The Magna Carta of Christian Equality

This morning for my morning meditation, I watched Rev. Ben Boswell‘s sermon at Collective Liberation Church in Charlotte on August 3, 2025, “The Liberating Reality of a New Creation.” It’s just over 23 minutes long and I HIGHLY recommend it:

At 4:07 of the sermon, Ben specifically addresses the misinterpretation which many Christians have maintained historically about the radical vision which the Apostle Paul had and shared for “the beloved community,” including his views on gender and relationships among people. Ben did this by starting with a discussion about baptism and the traditions of baptism in the early church. Here is what Ben said, starting at 4:07:

[04:07] And I know that Paul, you know, is not the person many of us would think of when it comes to a liberative vision of sexuality or gender. In fact, in liberal circles, Paul has a bad reputation for being rather conservative on matters of the household.

But the problem was never really just Paul himself, but his interpreters. Paul was certainly not perfect by any means and he got it quite a bit wrong. But I believe he also gets a bad rap because of the way theologians who came after him used his name to promote a reality that was the opposite of his vision.

[04:47] Only half the letters in the New Testament bearing Paul’s name were actually even written by Paul. And one could argue that Paul’s perspective on gender, ethnicity, and social status was so radical that a concerted effort was made after his death to appropriate his name and reinforce more patriarchal visions of the household and the church.

[05:13] Today, there are multitudes of fascists calling themselves Christian that are still constantly misinterpreting Paul. Some even work for the government.

[05:24] And I know that Howard Thurman’s grandmother would not allow Paul to be read in her presence because of the way his words had been used by slaveholders against her.

But there is also another Paul—the egalitarian Paul—who said, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, no longer slave or free, no longer male or female.” Paul was one of the first leaders to try to live out the radical teachings of Jesus in community with real people and to analyze that experience in writing, through the letters he wrote to churches he had visited.

[06:03] No wonder it was messy. It was the first time they were trying this all out. And if we give Paul a little bit of grace, we can see in his writings that the vision is there. His implementation may have been flawed at times, but the radical gospel vision of beloved community and new creation is clear and present in his letters.

Part of our difficulty in receiving Paul’s teachings is that we don’t really understand the culture and what it was like at the time Paul was writing. We tend to place our present-day culture—of the 21st century—back onto Paul, which is not just unfair, it obscures the radicality and the power of his vision.

Ben goes on to discuss the very hierarchical and sexist (“misogynistic”) value system of Aristotle, and how it was widely accepted by both Greek and Roman cultures. Ben makes the case that some of those INTERPRETING the letters and words of the Apostle Paul deliberately misrepresented his vision so it was SUPPORTIVE of hierarchy and misogyny, rather than radical and liberating. At 8:47 Ben said:

[08:47] Aristotle’s household code sounds nearly identical to the Victorian social norms that we all grew up in as part of the culture—especially if we came from the South. Amen.

But what is fascinating is that in this passage, and also in the whole book of Galatians, Paul—who would have known Aristotle’s arguments intimately—turned them all upside down. Paul completely reimagines the household in light of Christ. Instead of an exclusive, oppressive, patriarchal hierarchy, everyone is included. Everyone is equal. Everyone is one.

[09:24] Paul’s vision is so radical and liberative, one scholar called it the Magna Carta of Christian equality.

It’s clear today that, for the most part, the church chose to follow the patriarchal lead of Aristotle and Paul’s interpreters instead of Paul himself—is it not?

[09:42] But we also know from history that there were communities of Christians who followed Paul’s liberatory vision of a new creation.

These ideas are SO important to think about, pray about, and understand.

Christian heresy has always been a part of the landscape of faith, religion, spirituality, and Christian teaching. This is, in part, why most Christian churches establish procedures and requirements for individuals to become pastors and church leaders. There are and have (apparently) always been folks who claim (without pedigree or formal religious education) that God has spoken to them through his Holy Spirit… and they are able to accurately discern God’s Word and God’s Will. I do believe that God speaks through his Holy Spirit… He has throughout history, and He continues to do so.

But I also believe it is VERY valuable for us to seek guidance, instruction, and inspiration from Christian leaders who HAVE dedicated themselves to the study and analysis of Holy Scripture. I believe Rev Ben Boswell is a “trusted voice” when it comes to better understanding the Bible and the liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for this clarifying message from last Sunday, and the opportunity to reflect on how the God of the universe is a LOVING God for all people… and this radical vision is as needed today in 2025 as it was when Jesus walked the earth as a human being.