Covenant of Creativity
Galatians 3.27–29
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
• Older than Paul: Primary Mystery
• 3.28: Baptismal Formula
• Paul cites it to make a point
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
• Eradication of differences based on gender
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
• Eradication of differences based on gender
• “You are all one in Christ Jesus”
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
• Eradication of differences based on gender
• “You are all one in Christ Jesus”
• Declaration to each other
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
• Eradication of differences based on gender
• “You are all one in Christ Jesus”
• Declaration to each other: community not indiv.
A Closer Look at Gal 3.28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
• Eradication of differences based on ethnicity
• Eradication of differences based on class
• Eradication of differences based on gender
• “You are all one in Christ Jesus”
• Declaration to each other: community not indiv.
• Performative Language
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
• “To clothe oneself” (Gk. endyesthai): Mysticism
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
• “To clothe oneself” (Gk. endyesthai): Mysticism
• “One in Christ”
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
• “To clothe oneself” (Gk. endyesthai): Mysticism
• “One in Christ”: Corporate Mysticism (note plurals)
Galatians 3.27–29
27As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is
no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the
promise.
• “To clothe oneself” (Gk. endyesthai): Mysticism
• “One in Christ”: Corporate Mysticism (note plurals)
• “Abraham’s offspring” (“seed of Abraham”): see 3.16
(note singular corresponding to “one in Christ”)
Galatians 3.16
Now the promises were made to Abraham and
to his offspring [=seed]; it does not say, “And to
offsprings [=seeds],” as of many; but it says,
“And to your offspring [=seed],” that is, to one
person, who is Christ.
• Outsiders think Gentiles not good enough
• Paul quotes from Genesis to make his points
“Seed of Abraham”
Gen 12.7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To
your offspring I will give this land.”
Gen 13.15–16 for all the land that you see I will give to you and
to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust
of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your
offspring also can be counted.
Gen 16.10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will so
greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for
multitude.”
Gen 17.7–8 “I will establish my covenant between me and you,
and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring
after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you,
the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan,
for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”
“Seed of Abraham”
Gen 12.7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To
your offspring I will give this land.”
Gen 13.15–16 for all the land that you see I will give to you and
to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust
of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your
offspring also can be counted.
Gen 16.10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will so
greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for
multitude.”
Gen 17.7–8 “I will establish my covenant between me and you,
and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring
after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you,
the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan,
for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”
“Seed of Abraham”
Gen 12.7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To
your offspring I will give this land.”
Gen 13.15–16 for all the land that you see I will give to you and
to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust
of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your
offspring also can be counted.
Gen 16.10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will so
greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for
multitude.”
Gen 17.7–8 “I will establish my covenant between me and you,
and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring
after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you,
the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan,
for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”
Seed of Abraham
Gal 3.16
Gal 3.28–29
Now the promises
were
made
to
Abraham and to his
seed; it does not say,
“And to seeds,” as of
many; but it says,
“And to your seed,”
that is, to one person,
who is Christ.
... all of you are one
in Christ Jesus. And if
you belong to Christ,
then you are a seed
of Abraham, heirs
according
to
the
promise.
Seed of Abraham
Gal 3.16
Gal 3.28–29
Now the promises
were
made
to
Abraham and to his
seed; it does not say,
“And to seeds,” as of
many; but it says,
“And to your seed,”
that is, to one person,
who is Christ.
... all of you are one
in Christ Jesus. And if
you belong to Christ,
then you are a seed
of Abraham, heirs
according
to
the
promise.
Conclusion: We are “Christ”!
Covenant vs. Contract
Contract
Covenant
An agreement creating and defining Creative, future-oriented.
the obligations betw two or more
Less limited by law.
parties.
An exchange of promises for breach Less defined, more ambiguous.
of which the law provides remedy.
Not in terms of limiting damage but in
Breach of contract recognized by the
terms of making others better.
law and remedies provided.
Law to safeguard against breach of “Do to others what you would like
others do to you”—positive.
contract.
Limited to the goal at hand.
Assumption: You will do the best for
me.
“Do not do to others what you do not
wish done to you 己所不欲勿施於人” Love-centered: God’s hesed
Study Questions
1. What vision does Gal 3.28 disclose for your
congregation?
2. How might your congregation realize this
vision?
3. Gal 3.28 describes three types of division that
could break our covenant. Are there others?
4. Are there dangers inherent with this vision?
5. How can we expand this vision to include other
congregations? Other convocations?
Thank You