Generally, the last few verses of Galatians 3 would be broken into two sections with one section focusing on verses 19-25 and the purpose of the law and the other section being verses 26-29 and a believer’s present position due to justification by faith. Today, we will focus on the first part by looking at verses 19-25 and the purpose of the law.
The law’s purpose was never to save. Its purpose has always been to be a standard that would show us the magnitude of our sin, our need for grace, and, thus, lead us to Christ. The law was a temporary measure only until faith in Christ was inaugurated. Therefore, grace is superior to the law.
The account of the giving of the Law is impressive (Ex. 19). There were thunders and bolts of lightning, and the people were trembling with fear. Even Moses was trembling (Heb. 12:18–21). It was a dramatic event in comparison with the giving of the covenant to Abraham (Gen. 15), and, of course, the Judaizers were impressed with these emotional externals. But Paul points out that the Law is inferior to the covenant of promise in two ways: the law was temporary and it required a mediator.
19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The law was not given to impart life and a right standing with God. Its purpose was to reveal that the whole world is a prisoner of sin condemned under its judgment
- The law was not given to provide life. It was given to reveal sin. And is given to prepare the way for Christ.
- God brought hope to mankind’s hopelessness in the most amazing way by sending Jesus Christ into the world. The law led us to Christ for forgiveness and righteousness.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 19: An indignant Judaizer was sure to respond with objections to Paul’s insistence that the Law could not give the Holy Spirit (vv. 1–5); could not bring justification (vv. 6–9); could not alter the permanence of faith (vv. 15–18); but does bring a curse (vv. 10–12). “Why the Law then,” meaning what was the purpose of the Law? Why was a change made at Sinai? Paul answered by declaring the purpose and character of the Law. First, it was given “because of transgressions,” that is, the Law was given to be a means for checking sins. The word “because” (from charin) can also be translated as “for the sake of defining” and has a meaning of “for the sake of, on behalf of, on account of” with this instance indicating the goal.[1] It served as a restrainer of sins by showing them to be transgressions of God’s Law which would incur His wrath (cf. 1 Tim. 1:8–11). Transgressions means “a stepping aside from a right track.” The law laid down a right track (perfect standard) and made people aware when they were deviating from that perfect path. Second, the Law was temporary and served “until the seed” (the Messiah; cf. Gal. 3:16) came, after which it was no longer needed. Its end point was the coming of Christ, the Messiah. Third, the Law was inferior because of the manner of its bestowal. While God made promises to Abraham directly, the Law was established by a mediator (angels and Moses on Mount Sinai).[2] There were in fact two mediators, the angels representing God, and Moses representing the people.
Verse 20: This verse appears to be closely related to the last part of verse 19. A mediator implies a covenant between two parties both of whom have responsibilities, facts true of the Mosaic Covenant. Because the law required mediation, it required each party to live up to the contract. On the other hand, God is One, that is, the “promise” (v. 19) was unilateral and was given to humankind directly without a mediator, God alone having responsibility for fulfilling it. The Abrahamic covenant was dependent only on the commitment of God, who is one. Therefore, the law was inferior to the promise given to Abraham.
Verse 21–22: Another question was raised: “Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God?” “May it never be” (mē genoito), declared Paul. God gave both the Law and promises, but for different purposes. And it was not the purpose of the Law to impart or give life. Theoretically salvation could have come by the Law if people had been capable of keeping it perfectly, but they could not (Rom. 8:3–4).[3] The life promised to those who sought to obey the Law refers to temporal blessing on earth (Deut. 8:1).
But if the Law is not contrary or opposed to the promises, if there is no conflict between them, how can their harmony be demonstrated? By recognizing that while the Law could not justify or give life, it did prepare the way for the gospel. Such condemnation created in mankind a need for forgiveness and release from the law’s penalty—a need for forgiveness in Christ. What part then did Law play in this respect? It declared the whole world a prisoner of sin (NASB translates it as “shut up,” while the ESV and NIV use prison terms). Referring perhaps to Psalm 143:1–2 or Deuteronomy 27:26, Paul declared that everyone is trapped and under the dominion of sin (cf. Rom. 3:9, 23). When people recognize this and give up attempts to please God by their own works, the way is prepared for them (“those who believe”) to receive the promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
Verse 23–25: Continuing to comment on the purpose of the Law, Paul used two figures of speech, likening the Law to a prison and to a child-custodian relationship. “Before faith came” means before the advent of faith in Jesus Christ (see v. 22). Justifying faith was operative in the Old Testament but faith in the person and work of Christ did not come until He was revealed. Before that, Israel was under the protective custody of the Law, God thus shielding His people from the evil heathen rites surrounding them. Further, the Law served as a “tutor” (NASB). The word paidagōgos is difficult to render into English since there is no exact parallel to this position in modern society. This word means, “one who has responsibility for someone who needs guidance, guardian, leader, guide.”[4] Some suggests “a strict governess,” “strict nanny,” or “custodian.” The pedagogue here was not a “schoolmaster” (KJV) but a slave to whom a son was committed from age six or seven to puberty.[5] These slaves were severe disciplinarians and were charged with guarding the children from the evils of society and giving them moral training. This “nanny” or “guardian” was not a thirteen-year-old, sweet, little baby-sitter. This supervising nanny was more like a stern sergeant who had a lot of bark and bite. Every time the child took liberties without permission on the path to school (i.e. children like to play) or did something wrong, this authoritarian custodian pointed her finger at the child and in no uncertain terms told the child what it had done wrong and delivered the punishment. By correlating the law with this tutor/nanny image, we learn that the law was given to point out sin and to threaten a great punishment if God’s people didn’t straighten up.
This was like the Law’s function until Christ came and people could “be justified by faith” in Him. It is better then to understand that the Law did not lead us to Christ but that it was the disciplinarian until Christ came. Thus the reign of Law has ended for faith in Christ has delivered believers from the protective custody of the prison and the harsh discipline of the pedagogue. Our very inability to obey this law perfectly, and thus earn God’s approval, caused men and women to long for a better way to salvation and a relationship with God—by grace. God brought hope to mankind’s hopelessness in the most amazing way by sending Jesus Christ into the world. The law led us to Christ for forgiveness and righteousness.
[1] BDAG
[2] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 599.
[3] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 599.
[4] BDAG
[5] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 600.