Colossians 3:11
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)
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The verse doesn't just list social and ethnic groups that disappear in Christ; it uses "barbarian" and "Scythian" to reach the absolute extreme of uncivilized and despised peoples. This highlights that no distinction is too extreme to be transcended by Christ's unifying presence, showing the radical inclusivity at the heart of the gospel.
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to put off their old ways of living and embrace a new, Christ-centered identity. This follows his instruction to "put off" the "old self" which is characterized by immoral actions and greed, and to "put on" the "new self" which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. This verse explains the radical unity that this new identity brings, transcending all former divisions.
Ever feel like the world is divided into 'us' and 'them'? This verse speaks directly to that, dissolving ancient barriers.
Paul lists a series of stark distinctions that defined identity and often created division in the ancient world:
Paul declares that in Christ, none of these distinctions hold any ultimate meaning. They are nullified by the new reality found in Christ's body, the Church.
If all these earthly distinctions vanish, what remains? The answer is both simple and profound: Christ.
The verse climaxes with the declaration: 'but Christ is all, and in all.' This isn't just a concluding statement; it's the foundational truth:
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.
This verse powerfully contrasts the deep social and ethnic divisions of the ancient world—like the stark difference between the 'civilized' Greek and the 'barbarian' Scythian—with the radical unity found in Christ, who transcends all such boundaries within His community.
c. 7th-6th century BC
Scythian Invasions of the Near East
Scythian nomadic tribes, known for their ferocity, conducted raids and invasions into the Near East, including regions near Palestine. This era cemented their reputation as exceptionally wild and fearsome people among cultures like the Greeks and Jews.
c. 1st century AD
Roman Rule and Social Stratification
The Roman Empire's vast reach created a world with pronounced social distinctions. Citizens and non-citizens, free people and slaves, and diverse ethnic groups lived under a complex and often rigid social hierarchy.
c. 50s-60s AD— this verse
Paul's Letter to the Colossians
The Apostle Paul writes this letter, likely from prison, to the church in Colossae, a city in Asia Minor. He addresses a developing false teaching that mixed elements of Jewish legalism, asceticism, and possibly early Gnostic ideas, which threatened the church's understanding of Christ's supremacy.
c. 1st century AD
Emergence of the Early Church
This passage echoes Colossians 3:11 by stating there is 'neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus,' highlighting the nullification of social and ethnic distinctions in Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13It emphasizes the unity of believers by stating that '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,' paralleling the theme of Christ being 'all, and in all.'
Romans 10:12This verse declares, 'For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all,' reinforcing the idea that Christ's lordship transcends all cultural and ethnic divisions mentioned in Colossians.
Ephesians 2:14-15Paul explains that Christ 'himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... to create in himself one new man from the two,' directly supporting the concept of unity where distinctions cease.
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 doesn't just list social and ethnic groups that disappear in Christ; it uses "barbarian" and "Scythian" to reach the absolute extreme of uncivilized and despised peoples. This highlights that no distinction is too extreme to be transcended by Christ's unifying presence, showing the radical inclusivity at the heart of the gospel.
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to put off their old ways of living and embrace a new, Christ-centered identity. This follows his instruction to "put off" the "old self" which is characterized by immoral actions and greed, and to "put on" the "new self" which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. This verse explains the radical unity that this new identity brings, transcending all former divisions.
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to put off their old ways of living and embrace a new, Christ-centered identity. This follows his instruction to "put off" the "old self" which is characterized by immoral actions and greed, and to "put on" the "new self" which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. This verse explains the radical unity that this new identity brings, transcending all former divisions.
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This truth reorients everything. Our worth isn't found in our nationality, status, or culture, but in Christ's all-encompassing presence and work within us.
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 early Christian church was a revolutionary movement drawing people from all social strata, nations, and backgrounds. This inclusivity challenged the prevailing social and religious norms of both the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds.
"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." — The verse doesn't just list social and ethnic groups that disappear in Christ; it uses "barbarian" and "Scythian" to reach the absolute extreme of uncivilized and despised peoples. This highlights th…
