We learned yesterday that the Law (of Moses) is like a “schoolmaster,” an “in-charge” person who virtually tells us every move to make. Nearly a “guardian” … for an under-aged minor, but certainly not for an adult!

And now today we learn even more!

Paul continues to write: “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Galatians 3:25

With the noun “faith” (“pisteuo” in Greek, meaning “trust, belief” … in Jesus as Saviour) meaning either (chronologically) the Virgin Birth, Jesus’ first Coming into the world or (experientially) the moment we were born-again (by accepting God’s Word as Truth and God’s Son as Salvation) by the Grace of God!

Either way … “faith” certainly did “come!”

How?

Best verse I know to answer this question … “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Point is … once a man or woman has been “saved” … has “believed” into Christ Jesus … has come to that “child of God” relationship … he or she no longer needs the Law, not in any “saving” sense!

The Law was a “Pointer” to Jesus, showing us how badly we needed Him to forgive us of our sins!

Paul illustrates this fact so well in Romans 7:7. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Wow!)

The Law, as a stern schoolmaster, brought me to Jesus, God’s Means of Salvation!

But now maturing (even if slowly maturing) in Christ …. I no longer need a schoolmaster!

Praise God!

But then again, wait just a minute.

No law?

Then … will not a Christian live too loosely?

With no “taskmaster” guiding him or her?

Oh, not so!

We have a New Guide now?

God the Holy Spirit Who indwells every new believer in Jesus!

And He is our “Policeman!”

Our “Navigator!”

Our “Pointer” to living right!

Paul calls our so listening to the Spirit of God, letting Him “control” our lives … “walking in the Spirit!” (Not following the Law of Moses!)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

Better yet maybe: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:4

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16, coming up soon in our Lessons, the Lord willing, eventually!

Yes, the LAW of the Spirit overrules the LAW of Moses … for a Christian living on earth today! “For THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Amen!

No longer needing a schoolmaster!

Because we now know (and love) the Holy Ghost of Almighty God! He’s not merely a “schoolmaster” (who in Roman times was, if you remember a “slave”) … but rather the “Teacher!” 

John 14:26, Jesus instructing His Disciples … “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” 

Yes, the Teacher!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

At least, I suspect this is the case.

And here is that metaphor, “schoolmaster!” 

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24

Others can, no doubt, share this same testimony.

The Law made us fearful, Jesus set us at ease!

The Law harshly demanded, Jesus (though righteously) loved us!

The Law condemned, Jesus saved!

The verb “to bring” as in “to bring us … unto Christ” is completely italicized in our King James Bibles! Those wise translators were expressing the “intent” of Paul’s great statement, although this verb is not in the Greek sentence Paul wrote.

The Law (figuratively) is … “our schoolmaster … unto Christ!” That’s the Greek rendering, pure and simple.

So we learn that the Law serves a much higher purpose than just condemning lost mankind. As in “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4 and again in 18:20. The Law “points” us to Jesus, Jesus Who Alone can save!

But, what is a “schoolmaster?”

A slave!

One who was put in charge of a well-to-do Roman citizens children!

A full-time “babysitter,” or even a “nanny,” might be today’s analogy.

It was that schoolmaster’s (“paidagogos” in Greek, from which we get the English word “pedagogy”) job to get the child to school!

On time!

Fed, dressed, and eager to learn!

That that is exactly what the Law does, when working properly. When used the right way!

” … the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ ….”

Hallelujah!

And what does Jesus do, when we are brought (when we come, though under a heavy load of guilt) to Him realizing what sinners we are?

He “justifies us by faith!”

Look at our Text verse again: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Then, thank God for the Law!

Thank God for everything that ultimately reveals Jesus the Saviour!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I doubt any Bible commentator has ever used that term for the Law, “prison guard!”

But Paul does, in essence, in today’s Text, in Galatians 3:23. And in a way, the Apostle is again giving his personal “testimony.”

“But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

And I still don’t think Paul is here insinuating this sequence of thought as a linear progression throughout Israel’s history, or humanity’s (the gentile world’s) either, for that matter.

He is speaking of individuals!

“Before faith came” to MY life!

Before I personally trusted Jesus as Saviour!

I was “kept” by the Law, “under” the Law! The verb “kept” translates “phroureo,” meaning “guarded to prevent escape!” The preposition “under” is “hupo,” with the Law standing “on top” of me, forcefully holding me down!

Then Paul employs a parallel verb, “shut up” (by the Law!) “Shut up” unto/until faith comes, is revealed “to me.” It’s spelled “sugkleio,” meaning “enclosed” as if “caught in a net!” 

The Law held us captive as guilty, offending, disobeying sinners before Almighty God! (Before faith (saving faith) came to us! Before the power of trust in Jesus was revealed to our hearts … by the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit of God!)

“Unto” the faith, “eis” (into) the faith that places a man or woman “in” Christ Jesus! (It is as if the Law is a “funnel” that constricts us and ultimately “pours” us into God’s wonderful Bottle/Tank of “faith!”)

“Afterwards” uses the Greek verb “mello,” indicating something “soon to be, coming to be,” in the near future!

And finally, “revealed” is “apokalupto,” as if  “a veil had been removed” from our heads, one that was blinding our eyes! Preventing us from seeing Jesus in all His Glory, and how trust in Him saves us old lost souls!

What a picture … the Law of Moses … ushering us into the place of trusting Jesus!

(A man likely will not ever be saved … until he sees what a rotten sinner he really is! And the Law can reveal that in just a few minutes!)

Wow!

Say it again, Paul: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

Thank you.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Today our Bible focus (part of our “journey” through Paul’s Epistle to the Churches of Galatia) centers on an amazing little verse about “faith.”

“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. “ Galatians 3:22

I this morning see several “golden nuggets” in this amazing Sentence. Let’s enjoy them together. (The Writer of Psalm 119:72 agrees, praying: “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.)

Paul here calls the Bible (including the New Testament, perhaps including his own previous Letters) “Scripture.” Does this maybe suggest Paul KNEW, at the very moment he was penning Galatians chapters 1 and 2 and 3 … that his Notes were Holy Spirit Inspired? I personally believe so.

The Greek noun “scripture” is “graphe,” and is used 51 times in the New Testament. It simply means “writing.” Thus it must have been a special WRITING, unique and (again, I believe) inerrant! In fact, the Greek Text also places a limiting “the” (spelled “ho”) in front of this noun, “ho graphe,” setting it aside from anything else ever having been written! A One-Of-A-Kind “Scripture!” (Jesus earlier used the term “scripture” for the Word of God as well. Paul has good precedent here!)

Then Paul next “personalizes” the Bible, “But the scripture hath concluded ….”

This verb is “sugkleio,” used only four times in the Bible! And its root, “kleio” means “to shut up, to imprison, to obstruct liberty!” Another source says “to shut up on all sides,” as fishes in a net.

Scripture has “caught” us!

Has found us all to be sinners!

Paul again: “The Scripture hath concluded all under sin.” Where “under” is the preposition “hupo,” we are “of” sin, that very “tainted!” We are all “under” its heavy load, its burden! (A total of 48 times “hupo” means, is translated “under” in the King James New Testament.)

“Sin” is here (as usual) “hamartia,” used this way 172 times in Scripture. “Missing out” on God’s Grace, Glory, Salvation!” Actually “falling short!”

And just WHY does the Bible insist we are all sinners?

“That” … is a pronoun here meaning … Paul is making a conclusion! It is introducing “a statement of purpose” clause. Here is why we must KNOW we are sinners. “… that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” The rest of our Text, Galatians 3:22.

Yes, God “promises” eternal life/salvation to everyone who “believes!”

And Paul calls this precious Truth, Availability, Gift … “the promise by faith of Jesus Christ!” The noun “promise” is associated with the idea of an “announcement!” I’d call it “good news,” the very “Gospel!” The little preposition “by” is “ek,” meaning “out of,” Jesus being the Source/Object of our faith. And here is the Bible idea of believing “on” Jesus, “ek” being translated “on” 34 times in the New Testament.

And this Promise (this Gospel) is “given” to anyone who believes! (” … that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. “) The verb “didomai” (might be given) is here framed as a subjunctive, meaning God wills it so, wants it to be so, desires men to so believe in Jesus! (“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9)

Wow!

Yes, because of Jesus’ vicarious Death on the Cross of Calvary … God can “give” eternal life to those who believe, John 3:16 being a prime “proof” Text now.

“Believe,” what a Bible word!

“Pisteuo,” meaning “to think something to be true!” To trust and accept as fact! To rely on the words of a person!

We are all sinners … who need Jesus!

Who need Jesus’ Righteousness … Which can be appropriated, imputed to the lost (the whole world) … by simple faith in Christ the Son of God!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Paul never, not for a second, thought the Law of Moses capable of producing genuine soul salvation … not since Paul met Jesus (the Crucified, Buried, Risen, Ascended Son of God) that day on the Damascus Road … and was saved by our Lord’s amazing grace!

Yet neither does Paul ever call the Law bad names, or suggest it unnecessary to the overall Plan of God! (It was a “schoolmaster,” as we shall soon learn! “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24, our Lesson one day next week, the Lord willing.)

Now Paul does call the men and women who say that the Law is above Jesus, that the Law is necessary to get a sinner forgiven and his name written down in Heaven … he does call some of that crowd a few bad names! (As in Philippians 3:2 … “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” Pretty plain, bold too!)

Thus the Apostle in today’s Text emphasizes (re-emphasizes) his “Grace-only” approach to salvation, the one God gave him to preach and teach!