Galatians 3:22-24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
22 But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.(A)
What Faith Has Brought Us.[a] 23 Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.(B) 24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian[b] for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.(C)
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- 3:23–29 Paul adds a further argument in support of righteousness or justification by faith and through God’s promise rather than by works of the law (Gal 2:16; 3:22): as children of God, baptized into Christ, the Galatians are all Abraham’s descendant and heirs of the promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8, 14, 16–18, 29). The teaching in Gal 3:23–25, that since faith (Christianity) has come, we are no longer under the law, could be taken with the previous paragraph on the role of the Mosaic law, but it also fits here as a contrast between the situation before faith (Gal 3:23) and the results after faith has come (Gal 3:25–29).
- 3:24–25 Disciplinarian: the Greek paidagōgos referred to a slave who escorted a child to school but did not teach or tutor; hence, a guardian or monitor. Applying this to the law fits the role of the law described in Gal 3:19–25.
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