the Apostles to the circumcision in Acts 1 who will sit on 12
thrones judging the 12 tribes in a restored Israel one day). Paul taught
blessings in the far above the heavens, unsearchable riches, as the hope for in
the current age.
Not essential for fellowship, but rightly dividing these distinctions will
bring the different hopes and plans of God into clearer view (as best we can in
these failing bodies and minds). Rightly dividing the hopes must be applied
when reading the lack of distinctions laid out in Galatians.
Thank you
for your time and attention this evening. Let’s finish with a quick prayer:
Lord, thank
you for the faithfulness of our apostle, Paul. We are limited creatures, and we
constantly need your help as we seek to righty divide your word of truth. Bless
each one here and all the families represented. We ask these things in the name
of great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.