Colossians 3:11 — Distinctions Fade

11 wherein there is no Greek and Jew, Circumcision and Uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman, but all and in all is Christ.

The list Paul gives here is anything but random. Step by step, he names the distinctions that are so decisive for people: ethnic background, religion, culture, and social position. With these four contrasts, Paul covers the whole of society, as it were. From ethnic background to religious status, from culture to social position: everything by which people categorize and assess one another passes in review.

“Greek and Jew” points to ethnic background and religion. “Circumcision and Uncircumcision” emphasizes the distinction between those who do and do not belong to the covenant people. Paul then names “barbarian and Scythian.” To the Greeks, a barbarian was someone who did not share their language and culture. A Scythian was regarded as the very embodiment of coarseness and lack of civilization. Finally, he names “slave and freeman”: the great social distinction of his time.

Paul does not deny these differences. They remain, but they no longer determine who someone is. In the new humanity, no one has a privileged or disadvantaged position because of ethnic background, religion, culture, or social status. Everything in which people naturally take pride – or for which they look down on others – loses its significance there. In this way, Paul prepares the reader for the impressive conclusion with which this verse ends.

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