Galatians 3:19-22

Read the passage first.

This passage is the first part of Paul’s fourth argument against his opponents. Paul will again approach his view of salvation history, in that the Law served a temporary purpose in the plan of God for saving humanity. Although the Law has a purpose, Paul explains it in a way that clearly suggests its inferiority to the way of faith. Paul seems to anticipate a question his readers may have at this point. The last thing he would want is to suggest that one can cut oneself from the faith of Abraham, and the faith that many people in the history of Israel. Yet, one might why God gave the Law in the first place. Lightfoot says that the Law has a purpose, but it is inferior to the promise at four points: 1) It condemns rather than gives life; 2) it is temporary, 3) it did not come directly from God to humanity, 4) it is a contract whereas the promise is unconditional.

In verse 19, the sinfulness of humanity led to the enunciation of the Law. At least part of the positive purpose of the Law was to limit sin.

In verse 20, the giving of the Law in Exodus and Deuteronomy does not include angels, but it was part of Jewish tradition that angels were present. Interestingly, within some parts of the Jewish tradition, namely, apocalyptic, the Law itself will be done away by the coming of the Messiah. It would be quite natural for Paul, convinced as he was that Jesus was the promised Messiah, to also say that God has provided a way of salvation apart from the works of the Law.

Verse 21 stresses that if Law could give life, then justification would have come through it.

In verse 22, the Law brings the universal human plight of sin to awareness. We should stress that the Law brought captivity and imprisonment, for Paul will hold out to his readers the possibility of being set free.