Exclusiveness Part 1
Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore
June 5, 2016
Scripture Reading: Galatians 3:28
There is a lot of confusion in the Christian world. What does a Christian really believe? Do all races originate from Adam? Is the oldest thing in the world only about 6,000 years old? Did the early descendants of Adam live almost 1,000 years? And there are many, many, many more. These three questions are just the minute tip of a massive iceberg.
And it is certainly true in the interpretation of this verse. One can get almost any doctrine that he wants from someone who teaches what he thinks this verse means. But let’s raise some questions in regards to this verse in Galatians 3:28:
- Are the “Jews” the covenant people of God or are they imposters?
- Are the “Greeks” all the other races besides the Jews in the world or are they just the Greek speaking peoples?
- Are the “Jews” mentioned in this verse the House of Judah; and the “Greeks” the House of Israel?
- Can a New Guinea savage be considered a “Greek”?
- Is the “Jew” in this verse an Ashkenazi Jew or a Hassidic Jew?
- Does this verse teach unity or equality?
- Catherine Booth (one of the Salvation Army founders) claimed that this verse gave women the right to preach and to fulfil clerical offices.
- The interpretation of this verse changed in the nineteenth century when Enlightenment concepts of equality began to be imported into the text.
- This is the one text that is used to prove wrongly the ordination of women.
- Does this verse mean that these distinctions between people should be eradicated or does it mean that these distinctions are irrelevant as far as God and the church are concerned and thus Christians need not bother about them?



