Colossians 3:11
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The verse lists stark divisions – Greek/Jew, slave/free, etc. – but the point isn't just that these distinctions don't matter in Christ. Rather, it's that Christ becomes the singular, unifying reality that transcends all these former categories for everyone. He is not just present, but truly "all" of what matters, and "in all" believers.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the need to live out the new life in Christ by shedding the old, sinful ways. He's just explained that putting on the new self involves renewal in knowledge according to the image of its Creator, and this verse highlights the radical unity this new life brings, obliterating every distinction that divided humanity. In the community centered on Christ, all these former markers of identity and social hierarchy become irrelevant.
Ever feel like the world is divided? Paul reminds us that in God's kingdom, the lines we draw don't exist.
Paul lists a series of sharp divisions that separated people in his day:
These were not minor differences! They determined identity, social standing, and often bred prejudice and conflict. Yet, Paul declares that in Christ, these distinctions are rendered meaningless. The 'new humanity' we become in Christ transcends all these external markers. It’s a radical redefinition of who we are, not based on our background, but on our belonging to Christ.
If all those divisions disappear, what's left? Paul gives a powerful, simple answer.
After dismantling the categories that separate humanity, Paul declares: 'but Christ is all, and in all.' This is the core of Christian identity and unity.
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This truth challenges us to see everyone through the lens of Christ's presence in them, recognizing that our shared identity in Him is far more significant than any outward distinction.
Understand the original words
Hellēn · Greek Noun
The original inhabitants of Greece or those who adopted its culture and language; in the NT, it often represents the non-Jewish world generally.
Ioudaios · Greek Noun
A member of the covenant people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, set apart by the Mosaic Law.
peritomē · Greek Noun/Adjective
The physical sign of the covenant God made with Abraham; in the NT, it is contrasted with the inward, spiritual transformation wrought by Christ.
barbaros · Greek Noun
A derogatory term in the Greco-Roman world for anyone who did not speak Greek or live by Greek cultural norms.
Skythēs · Greek Noun
An ancient nomadic people known for their extreme ferocity; representing the most uncivilized or 'outcast' group in the ancient world.
doulos · Greek Noun
One who is legally owned by another; the NT often uses this image to describe the believer's former state of bondage to sin or their new identity as a bondservant of Christ.
eleutheros · Greek Adjective/Noun
An individual not under the legal ownership of another; in the NT, it refers to spiritual liberty found in Christ, regardless of social status.
Christos · Greek Noun
The Anointed One of God, the Messiah; the central figure of Christian theology who occupies the entirety of God's redemptive purpose.
The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae, a community facing internal divisions and external pressures from both Jewish legalism and Hellenistic philosophical ideas. He reminds them that in Christ, all these earthly distinctions – nationality, ritual status, cultural background, and social standing – dissolve, replaced by a radical unity centered solely in Him.
c. 600 BC
Scythian Invasion of Palestine
Scythian nomads swept through Palestine on their way to Egypt. This terrifying incursion left a lasting impression of barbarity and savagery on the region.
c. 4th Century BC
Greek Cultural Hegemony
Greek language, philosophy, and culture spread widely after Alexander the Great's conquests, creating a cultural divide between Greeks and non-Greeks (barbarians).
c. 1st Century AD
Roman Social Hierarchy
Roman society was rigidly stratified, with stark distinctions between citizens and non-citizens, free and enslaved people, and various social classes.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
The Apostle Paul likely spent over two years in Ephesus, a major city in the Roman province of Asia Minor, where he established a strong church. This verse was written during or near this period.
This passage echoes Colossians 3:11 by stating there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female in Christ, highlighting the radical unity found in Him.
1 Corinthians 12:13This verse speaks to the immersion of all believers into one body through the Holy Spirit, regardless of background, reinforcing the idea that in Christ, all divisions are transcended.
Romans 10:12It emphasizes that 'the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches on all who call on him,' paralleling the Colossians verse by showing Christ's encompassing lordship over everyone who belongs to Him.
Acts 10:34-35Peter's realization that God shows no favoritism and accepts anyone from any nation who fears Him provides a practical, early example of the inclusive reality described in Colossians 3:11.
henryColossians 3:5-11: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"
3:5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be…
barnesColossians 3:11: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew - See this fully explained in the notes at Galatians 3:28 . The meaning here is, that all are on a level; that there is no distinction of nation in the church; that all are to be regarded and treated as brethren, and that therefore no one should be false to another, or lie to another. Circumcision nor un…
The verse lists stark divisions – Greek/Jew, slave/free, etc. – but the point isn't just that these distinctions don't matter in Christ. Rather, it's that Christ becomes the singular, unifying reality that transcends all these former categories for everyone. He is not just present, but truly "all" of what matters, and "in all" believers.
Paul is addressing the need to live out the new life in Christ by shedding the old, sinful ways. He's just explained that putting on the new self involves renewal in knowledge according to the image of its Creator, and this verse highlights the radical unity this new life brings, obliterating every distinction that divided humanity. In the community centered on Christ, all these former markers of identity and social hierarchy become irrelevant.
Paul is addressing the need to live out the new life in Christ by shedding the old, sinful ways. He's just explained that putting on the new self involves renewal in knowledge according to the image of its Creator, and this verse highlights the radical unity this new life brings, obliterating every distinction that divided humanity. In the community centered on Christ, all these former markers of identity and social hierarchy become irrelevant.
"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." — The verse lists stark divisions – Greek/Jew, slave/free, etc. – but the point isn't just that these distinctions don't matter in Christ. Rather, it's that Christ becomes the singular, unifying re…
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Last reviewed October 2026
