It’s one of the most cited verses in “Progressive” Christianity—and one of the most misunderstood:
“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.”
—Galatians 3:28 (ESV)
To many on the Left—both in secular circles and within theological liberalism—this verse serves as a kind of scriptural sledgehammer. It is invoked to flatten all distinctions and structures that the Bible elsewhere recognizes and upholds: ethnicity, social roles, and especially gender.
In particular, Galatians 3:28 is frequently misused to argue that:
- There are no meaningful male-female distinctions in Christianity.
- Gender roles in the home or church are obsolete.
- The binary of male and female is irrelevant, even possibly oppressive.
- Trans ideology and nonbinary identities are biblically justified.
- Egalitarianism is the only faithful Christian view on gender and authority.
But is that what Paul actually meant? Was he abolishing male and female as created realities—or articulating something else entirely?
To answer that, we must once again turn to hermeneutics—the faithful practice of biblical interpretation. With Scripture, context is king, and clarity comes from understanding how a verse fits into the whole canon of divine revelation.
Hermeneutics: Interpreting Scripture With Integrity
Hermeneutics is the disciplined method by which we interpret Scripture accurately. It helps us avoid distortion and remain faithful to the intended meaning of the biblical text.
Sound hermeneutics includes:
- Contextual reading: Looking at the verse within its paragraph, chapter, and letter.
- Lexical precision: Understanding what words meant in their original languages.
- Historical setting: Interpreting texts in their first-century cultural and theological frameworks.
- Theological coherence: Ensuring consistency with the whole counsel of God.
- Canonical interpretation: Letting Scripture interpret Scripture.
When we bring Galatians 3:28 under this light, we see that Paul was not erasing gender or hierarchy, but declaring the spiritual equality of all believers before God in Christ—without undermining the God-ordained distinctions and roles that continue to function in the church and family.
The Progressive Argument: Galatians 3:28 as a Gender Eraser
“Progressives” often present Galatians 3:28 as a mic drop verse. The argument goes like this:
Paul says there is no male or female in Christ. That means gender roles are gone. We shouldn’t treat people based on their sex. If a woman wants to be a pastor, she should. If someone identifies as nonbinary or transgender, the church should affirm them. Gender doesn’t matter anymore in Christ.
This approach treats Galatians 3:28 as a blanket statement—as if it negates all other biblical teachings on gender, biology, authority, and the created order.
But does the verse mean what they say it means?
Hermeneutical Analysis of Galatians 3:28
A. The Context: Faith vs. Law, Not Gender Politics
Galatians is Paul’s defense of the gospel of justification by faith alone, apart from the works of the Law. The central issue in Galatia was not gender roles—it was whether Gentile Christians had to become Jewish (e.g., circumcised) in order to be truly saved.
In Galatians 3, Paul argues that all believers—Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female—are justified the same way: by faith in Jesus Christ, not by the Mosaic Law. Verse 28 is part of a crescendo that explains that our identity before God is no longer determined by ethnic, social, or gender status.
Galatians 3:26–29 (ESV):
“…for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith… There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
It is a statement about soteriology—salvation—not anthropology or gender identity.
B. The Literary Structure
Paul lists three contrasting pairs in Galatians 3:28:
- Jew / Greek — Ethnic division
- Slave / Free — Social division
- Male / Female — Sexual division
This triad reflects major identity markers in the ancient world. Paul’s point is that none of these are barriers to full inclusion in the covenant people of God.
He is not saying these distinctions cease to exist in practical life. Jews remained ethnically Jewish. Slaves still had earthly masters. Men were still men; women were still women. What changed was their spiritual access and standing before God.
C. The Greek Language
Paul says “there is no male and female”—not “there is no such thing as male or female.” This distinction matters.
The Greek uses oude…kai (“neither…and”), echoing the structure of Genesis 1:27 in the Septuagint:
“God created them male and female” (arsen kai thēlu).
By using this phrase, Paul is not undermining creation—he is referencing it. He is saying that even the most foundational human distinction—male and female—does not affect your worth or status in Christ.
But it does not mean that male and female roles are eliminated.
Biblical Theology: Creation, Gender, and Function
Gender as a Created Good
“So God created man in His own image… male and female He created them.”
—Genesis 1:27
Gender was not a result of the fall. It was part of God’s very good design. It was not merely about reproduction—it reflected the complementarity of God’s image.
This male-female distinction continues throughout the Bible:
- Adam is created first and given headship (1 Tim. 2:13).
- Eve is his helper, not his mirror (Gen. 2:18).
- Gender roles persist in family and church even after Pentecost.
Galatians 3:28 does not override this theology—it assumes it.
Consistent Gender Roles in the New Testament
If Galatians 3:28 erased gender roles, we would expect the rest of the New Testament to support that. Instead, we see:
- Ephesians 5:22–33: Wives submit to husbands; husbands lead in love.
- 1 Timothy 2:12: Women are not to teach or exercise authority over men in the church.
- 1 Corinthians 11 & 14: Male leadership in worship and prophecy contexts.
- Titus 2: Distinct discipleship roles for older men and women.
Did Paul contradict himself? No. Galatians 3:28 is about equal spiritual standing. It is not about abolishing roles or hierarchy.
The Role of Authority in Scripture
Progressives often equate authority with oppression. But in Scripture, authority is designed to protect, bless, and serve.
- The Father has authority over the Son (John 5:19; 1 Cor. 15:28)—yet they are equal in deity.
- Husbands are called to lead—but with sacrificial love, not domination.
- Pastors are to shepherd with humility and accountability.
Hierarchy does not mean inequality—it means order, a necessary part of God’s creation.
Transgender Ideology and the Misuse of Galatians 3:28
Distorting Spiritual Unity into Gender Fluidity
Progressive theology often uses Galatians 3:28 not just to argue for egalitarianism, but to validate transgenderism and nonbinary identities. The logic goes something like this:
If there’s no male or female in Christ, then gender is irrelevant. God accepts all gender identities, and Christians should, too.
But this is a category error. Paul is not saying that male and female don’t exist—he’s saying that in Christ, our access to salvation is not determined by our gender, ethnicity, or social class.
The transgender reading of Galatians 3:28 is not rooted in the text—it’s an eisegetical insertion. It takes modern categories of identity and imposes them on a first-century soteriological declaration. This is not interpretation—it’s ideological colonization of Scripture.
Affirming Christ’s Deity and the Law-Giver
It’s vital to affirm that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, and the giver of the Law at Sinai (1 Cor. 10:4; John 1:1–3).
This matters because:
- The same Christ who unites believers spiritually in Galatians 3:28 is the author of the biological order in Genesis.
- He did not change His mind or contradict Himself.
- The one who said “let them be male and female” also inspired Paul to say “you are all one in Christ.”
Therefore, Christ cannot be used as a mascot for trans ideology or gender abolitionism. His nature and His Word are one.
Biology and Human Design: Clarity from Creation
The created body is not neutral. It speaks. It teaches.
Male and Female Bodies: Objective Differences
Biological sex is:
- Immutable: Every cell in your body carries XX or XY chromosomes.
- Functional: Males and females are designed to reproduce together.
- Symbolic: The male-female union reflects Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:31–32).
These realities are not arbitrary. They are revelatory—God’s design points to His purpose.
The Problem with Transgenderism
Trans ideology claims:
- Gender is a feeling, not a fact.
- The body is a canvas, not a calling.
- Medical intervention can reassign sex, not just modify appearance.
This worldview directly opposes the biblical and biological truths:
- That male and female are real, good, and necessary.
- That feelings are not self-authenticating.
- That the body is a temple, not a mistake.
Galatians 3:28 cannot erase what God Himself has written into human anatomy.
Same-Sex Practice: Biological Misuse
Even beyond transgenderism, the misuse of Galatians 3:28 is often tied to arguments for same-sex relationships. But Scripture and biology agree:
- Homosexual sex violates the created design.
- Anal intercourse is anatomically and medically problematic:
- Fragile tissue easily damaged
- Fecal contamination and higher rates of disease
- Lesbian relationships are physically incomplete, often requiring simulated means of intimacy like phallic “sex toys”.
While progressives may speak of “love,” the reality is this: form follows function, and function reveals design. The male and female bodies were created for each other—emotionally, spiritually, and anatomically.
Rebutting the Progressive Claim
Let’s return to the core claim:
Galatians 3:28 shows that gender doesn’t matter anymore.
Our hermeneutical and theological response:
- Contextual Rebuttal: Galatians 3:28 is about equal access to salvation, not the abolition of gender roles or identities.
- Linguistic Rebuttal: Paul’s Greek mirrors Genesis 1:27—it affirms, not erases, male and female.
- Theological Rebuttal: The New Testament consistently upholds gender distinctions and functional hierarchy.
- Biological Rebuttal: The body reveals God’s design and cannot be redefined without consequence.
- Christological Rebuttal: Jesus Christ is both the Savior who unites and the Creator who designed male and female. To pit Him against Himself is blasphemy.
This argument is not rooted in exegesis. It is rooted in a modern obsession with identity self-expression, not submission to the Word of God.
The Gospel of Grace and Order
The gospel does not erase gender—it redeems it.
In Christ:
- Women and men are both image bearers and co-heirs of grace.
- Men and women have equal value but distinct roles.
- The beauty of diversity is not erased but harmonized in the Body of Christ.
Where the world cries “flatten everything,” Christ says: “Honor one another’s differences, not by erasing them, but by living them out in love.”
The Church needs godly men to lead with courage. It needs godly women to flourish in strength and wisdom. And it needs to reject the lie that biblical order is oppression.
Conclusion: Clarity Over Confusion
Galatians 3:28 is not a progressive prooftext. It is a glorious declaration that in Christ, all believers are equally justified, adopted, and united.
But unity is not uniformity. And equality is not androgyny.
The Left uses this verse to erase gender distinctions. But Scripture uses it to exalt the gospel of grace. The irony is that in trying to make everyone “equal,” the progressive misreading flattens God’s beautiful design into a formless mass of confusion.
Christ does not confuse. He clarifies. And the body He made—along with His Word—testifies to truth.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
MMXXV
rob@christiannewsjunkie.com
RELATED CONTENT
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If I have listed the content, I think it is worthwhile viewing to educate yourself on the topic, but it may contain coarse language or some opinions I don’t agree with.
Realize that I sometimes use phrases like “trans man”, “trans woman”, “transgender” , “transition” or similar language for ease of communication. Obviously, as a conservative Christian, I don’t believe anyone has ever become the opposite sex. Unfortunately, we are forced to adopt the language of the left to discuss some topics without engaging in lengthy qualifying statements that make conversations awkward.
“Progressive” is another such word. I don’t believe that “Progressives” are a positive movement. “Progressive” is a euphemism for wokeness, Neo-Marxism, or “political correctness”.
“Progressive” in this sense is actually corruptive and harmful to mankind. “Progressive Christianity” is an anti-Christian movement that reflects apostasy.
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