24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:24-25
Were you taught that once we were born-again in Christ Jesus, that we are no longer under the Law [schoolmaster], that we have no guilt if we fail to keep the Law? I was, as were many in the Dispensational movement.
It is very tempting to tell a sinful human (approximately 99.999999999….% of all of humanity – I understand there was one exception), that they need not fear the consequences of sin because all that stuff in the Old Testament no longer applies. Have you ever considered the consequences of not one thing being a sin?
Looking at only the Ten Commandments (the Big Ten), saying we are not under the Law gives acceptance to lying, murder, adultery, and theft, just to name a few. What kind of society do you have now?
I’m not advocating for keeping the Law because it makes for a good society (which it does), but because I believe this is what we are instructed to do. If the Word actually stated, “the Law no longer applies”, then I would accept Yahweh’s judgment and try to figure out how I can best steal more from you than you steal from me.
Such logic mirrors the guiding principle of the Church of Satan, “Do what thou wilt”. Something is not as it seems.
Peter warns us that Paul’s letters are hard to understand.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Peter 3:15-16
Let us not be unlearned and unstable, which leads to our destruction.
Anyone who quotes a single verse from a letter of Paul is silly or is intentionally trying to subvert the Word. Context is everything with Paul because he builds his case for Christ in a similar way that a lawyer might build his case for his client – both build a legal structure that they know will be attacked, so they include numerous support arguments that interweave with the rest of their chronicle, so the finished product is unassailable to anyone trying to poke holes in their narrative.
Let us look at more of Galatians ( I have a four part teaching on Galatians at my website, if you want to see more of the context of the overall letter).
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Galatians 3:6-9
We are blessed through faith, not of works. Few believers would argue this, but part of the context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is that there were those preaching works unto salvation and it was harmful to the new believers.
Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness, so righteousness by faith was not a new concept that was introduced by Christ. The Law was the believers’ guide to understanding and obeying the Heavenly Father they could not see, but then Yeshua came and physically manifested the Law and the Father.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
John 14:6-9
Believers now had the example of the Father, physically among them. The Law asked believers to envision a good and loving Father, but now Yeshua was the concrete example . . . and what was his example?
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
John 5:14-19
All has not been fulfill, nor has heaven and earth passed away, so what is the “schoolmaster” that has been done away with? Let’s go back to Galatians 3:
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians:21-22
The Law is NOT against the promises of God, but it cannot bestow righteousness – that is only through faith.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:23-25
“Schoolmaster” is the Greek word, paidagogos, “a servant [slave] whose office it was to take the children to school.” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as:
Among the Greeks and Romans, the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood. The name carries with it an idea of severity (as of a stern censor and enforcer of morals) in 1Cor. 4:15, where the father is distinguished from the tutor as one whose discipline is usually milder, and in Gal. 3:24 sq. where the Mosaic law is likened to a tutor because it arouses the consciousness of sin (i.e., preparing the soul for Christ, because those who have learned by experience with the Law that they are not and cannot be commended to God by their works, welcome the more eagerly the hope of salvation offered them through the death and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
The schoolmaster was not needed once the children were mature enough to go to school on their own. The children were still going to their education, they just were no longer accompanied.
Without the knowledge of good and evil that the Law provides, we would not know to do good rather than evil. We would not understand that there is an afterlife and that we must seek the blessing of the one that can make the afterlife available.
Without the Law, we would not gain the education we need to learn that we cannot work out our own salvation. The Law gave us the example of people who achieved righteousness through faith.
Once we confess Christ as Lord, through faith, (Born Again?) and believe he has risen from the grave (Born Again? Part 2) we no longer need a schoolmaster (the Law) to lead us to Christ. That does not negate the need to distinguish between good and evil . . . and to do good. As we read, earlier, Christ is the Law made flesh.
The Law leads us to Christ, who is the Word [Law].
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1John 2:1-7
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:14-20
John tells us we are to walk as Christ did. Do we need to wonder What Would Jesus Do? No, we do not – every page that depicts Christ shows him following Torah – he never wavered. Don’t profess faith in Christ and ignore the commandments. Don’t be a liar – rather, Do What Yeshua Did.
James tells us that faith without works is unprofitable and dead! The devils have faith – they know and believe Yeshua is the son of Yahweh, but their works are evil
Saying that the law is done away with because we now have faith in the perfect law-giver is equivalent to saying we don’t need clothes because we have done away with the need to have someone dress us. I don’t want to live in a society that has no clothes . . . . I can’t believe that imagining an audience with no clothes is supposed to help a speaker overcome nervousness – it would make me nauseas.
Finally, Paul says,
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:26-29
Your nationality, gender, skin-color, whatever means nothing. The only thing that matters is faith in Christ. It is like the expression, “Irish-American” (or Italian-American, or Mexican-American, or . . . .). Unless you have dual citizenship, you are an American.
Read the Word. Learn what is available through Christ and then take action. I’ve read it and I know what happens if you don’t take action – you don’t want those consequences.
A guide I find particular helpful (of course I do, I wrote it) in navigating your way through the Law is GRAFTED: Embracing Torah. Buy it before the censor take it down.