Our discussion of the Pauline material thus far has been limited to family relationships. Now we will investigate Pauline material dealing with women and their involvement in worship, evangelism, and other aspects of church life.

Rites and rights for women – Gal. 3.28

The first thing we need to note is some interesting parallels. In 1 Cor. 12.13 we read, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” And in Col. 3.11 we have, “Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.” The repetition of pairs suggests that Paul is working with a pre-set piece in Gal. 3.28. Paul could be adopting and adapting material formulated at an earlier time and by someone other than himself. In particular, the argument that this is part of an early baptismal liturgy is very impressive. If so, then it makes sense that this text is a commentary on entrance requirements, or the lack thereof, and about the fact that neither social, sexual, nor ethnic differences should affect whether one can be or remain in Christ.