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(3)
It could not give a divine inheritance either now or in the future (Gal. 3: 18).
(4)
The law cannot perfect or lead to spiritual maturity (Heb. 7: 19).
(5)
It was only a "shadow" of good things to come (Heb. 10: 1).
(6)
It was "weak on account of the flesh", that is sinful human nature could not attain
to its high standard (Rom. 8: 3).
(7)
Its final purpose was to lead to Christ--to shut the sinner up to Christ as the only
complete remedy for his sinful condition (Gal. 3: 24).
It was summed up in one word "love", but God's standard of love not man's. "Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart", "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself". "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law . . . . . love worketh no ill to his
neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13: 8-10).
But it is this very thing that failing man cannot do. Love in terms of human
conception must be banished from the mind. This is a poor sordid thing by comparison.
But for the believer, God's love has been "shed abroad" (poured out) in our hearts
(Romans 5: 5). However the Apostle did not seek to minimize in any way the law of God
given through Moses. It was given in awe-inspiring majesty through the mediation of
angels and Moses (Acts 7: 53). It was "ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator"
(Gal. 3: 19). This shows there must be two contracting parties, God on the one hand and
Israel on the other. When God dealt with Abraham, no such mediation was needed and
Abraham was even put to sleep, that all might be of God's doing (Gen. 15: 12) for this
was all of grace.
This is so much better than law which, in spite of its standards, cannot annul the
promises of God.
Are these two in opposition? "Is the law against the promises of God?" (Gal. 3: 21).
This is impossible for it would imply that there is inner conflict in the mind of God.
Promise and law come equally from God but need to be related to the place the Scriptures
reveal that they occupy in His purpose. The law shuts up (concludes) all under sin,
leaving one way out and that is solely through Christ Jesus by grace and received on the
principle of faith (3: 22).
Paul illustrates what he means by being "shut up under sin" by giving the duties of a
guardian slave, translated "schoolmaster" in the A.V.
"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 the 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).
The time in the experience of the Galatians that this illustrated was likened to
bondage, but now they are all "the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (3: 26) and
the bondage is cancelled and in its place is sonship with divine inheritance in view. Not
only this, but by the redemptive work of Christ which has completely liberated them, they
are welded together as an entity in Christ Jesus. They are one in Him and all earthly
labels and divisions have vanished.