Chris Katulka: Hi everyone. Thank you for joining us for the Friends of Israel Today. I am Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. Hey, let me ask you a question. Have you ever visited our website, foiradio.org? We have over a decade of content on the site of teaching and amazing interview guests that are all surrounded and connected to what's happening in Israel. Biblically, that's really important, seeing Israel from a biblical worldview. So if you're interested in that and you want to know more about the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, go to our website, foiradio.org. Now today we're concluding our series, Not So Fast: Does the Church Really Replace Israel? This week, we're going to focus on a passage that you've probably heard before, Galatians 3:28. There is neither Jew nor Gentile. If you missed the previous episodes, you can listen on our website. Again, that's foiradio.org. But before we get to that, let's see what's happening in the news.

For decades, many Golan Druze on the border of Israel and Syria identified as Syrian and resisted Israeli citizenship. Well, that's all changing now with Israeli citizenship applications recently rising to about 40% of the Golan Druze population. For many Druze, Israel isn't merely the state that's just governing them. It's becoming the country that they see as their home and protector after Syrian rebels massacred nearly 1,700 Druze in the town of Sweda in 2025. Well, here's my take. The lie that Israel is labeled by many as a genocidal regime, ethnically cleansing Palestinians is proven false when the Druze, which is an offshoot of Shiite Islam, take refuge in the Jewish state. As one Druze put it, "Here in Israel, my family is respected and this is where I want to be." 

Chris Katulka: Well, here we are everyone. We are wrapping up our series Not So Fast! Does the Church Really Replace Israel? where we've been looking at passages that are often used to redefine or even erase Israel and the Jewish people's place in the scriptures and the future that God has for them. We began this series in Galatians 6:16, which is talking about the Israel of God, where we saw good reason to understand Paul as blessing believing Gentiles alongside believing Jewish people rather than renaming the church Israel. And then we turn to Romans 2:28 and 29, and we saw that Paul's contrast between the Jewish person outwardly and the Jewish person inwardly does not require Gentiles to become spiritually Jewish. Paul was drawing on the thoroughly Jewish biblical concept of circumcision of the heart. Last week we looked at Romans 9:6 where we saw that when Paul says, "They are not all Israel who are Israel," his argument is not about expanding Israel to the church. His argument is actually talking about something smaller, not expansion, but something fewer, smaller, the remnant that's within Israel, not expanding the term Israel to every Christian.

Well, today we're going to wrap up this series and come to perhaps one of the most familiar passages of them all, which is Galatians 3:28. Paul writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." It's a beautiful verse. In fact, it's one of the great declarations of the unity believers possess in Christ Jesus, but it's sometimes also used to make a much larger claim that Paul wasn't intending it to mean. Last year, a colleague of mine was hosting a Hanukkah party at a college that traditionally supports Israel and the Jewish people biblically. And he wanted to show his classmates the history, the celebration, and even the fact that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah in John chapter 10. So he posted flyers all throughout the school, and on one of them, a student from the same school wrote on the flyer, Galatians 3:28.

He was trying to make the claim by covering the Hanukkah flyer with Galatians 3:28, that this event and this very typical Jewish celebration doesn't matter anymore because there are no more Jewish people according to Paul. He was saying that because there is neither Jew nor Greek, Jewish and Gentile distinctions have been eliminated in Christ. Therefore, Israel's distinct identity is no longer significant. God's particular purposes for the Jewish people have been fulfilled or absorbed into the church, and the distinction established throughout the Old Testament between Israel and the nations has effectively come to an end. But once again, before we make Galatians 3:28 say all of that, perhaps we should say what we've been saying all throughout this series, not so fast! There's actually a very simple way to test that interpretation, and you know what? We don't even have to leave the verse to do it.

Before we ask what Paul means when he says “neither Jew nor Greek,” let's look at the other two pairs that Paul gives us. He says there's neither slave nor free, and there's neither male nor female. So let's start with the final pair. When Paul says there is neither male nor female in Christ, does he mean God has redefined male and female so that those distinctions no longer exist? Man, I don't want to go into that discussion because clearly not. A man who trusted in Jesus in the first century did not cease being a man and a woman who trusted in Jesus did not cease being a woman. Becoming one in Christ did not eliminate their identities. In fact, Paul continues to speak about men and women as men and women throughout his letters. He gives instructions to husbands and wives. He speaks about fathers and mothers and recognizes distinctions between sexes even while insisting upon their equal standing before God.

So when Paul says neither male nor female, it cannot simply mean that the categories themselves have ceased to exist. What changed was not their identity, but their standing before God. In the surrounding context of Galatians 3, Paul is talking about faith, inheritance, Sonship, and belonging to Christ. Verse 26 says, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." Then Paul says that those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and that is followed immediately by verse 28. See, Paul's concern is access to God and standing in Christ. Male and female do not have two different gospels. Men do not approach God through Christ while women need another mediator. One does not receive more justification than the other, and one does not possess a superior Christ. Male and female are equally sinful, equally in need of grace, equally saved through faith, equally clothed in Christ, equally recipients of eternal life.

Their distinction remains, but inequality of access to God does not. Paul is not preaching sameness. Paul is preaching oneness in Christ and those are not the same thing. Now consider Paul's second category, neither slave nor free. Did trusting Christ immediately erase distinction between a slave and a free man in the Roman world? Again, clearly not. In fact, we have a fascinating example of this right in the Bible. It's a tiny little book, only one chapter, the book of Philemon or the letter to Philemon. Onesimus was connected to Philemon as a slave and he ran away from his master. Onesimus, while on the run, became a believer in Jesus through Paul's ministry. And when Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, he does not pretend that their social relationship never existed. Instead, the gospel transforms the way these two men must now see one another. Paul tells Philemon to receive Onesimus no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother.

And that's extraordinary because the gospel has introduced a relationship deeper than their social status. Philemon may have been the master and Onesimus may have been the servant, but now they are brothers. They worship the same Lord. They have been saved by the same grace and approach God through the same Messiah. That social distinction has not magically disappeared the moment Onesimus believed, but it could no longer determine his worth before God. That is the revolutionary power of the gospel. Christ does not tell the powerful that they are more valuable because of their position, and he does not tell the socially disadvantaged that they are less valuable because of theirs. At the foot of the cross, both need the same savior. Slave and free are equally valued by God and equally able to approach him through Christ. So now that we've looked at the two of Paul's three pairs, male and female, distinction remains equal standing in Christ.

Slave and free, distinction remains equal standing in Christ. Now we arrive at the first pair, neither Jew nor Greek. I actually think this is a great place for us to take a break. When we return, we're going to see why Paul was not redefining, collapsing, or even erasing the uniqueness of the Jewish people in this important passage, Galatians 3:28. So you're not going to want to miss this. Stick around.

Steve Conover: If you follow the news these days, you may feel the world seems out of control.

Chris Katulka: It certainly could feel that way because uncertain times leave many people asking where have we come from and why are we here and where are we going? And really, what on earth is God doing?

Steve Conover: Well, thankfully the Bible has the answers.

Chris Katulka: It certainly does. And actually Dr. Renald Showers’ What on Earth is God Doing? is one of our most popular books here at The Friends of Israel. In a compact and easy to read format, it traces God's plan from creation all the way to eternity. You'll learn about the war Satan is waging against God and how that conflict has shaped history and where the world is ultimately heading.

Steve Conover: It's such a great book. If you're looking for answers and want to understand God's plan for the world, order your copy of What on Earth Is God Doing? at foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We're wrapping up our series on Not So Fast! Does the Church Really Replace Israel? where we're looking at verses that Christians often use to either redefine the title Jew and Israel to mean Christian or the church. And in the previous segment, we saw that Paul was saying there is neither male nor female, free or slave. And we concluded that within the verse, God isn't redefining these titles. He is simply showing that both these categories have equal access to God in Christ. So why in the world would we suddenly change the meaning of Paul's argument for Jew and Gentile if neither male nor female does not mean that men become women or women become men, and if neither slave nor free did not mean that those social categories instantly cease to exist? Why should neither Jew nor Greek mean Gentiles become Jewish people or Jewish people become Gentiles or both identities disappear in the body of Christ?

See, Paul's point is not the elimination of identity. His point is equality of standing in Christ. The Jewish person comes to God through Jesus. The Gentile comes to God through Jesus. The Jewish person cannot stand before God and boast in ethnicity as the basis of justification, and the Gentile does not have to become Jewish in order to qualify for salvation. Both need the cross, both need the Spirit, both belong to Christ. That is exactly the controversy Paul is addressing in Galatians actually. Remember what was happening in these churches? There was a select group of Jewish believers in Jesus who were pressuring Gentile followers of Christ to receive circumcision, and they were being told in effect that faith in Israel's Messiah wasn't sufficient. They also needed to adopt a Jewish covenant marker. Paul responds forcefully.This is what the entire letter to Galatians is all about. His response is, "No, the Gentiles do not need to become Jewish to be saved." Think about how strange it would be for Paul to make this argument by saying Gentiles do not need to become Jews because spiritually speaking, they have actually become Jews.

That would undermine the very distinction Paul is making. The beauty of the gospel is not that Gentiles have to become Israel in order to receive Israel's Messiah. The beauty of the Good News is that Israel's Messiah, Jesus, has opened salvation to the nations, and that's always been a part of God's plan. Go all the way back to Abraham. God promised Abraham, "In you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Notice that the nations do not have to stop being nations for that promise to be fulfilled. God chose Abraham and his descendants for a particular purpose. And through Abraham's line, God intended to bring blessing to the world. Israel's election and Gentile blessing were never intended to be enemies, never. The one was designed to lead to the other. God's choice of Israel was never evidence that he didn't love the nations. God chose Israel as the nation through whom he would ultimately bring the Messiah and blessing to the nations.

And this is why maintaining a distinction between Israel and the Gentiles does not threaten the unity of believers. Paul can hold both truths at the same time. There is distinction and there is unity. There is Jew and there is Gentile, and both are one in Christ. In fact, Ephesians 2 gives us some of the clearest language for understanding what has happened to Gentile believers. Paul tells his Gentile readers to remember where they once stood. He says that they were Gentiles in the flesh, that they were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise. They were without hope and without God in the world. And then comes one of the most beautiful sentences Paul ever wrote, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off the Gentiles have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Notice what Paul does not say.

He does not say, "You who were Gentiles are now Jewish people." He does not say, "You who were outside Israel have now replaced Israel." He says they were far off and now they have been brought near. Gentiles did not need Israel to be pushed away so that they could come near. They were brought near through Israel's Messiah. And later in that chapter, Paul says that Christ has created in himself one new man from Jew and Gentile, reconciling both to God through the cross. Again, unity does not require one group to swallow the other. Both are reconciled and both have access. Ephesians 2:18 says, "For through him we have both access by one Spirit to the Father." There is our Galatians 3:28 principle again. Both have access. Jew and Gentile are not competing for a limited number of seats at God's table. The salvation of Gentiles does not require the rejection of Israel, and Israel's election does not mean Gentiles are second class citizens in Christ.

Through Jesus, both have equal access to the Father. And all of this brings us back to Galatians 3:28. "There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. "So what is Paul saying? He is saying that none of these distinctions determine our standing before God. And that is a beautiful way to finish this series because recognizing God's continuing purposes for Israel should never diminish what God has done for the Gentiles. Quite the opposite. It should make Gentile believers like myself marvel at grace. We were far off, but we have been brought near. We were strangers to the covenants of promise, but now through Israel's Messiah, Jesus, we share in spiritual blessings. We were wild branches, but by grace we have been grafted in. And none of this happened because God broke his promise to somebody else.

It happened because God is so faithful to his promises that the blessing promised through Abraham has reached the nations. That is the story of scripture. And over these past four weeks, we have looked at several passages often used to tell a different story. We looked at the “Israel of God” in Galatians 6 and we said, "Not so fast." But we looked at the “Jew outwardly and inwardly” in Romans 2 and we said, "Ah, not so fast." We looked at “Not all Israel is Israel” in Romans 9. And again, we said, "Ah, not so fast." And now we have looked at “Neither Jew nor Greek” in Galatians 3, and once again, we need to slow down before turning Paul's celebration of unity into a declaration of replacement. Unity does not mean erasure. Equality does not mean replacement. Participation does not mean reassignment. Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to belong to Jesus.

Jewish believers don't need to stop being Jewish in order to belong to Jesus. Jew and Gentile come together at the foot of the same cross. They are one in Jesus. That's not replacement, that's reconciliation. And what a beautiful picture it is of the faithfulness and grace of God.

Steve Conover: Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: We have lived in this neighborhood in Jerusalem for more than 35 years. I know most of my neighbors, and they know me. I try to help them in many ways, like making free repairs to their homes.

Recently an ultra-Orthodox family moved in. One day they came to me. “Can you do us a favor?” the man asked. “This will be a great mitzvah for you.” Mitzvah means “good deed.”

“What can I do for you?” I replied.

“Our electricity is not working. Can you help us?” he asked.

So I went to help. While I was there, they spoke with me about what I believe and what their rabbis believe.

“I would be happy to give you some of our holy books so you can read what our rabbis say,” the man said.

I replied, “You are a good man. But I do not read such books. I read only the Holy Bible. I will not spend time reading fictional stories written by men who claim to be holy. Only one person is holy; and He is Almighty God.”

This family listened carefully. Then someone said, “Can you show us where the Bible talks about this man?” The Orthodox will not say the name Jesus.

I knew they were asking about Jesus, but I replied, “The Bible speaks about many men. About whom do you wish to know?”

They all looked at me. Finally one asked quietly, “You will not be against us when we tell you about whom we want to know? Where is it written about Him in the Bible?”

I told them, “It will be my great joy to show you what the Bible says.” So I opened my Bible to Isaiah 53, a chapter the ultra-Orthodox do not read because it is so clearly written about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When I opened the chapter, they were surprised. “We have never read this,” one said.

“It is important to know what is written in God’s Word,” I said. “Yet many will not read this or  teach it.”

This time I gave them the Bible so they could read Isaiah 53 for themselves. There it is written,

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (vv. 4–5).

Afterward, one asked, “About whom is this written?” And like many before him, he asked, “Why have we never read this before?”

“Please read what is written in Deuteronomy 6:13–15.” So they read:

You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), let the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

“Do not follow the people around you,” I cautioned. “Follow only the Lord and what is written in the Bible. That way you will know the truth and not be led down the path of darkness.”

“But this one whom you believe,” one replied. “He is only for Christians.”

“He is for everyone,” I explained. “He was wounded for all of us, and the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He is especially for those whom He has chosen to be His servants. And did He not choose Israel? The Bible does not say He was wounded only for Gentiles or only for Jews. He is for everyone who receives Him as personal Savior.” We had a long conversation. Please pray it will someday bear much fruit.

Chris Katulka: Thank you again for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. Again, you can order what on earth is God doing? Find out more at foiradio.org. Again, it's foiradio.org. Join us next week as we sit down to talk with Israel My Glory Magazine author, Dan Price, about his most recent article on the Olivet Discourse, Waiting for the King. As we close, I'd like to thank our radio team: executive director of the Friends of Israel, Steve Conover, executive producer, Lisa Small, associate producer, Sarah Fern, engineer Bob Beebe, program editor, Jeremy Strong. Apples of Gold was voiced by the late Mike Kellogg, and I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.