Speaking of the new man, Colossians 3:11 says, “Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bondman, and freeman; but Christ is all things and in all” (Gk.). In his Word Studies of the New Testament Vincent says that in the Greek language the words rendered “cannot be” are very strong and mean that there is no possibility. In the new man there is no possibility for Greek and Jew, Barbarian and Scythian, bondman and freeman to exist, because the former manner of life found among these peoples has been put away. No doubt, in the church in Colosse there were people from all these backgrounds. Nevertheless, according to Paul’s word in Ephesians 4:22, they all had to put away their former manner of life. By doing this they were renewed.
If we consider today’s church life from the perspective of the putting away of the former manner of life, we shall have to admit that we have not adequately done this. On the contrary, too many of us are still holding on to our manner of life.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, there were Jews in virtually every city in the Mediterranean area. When the Jews and the Greeks in a particular city were saved, they came together as the church in that locality. In many localities there must have been not only Jews and Greeks but also Barbarians (northern Europeans) and Scythians, who, as some Bible teachers believe, were the most uncultured and barbarous of people. Therefore, in some cities it was possible for the church to include cultured Greeks, religious Jews, Barbarians, and uncultured Scythians. Furthermore, there were also bondmen, those who had been sold into slavery, and masters, those who owned slaves. What would happen if all these different peoples came together for the Lord’s table? In order for them to have the church life, they had to put off the old man embodied in their former manner of life. The Greeks had to put off their philosophy; the Jews, their religious observances and dietary regulations; the Scythians, their barbarous living; the masters, their attitude toward slaves; and the slaves, the manner of life peculiar to them. In the church life there is no room for such distinctions. There cannot be Jews and Gentiles, Barbarians and Scythians, bondmen and freemen. In the church life there is room only for Christ.
Through modern means of transportation and communication, the peoples of the world have been brought together more closely today than at any other time in history. The United States in particular has been called a melting pot, a blend of all different races and peoples. People with completely different temperaments, some outwardly expressive and others silent and mysterious, are brought together. This certainly is true of the churches in the Lord’s recovery, where we see so many different peoples: Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Brazilians, Swiss, French, Germans, Swedes, Danes, Indonesians, Malaysians, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Ghanians, and Americans. The difference between peoples is seen even in the way they sing hymns. Some may sing in what they regard as the dignified manner, barely moving their lips, whereas others may be filled with enthusiasm and exercise their whole body. Thus, even in singing and in praising the Lord we may hold on to our manner of life.
After Babel, there began to be the differences among the peoples. But on the cross Christ slew all these differences in order to produce the one new man. Through regeneration, the one new man has been put into us, those who formerly had been under the influence of the differences caused by Babel. Except for the Jewish ordinances, all the various manners of life are the heritage of Babel. What should we do about this heritage? We should bury it. This means that we must put off the former manner of life. Do not justify your manner of life or glory in it. The issue is not which manner of life is right and which is wrong. Every way of life involves ordinances and must be put off. How deplorable it is to see so-called churches formed according to nationality! For example, in San Francisco there is a Chinese Presbyterian church. It seems that every nationality has a so-called church. When we come together for the practice of the genuine church life, we must all put off our national heritage and forget it.