Is there a Chosen People or is everyone the same according to Galatians 3:28?

Galatians 3:28 is a widely used scripture and oftentimes is used out of context that the word Greek is referring to all of the Gentiles (of the table of nations) which would include 17 other Gentile nations. Is that really what this means? Let’s walk together for a moment :

Galatians 3:28 Kjv

28 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.

Let’s go to the beginning of this letter for context purposes and then, let’s take a journey together and allow the scriptures to speak expressly to our spirits. 

Galatians 1:1-5 Kjv

1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, according to the will of God and our Father:

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Why is Paul referring to the “present world” as being evil and his audience needing to be DELIVERED (Saved) from it? What in context is actually happening here, during Paul’s time and what was occurring prior to Paul, during Christs time as well? 

CAPTIVITY CAPTIVITY CAPTIVITY!!!

Captivity was happening, first the jews, which consists of the southern tribes, Judah, Benjamin and Levi. were taken captive by the Greeks. 

So to add some historical context to this fact, let me add this:

The era following Alexander the GREEK aka Alexander the Great's conquest of the Middle East (c. 332 BCE), when Judea came under the control of Hellenistic rulers—primarily the Ptolemies of Egypt and later the Seleucids of Syria. 

- Ptolemaic Captivity (c. 300 BCE):


Following his conquest of the region, Ptolemy I expanded his kingdom to include Judea and Samaria, taking many Jews (Southern Tribes: Judah, Benjamin and Levi) captives to Egypt to work as slaves.

- Slave Trade: 

During the early Hellenistic period, Phoenician merchants and others sold Jew captives to Greek slave traders.

- Seleucid Persecution (167-160 BCE):

Under Seleucid rule, specifically Antiochus IV Epiphanes, harsh decrees were enforced, resulting in the killing of thousands of Jews and the enslavement of others. This oppression led to the Maccabean Revolt.

- Life in Captivity/Diaspora: While many were taken by force, a significant number of Jews settled in Greece, Macedonia, Crete, and Cyprus, forming early diaspora communities.

So let me provide you a Scriptural account to validate my statement of The Greeks having the Jews in Captivity and you will see that many of the Jews eventually desired to be like the Grecians:

2 Maccabees 4:5-14 Kjva

5. He went to the king, not to be an accuser of his countrymen, but seeking the good of all, both publick and private:

6. For he saw that it was impossible that the state should continue quiet, and Simon leave his folly, unless the king did look thereunto.

7. But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, called Epiphanes, took the kingdom, Jason the brother of Onias laboured underhand to be high priest,

8. Promising unto the king by intercession three hundred and threescore talents of silver, and of another revenue eighty talents:

9. Beside this, he promised to assign an hundred and fifty more, if he might have licence to set him up a place for exercise, and for the training up of youth in the fashions of the heathen, and to write them of Jerusalem by the name of Antiochians.

10. Which when the king had granted, and he had gotten into his hand the rule he forthwith brought his own nation to Greekish fashion.

11. And the royal privileges granted of special favour to the Jews by the means of John the father of Eupolemus, who went ambassador to Rome for amity and aid, he took away; and putting down the governments which were according to the law, he brought up new customs against the law:

12. For he built gladly a place of exercise under the tower itself, and brought the chief young men under his subjection, and made them wear a hat.

13. Now such was the height of Greek fashions, and increase of heathenish manners, through the exceeding profaneness of Jason, that ungodly wretch, and no high priest;

14. That the priests had no courage to serve any more at the altar, but despising the temple, and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to be partakers of the unlawful allowance in the place of exercise, after the game of Discus called them forth;

15. Not setting by the honours of their fathers, but liking the glory of the Grecians best of all.

16. By reason whereof sore calamity came upon them: for they had them to be their enemies and avengers, whose custom they followed so earnestly, and unto whom THEY DESIRED TO BE LIKE IN ALL THINGS. 

17. For it is not a light thing to do wickedly against the laws of God: but the time following shall declare these things.

Hellenistic Jews

So you can see that the Greek Customs became a norm for the Jews. Their language even changed from Hebrew to Greek and the Greek Speaking Jews were referred to as Hellenistic Jews (aka Greek Speaking Jews)

- Hellenistic Jews were Greek-speaking Jew populations, primarily in Alexandria and Antioch, who integrated Greek culture, language, and philosophy with traditional Jew practices between 332 BCE and the Roman era. Representing 30-40% of the population, they adopted Greek customs, including education, sports, and literature, resulting in unique cultural developments like the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible.

Emerging after Alexander the Great's conquests, they were Diaspora Jews who lived in Greek-speaking urban centers rather than Judea.

So to further Validate this captivity and bondage that Paul was referring to in The Book of Galatians, which also goes into explaining why he goes in speaking about the circumcision in chapters 5 and 6.

You really have to picture this horror so that you can better understand why Paul is writing what he is writing regarding those who were not able to Circumcise their sons on the 8th day according to the law and the Abrahamic Covenant:

1 Maccabees 1:48-60

48 They were forbidden to circumcise their sons and were required to make themselves ritually unclean in every way they could,

49 so that they would forget the Law which the Lord had given through Moses and would disobey all its commands.

50. The penalty for disobeying the king's decree was death.

51. The king not only issued the same decree throughout his whole empire, but he also appointed officials to supervise the people and commanded each town in Judea to offer pagan sacrifices.

52. Many of the Jews were ready to forsake the Law and to obey these officials. They defiled the land with their evil,

53 and their conduct forced all true Israelites to hide wherever they could.

54. On the fifteenth day of the month of Kislev in the year 145, King Antiochus set up "The Awful Horror" on the altar of the Temple, and 

55. pagan altars were built in the towns throughout Judea.

Pagan sacrifices were offered in front of houses and in the streets.

56. Any books of the Law which were found were torn up and burned,

57 and anyone who was caught with a copy of the sacred books or who obeyed the Law was put to death by order of the king.

58. Month after month these wicked people used their power against the Israelites caught in the towns.

59. On the twenty-fifth of the month, these same evil people offered sacrifices on the pagan altar erected on top of the altar in the Temple.

60. Mothers who had allowed their babies to be circumcised were put to death in accordance with the king's decree.

61. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them. 

2 Maccabees 6:10

“For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall.”

So, you can see and imagine the accounts that Christ and then Paul was dealing with at this time. These Jews needed a savior, they needed to be delivered from the hand of their enemies. 

Before we go back to Galatians 3:28, it would be wise to see what Christ said in the synagogue regarding this, in the synagogues, to the people on the sabbath day as GOOD NEWS (Gospel) to encourage those who were still in captivity at that time which were the Jews, His people, His family:

Luke 4:16-24 Kjv

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

This was a prophesy spoke of by Isaiah 61 because that was the Good News to the down trodden captive people of God:

Isaiah 61:1-3Kjv

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy 

Because even in Isaiah’s time were we (the Israelites) in captivity.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C.. Isaiah primarily warned the Southern Kingdom of Judah (aka Judah, Benjamin and Levi) about the future Babylonian captivity.

So now, we can go to Galatians 3 with the understanding that so many were in sin by not keeping the law because it was illegal for them to do so. Faith in Christ was paramount and was crucial for the atonement of those sins committed during that captivity. They were not allowed to commit animal sacrifices for their atonement in the Greek Captivity and Bondage, so Christ coming to Redeem those who were lost by establishing a Blood sacrifice that would, by faith, allow those who had no law, to be forgiven and to return to that which they once had which was their heritage (the Law). For clarification, this is why I'm making that statement :

Jeremiah 17:4 Kjv

4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn forever.

This is what that heritage is specifically and according to Scripture:

Ecclesiasticus 17:11

 “Beside this he gave them knowledge, and the law of life for an heritage.”

The Law was the Heritage Given to the Israelites and as you could see earlier, the Greeks made it illegal (against the Kings law) to keep Gods law. So now, we begin at Galatians 3:20

Galatians 3:20-28 Kjv

20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

- His sacrifice is the atonement, which provides life for those who were in sin (Transgressing the law) which we all have definitely sinned—

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

So for the Greek Speaking Jews who were in that Greek Captivity, had the opportunity to believe in Christ and have faith that through his sacrifice they could receive their atonement (since they were not able to sacrifice animals in that captivity, being in bondage)

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

The Faith ( Christ) was revealed after the Captivity had already occurred and (in their minds) the law (animal sacrifices) was the only way to atone for their sins. So up unto that point, the law of Sacrifice was the schoolmaster aka a “Shadow of good things to come” Hebrews 10:1 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

So, the justification is those sinners being made perfect through the Blood of Christ washing them clean by his blood (Covered in the Blood).

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

We are no longer under the Law of ANIMAL sacrifices, however, we accept Christs blood IN FAITH according to the law of Sacrifice, which is why we, being 2000+ years after the death Burial and resurrection of our lord and savior, are able to claim that blood today (Praise GOD)

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

So now, since it is clear that animal sacrifices are gone away and Christ became the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice, we are all the children of God by Faith even though they were not able to circumcise their sons on the 8th day or sacrifice animals to atone for sins, through Christ could they still consider themselves as the Children of God, just as Paul Mentioned here:

Romans 9:1-5

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Galatians 3:27

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Covered in the Blood

28 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.

So the proper context of this Scripture should be more clear now. The Jew is the southern Tribes of Israel (Judah, Benjamin and Levi) and the Greek he is referring to are the Greek Speaking Jews who were referring to themselves as Greeks because they were conditioned to want to be as the Greeks were. That is no different than us (Israelites) today referring to ourselves as African Americans even though we are not FROM Africa and we are not from America, but being here in captivity once again, we have taken on the identity of our captors. So again, Paul is telling the Jews who know they are Jews and the Greek speaking Jews who think they are Greeks are all on in Christ through Faith in his sacrifice and atonement !!!!

Notice how the Romans, the Assyrians, the Persians the Egyptian or the Babylonians are not mentioned in this verse, which are other nations (Gentiles)? Because it is not referring to Gentiles as a whole, it is specific Jew & Greek, some free, some in Bonds but still the Israelites and heirs to the promise

Galatians 3:29

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And for clarification, I will add the promise to the heirs again:

Core Promises

Here are the core promises from the (KJV):

From Genesis 12:1,5,8 (The Call & Initial Promise)

1. Get thee out of thy country... unto a land that I will shew thee.

2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.

3. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

From Genesis 15:18 (The Land Covenant)

18. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates".

From Genesis 17:1-8 (Covenant of Circumcision & Name Change)

1. I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

5. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee

8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God".

From Genesis 22:17

(Multiplication Promise)

17. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

These promises establish Abraham as the patriarch through whom God would form a chosen people, bless the entire world, and grant them a promised land.

In Conclusion

And Closing out with the same Author we began with, clarifying who those promises are specifically for:

Romans 9:4-5 Kjv

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Now I will also include those Gentiles of the Northern tribes of Israel and the natural born gentiles also, who will give up their pagan ways and serve the true and living God, The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob can be grafted in and with specific instructions too:

Romans 11:17-24

King James Version

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 BOAST NOT AGAINST THE BRANCHES. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

I hope this provides of clarification regarding Galatians 3:28!