GALATIANS 3:19-25
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

There is no entirely comfortable way of dividing 3:19-4:7 into manageable sections for study. This is because although a progression of thought is noticeable, one point blends into the next as each transition occurs, so that each section that is taken out from the larger passage still heavily depends on the context. Thus we have chosen to divide the text into 3:19-25 and 3:26-4:7 partly for the sake of convenience. The reader should often refer to 3:19-4:7 as a whole as he considers the details of our text.

The previous passages have established three major points. First, Abraham was himself justified by faith and not works, the law, or circumcision (3:6-9). Second, the law itself teaches the impossibility of justification by the works of law, but rather points to faith as the only way (3:10-14). Third, the law, which came after God's promise to Abraham, does not set aside or add to the promise, which amounts to a declaration of God's intention to save multitudes of people from all over the world and in all periods of history through faith in Christ (3:15-18).

Now that these three points are established, two questions arise concerning the law. First, if the law cannot justify, and if it does not affect the promise, then what is its purpose? Second, if God's blessing comes through faith, and if faith and works exclude each other as the means of justification, then does this mean that the law is in fact opposed to the promises of God, working against them? Whether these are anticipated or actual questions, Paul now proceeds to answer them.

To the first question, Paul answers that the law was added "because of transgressions" (v. 19). It is possible to understand this in a subjective sense, so that the law becomes a divine standard against which we as individuals may measure our motives and actions. And as we perceive that we fall far short of the divine standard (Romans 3:23), we will become convicted of our sins and a wicked nature that we cannot overcome. This in itself is sound biblical theology. As Paul writes elsewhere, "through the law we become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20).

However, since Paul is making his case on the basis of the history of salvation, the objective sense is primary here. Thus the REB translates, "It was added to make wrongdoing a legal offence." The NLT says, "It was given to show people how guilty they are," and that would be true even in the objective sense. That is, the law was given not only to produce subjective conviction within individuals concerning their sinfulness, but to objectively demonstrate people's failure to observe the law and live up to God's standard (Romans 5:20).

The law, he adds, "was put into effect through angels by a mediator" (v. 19b). As Deuteronomy 33:2 and Psalm 68:17 indicate, God delivered the law in the presence of a large company of angels, and by the hand of the mediator Moses (see Acts 7:53 and Hebrews 2:2). Verse 20 might be a little confusing. It seems to make a contrast between law and promise in terms of how they were delivered. Thus the REB translates, "but an intermediary is not needed for one party acting alone, and God is one." God gave the promise directly to Abraham, without the agency of angels or a mediator. This suggests the superiority of promise over law.

To the second question, as to whether the law is opposed to God's promises, Paul answers, "Absolutely not!" The reason he offers also answers the first question, that is, the one regarding the law's purpose. The law does not impart life, he says, but "the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." In other words, the law does not oppose God's promises, because it was never given to compete against them.

In fact, the law kept the whole world – that is, all people – "locked up" so that it could deliver the chosen ones directly to Christ through faith (v. 23-24). The law, although good and spiritual in itself, was so harsh and stringent toward the sinner as to make it clear that only through the way of faith, provided by God himself through Christ and delivered in the form of a promise, could one receive justification. Therefore, the law could not be opposed to promise, for its function is to serve the promise, and in turn the way of faith.

Where the NIV has the words "put in charge to lead us to" (v. 24), is the term that is translated "guardian" in the ESV. It refers to a slave that has been assigned to escort a child to and from school, and who also watches over his conduct. Although the slave has the authority to apply corporal punishment, he does not teach the child. He is not a teacher, but a disciplinarian. To translate it as "schoolmaster" (KJV) is misleading. Once the child is grown, he is no longer under the authority or "supervision" of the slave guardian (v. 25).

Therefore, the law was given for a purpose, and it is not opposed to the promises of God, since it was given for the purpose of bringing the chosen ones to the promises through faith in Christ.

Posted in Expositions | Permanent Link