| “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…” |
| —Galatians 3:26 |
The English language is one of the most inelegant and irritating of all the languages. I first realized this when, in college, I studied Classical Koine Greek, and later, New Testament Koine Greek. The expressions of common phraseology create so much confusion in the English language.
For example: in English there is one word “love.” In Classical/New Testament Koine Greek there are four words for “love.” Another example: the word “man” in English denotes gender and age. Thus, in English, the word “man” excludes females and children. Not so in Classical/New Testament Koine Greek. Certain Greek words translated “man” in English do not denote exclusive gender, but very much include females.
Thus, even the most ardent defender of biological gender equality and biological gender respect must understand that when the Bible translators render a Koine Greek word as “man” in English, such a rendering does not exclude women. Likewise, when the Bible talks about our inheritance and uses the word “sons,” in our culture where females may inherit an estate equally with males, the word “sons” means male sons and—here we go again, as well as ladies—female sons, if you will.
Therefore, when the Apostle Paul writes these words in Galatians 3:26-29; 4:1-7, the wonderful news applies to men and women equally. Let me emphasize that point as strongly as I can: in the Kingdom of God, every person regardless of biological gender, or status, or race, or any other cultural qualifier, has an equal responsibility and receives an equal inheritance! Paul writes:
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
(And, by the way, lest your well-meaning ethnic sensitivity raises your hackles at the use of the word “slave,” please carefully read Deuteronomy 15:12-18 to learn about “bond slaves” and 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 to understand that we are all “bond slaves of Christ.”)
We are heirs of the Kingdom of God. He has chosen us and adopted us as sons: male sons and—yes, it’s true ladies—female sons! He has given us the amazing inheritance of joining His mission here on earth that we might someday celebrate our sonship at His feet in heaven. What wonderful, exciting, and heart-warming good news!
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, April 6, 2015
