Question: "Will you please clarify Gal. 3:24: 'The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.' In regard to believers teaching their children, previous to their salvation, is the Mosaic law a schoolmaster to them?" P. G.
Answer: This is a greatly misunderstood verse. First, we would call your attention to your misquoting it above. It does not say "is" but "was." It is in the past tense.
Now what "was" the law? It "was" a schoolmaster unto minor children. The word here translated "schoolmaster" in the Greek original indicates a slave who acted as a tutor to children.
Next, who are meant by the minors who were under its exacting demands? Simply, and only, the Jewish people. They were under the law, but the Gentiles were not. Here Paul is writing to Gentile believers and declaring what the law was to those who were under it. He is always very careful in his use of "us" or "our," in contrast to "you" or "your"; sometimes he carefully distinguishes between "we" (the Jews) and "ye" (the Gentiles), and at times his "we" embraces believers of both Jews and Gentiles. If there is any doubt about the meaning, the context should settle it.
Now notice that the words "to bring us" are in italics in most Bibles, thus indicating that the words were not in the original Greek, but were supplied by the translators according to their judgment, which in this case was faulty. Read without the italicized words, it is simply, "the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ," or "until Christ came." The Apostle did not say that this "slave-tutor" was intended for the purpose of bringing us (or anyone) to Christ, but rather that it acted with due severity to those under it until Christ came.
The next verse (the 25th) says, "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." He does not say, "after Christ is come," but after "faith" came. True, it is after Christ came, but the point is that it is after faith in the
Lord Jesus came. The Jews who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ after He came, died, and rose again, were no longer under the old schoolmaster, the law. They had been delivered from it by the death of Christ.
Then the Apostle goes on to say, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.... There is neither Jew nor Greek,... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." vv. 26, 28. When it becomes a matter of faith in Christ Jesus, the Jews and Gentiles share alike in the blessings of faith—they are one in Christ; and so the Apostle drops the "us" and "we" when he speaks of faith and the blessings of it. The believing Jews are no longer under the law for any purpose whatsoever; they, with the believing Gentiles, belong to Christ and are duly subject to Him.
Therefore, we affirm that the law did not bring anyone to Christ; that was not its purpose. It was added because of sin, that "sin might become exceeding sinful." Before the law was given, man was lawless, pleasing himself with no thought of living for his Creator; but when the law was given to a favored class—the Jew—it proved that man was not only lawless without the law, but a law-breaker when it was given. It became a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Cor. 3); and Paul says that it deceived him and slew him; and he found that which was holy, just, and good proved to be unto death (Rom. 7:7-12).
The law cannot give life; but it has power to condemn all who are under it, for all have sinned. It cannot bring anyone to Christ, nor is it a rule of life for the believer.