The Meaning of "Neither Male nor Female" and the Complementarity of the Sexes

In chapter three of his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul says “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” (verse 28). Why does he say that there is neither male nor female? Despite what some might want to think, this does not mean that God is okay with those who are non-binary. This verse actually refers to our salvation and what will happen when we die. We all will be one; it won’t matter whether we are male or female. What will matter will be how we lived our lives and loved one another. The differences that set us apart now are there to help us relate to one another in this life so that we can best serve God and live with Him in the next.

When God first created man and realized that he needed a helpmate, He created various birds and other creatures but realized that none were suitable. After casting Adam into a deep sleep and creating Eve from one of his ribs, Adam finally said “This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23). Male and female were made to complement each other on earth so that we could have proper relationships with others and orient them according to the will of God, using norms that we as human beings could understand. Even God is spirit and is technically neither male nor female, but we associate Him with a male because He provides for us as a father provides for his children, acting as a giver rather than a receiver. God gives us the gift of male and female to help us carry out His will in bringing new life into the world and to show us the beauty of His design for mankind.

St. Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28 remind us that when it comes to our salvation, we are all one and separate classifications don’t exist. But in order to get along with each other in this life and make it to heaven, male and female were created for us to properly carry out the will of God and relate to each other in the way that was always intended. It is our duty to follow His way and trust that He knows what’s best for us and how we should best serve Him.