Discussion #4 – What Does “Under the Law” Mean?

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OUTLINE:

3:23-25  The Jewish experience

3:26-29 The Key

                 4:1-7 Shared Jewish/Gentile experience

4:8-11 The Gentile experience

1 – The Jewish Experience

Galatians 3:23-25  Now before faith came, we were held captive under the Torah, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the Torah was our guardian until Messiah came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

 παιδαγωγος (paidagogos) = “tutor, guardian, custodian, schoolmaster”

“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.”  (Thayer Greek-English Lexicon of the NT)

– 2 – The Key

Galatians 3:26-29  For in Messiah Yeshua you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. Now, if you are the Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to a promise.

3 – The Shared Jewish/Gentile Experience

Galatians 4:1-7  I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is subject to legal guardians and estate stewards until the date set by the father. In the same way wealso, when we were children, were enslaved under the Elementals of the cosmos. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under Torah, to redeem those who were under the Torah, so that we might receive adoption as sons. To show that you are sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!” – Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God [through Messiah].

4 – The Gentile Experience

Galatians 4:8-11  Formerly, when you did not know God, you slaved for those that by nature are not gods. Now, however, knowing God – or rather to be known by God – how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless Elementals which you want to slave for once again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

RESOURCES:

1 Corinthians 8:3  But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

— Concordant Literal New Testament with Keyword Concordance (Almont, MI: Concordant Publishing Concern, 1983)

— Hart, David Bentley The New Testament, A Translation (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Q: What does “under the Law” really mean?

1. As opposed to those who have the Torah written on their hearts (Gal.3)
2. Legalism, especially the rabbinic enactments (1Cor. 9:20-21)
3. Under the condemnation that the Torah pronounces against sin
4. The relationship of the Jewish people to the written Torah apart from the spirit of Torah.

But under NO circumstances does this phrase mean obedience to the Torah!

“Under the Law”  ≠  Obedience to Torah

REFERENCES:

Rom. 2:12  For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;

Rom. 3:19  Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God;

1 Cor. 9:20  And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law;

1 Cor. 9:21  …to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.

Gal. 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

Gal. 4:4-5  But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Gal. 5:18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.