Galatians 3:23-24 23Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.24So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Paul refers to the time period before faith. This faith refers to the coming of Jesus and his sacrificial death for sin mentioned in verse 22. The problem is that we were held in custody under the law until Jesus came. The law reveals sin and the need for a savior and provides opportunity to show our love for God and neighbor through obedience that comes from faith (Romans 16:26). The law is a trap until it is released by faith to do its original purpose of guiding God’s people into holy obedience. This faith was not discovered by people but was revealed in Christ. There is not one way of salvation in the Old Testament and a different one in the New Testament. Salvation has always been by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Based on what Paul has written so far, one might conclude that the law had no positive purpose in salvation. He answers that faulty conclusion in v. 23. The law had the positive purpose as our guardian. A guardian in Paul’s time was a tutor who looked after a young boy from age seven to seventeen. The guardian made sure the child’s behavior was appropriate and escorted the child to school. The law was like this by being a temporary tutor and guide to lead Israel until the point of when Christ came. The law was never intended to provide salvation but point to the need of God’s grace. The goal of the law was so that we might be justified by faith. The law was not against God’s purpose but part of it. But the law must be understood in the right way. The Galatians were being taught that justification came by “works of the law.” The law shows the need for salvation but cannot provide it.
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