Thomas Aquinas Commentary Galatians 3:21-25

"Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law is become our tutor [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now faith that is come, we are no longer under a tutor." — Galatians 3:21-25 (ASV)

Here, the Apostle raises another question: whether the Law is contrary to grace. First, he poses the question, asking, Was the law then against the promises of God? It is as if he were asking: If the Law was established because of transgressions, does it run counter to the promises of God? Does it mean that what God promised to do through the promised seed, He would instead do through another? God forbid! In other words, no. For he had said earlier, The law does not annul... to make the promise of no effect (Galatians 3:17), and, The law, indeed is holy and the commandment holy (Romans 7:12).

Next, when he says, For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed have been by the law, he answers the question. In this, two points are made:

1. He shows that the Law is not contrary to the promises of God.
2. He shows that the Law is in keeping with the promises (verse 22).

He says, therefore, that although the Law was established because of transgressions, it is not contrary to God's promise, even though it is unable to remove those transgressions. For if the Law could remove them, it would clearly be against God's promises. This is because righteousness would be obtained by a means other than what God promised—it would come through the Law and not through faith. But Scripture says, The just shall live in his faith (Habakkuk 2:4), and, The righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).

Thus, he says that if a law had been given that could give life—that is, a law with the power to confer grace and eternal happiness—then truly, and not just in appearance, righteousness would have come through the law. This would be the case if the Law could accomplish what faith is said to accomplish. In that case, faith would serve no purpose. But the Law does not give life, because the letter of the law kills, as is said in 2 Corinthians 3:6. Furthermore, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and of death (Romans 8:2).

Then, when he says, But the scripture has confined all under sin, he shows that the Law is not only unopposed to grace but actually serves it. He makes three points:

1. He shows that the Law serves God’s promises.
2. He shows how this service was made manifest in the case of the Jews (verse 23).
3. He shows how the Gentiles, even without the Law, obtained the promises of God (verse 26).

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that the Law serves God's promises in two general ways. First, it exposes sin: For by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). Second, it reveals human weakness, showing that a person cannot avoid sin without grace, which was not given by the Law. Just as knowing about a disease and the patient's weakness is a great inducement to seek medical treatment, so the knowledge of sin and of one's own powerlessness leads us to seek Christ.

Therefore, the Law is the servant of grace in that it provides knowledge of sin and an actual experience of one's own powerlessness. This is why he says the scripture (that is, the written Law) has confined (that is, held the Jews enclosed) all under sin (that is, it showed them the sins they committed). As Paul says elsewhere, For I had not known sinful desire, if the Law did not say: You shall not covet (Romans 7:7). Again, it has confined them because with the coming of the Law, they took occasion to sin: For God has confined all in unbelief, that He may have mercy on all (Romans 11:32).

All this was so that they would search for grace. Thus, he says it was so that the promise (that is, the promised grace) might be given not only to the Jews, but to all who believe, because that grace was able to free them from sin; and this grace comes by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Then, when he says, But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up, he gives experiential evidence of this service as it was manifested in the case of the Jews. In this section:

1. He states how the Jews were benefited.
2. He concludes with a corollary (verse 24).

He asks, therefore: If the scripture (the written Law) kept all things shut up under sin, what benefits did the Jews derive from the Law before faith came by grace? He answers: We Jews, before the coming of faith, were kept under the law in that it made us avoid idolatry and many other evils. We were shut up, I say, not as free people, but as servants under fear. This was under the law—that is, under the burden and domination of the Law: The law has dominion over a man as long as it lives (Romans 7:1).

We were kept shut up (that is, protected) so that we would not be cut off from life, but be made ready for the faith which was to be revealed. As Isaiah says, My salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed (Isaiah 56:1). He says to be revealed because faith surpasses all human ingenuity; it cannot be acquired by one's own skill but comes by revelation and the gift of God: The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken (Isaiah 40:5). Alternatively, it was for that faith which was to be revealed in the time of grace, but which in ancient times was hidden under many signs. This is why, at the time of Christ, the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51).

Then, when he says, Therefore the law was our pedagogue in Christ, he draws a corollary. In this, two points are made:

1. He explains the Law’s function.
2. He explains when its function ceased (verse 25).

The function of the Law was that of a pedagogue; therefore, he says, the law was our pedagogue in Christ. As long as an heir cannot obtain the benefits of his inheritance, either because he is too young or due to some other shortcoming, he is sustained and guarded by a tutor called a pedagogue, from the Greek paedos (boy) and goge (a guiding). Under the Law, the righteous were restrained from evil through fear of punishment, as helpless boys are, and they were led to progress in goodness by the love and promise of temporal goods.

Furthermore, the Jews were promised that the blessing of an inheritance would be obtained through a seed who was to come, but the time for obtaining that inheritance had not yet arrived. Consequently, it was necessary that they be kept safe and not do unlawful things until the seed should come. This was accomplished by the Law. Therefore, he says, Therefore the law was our pedagogue. It is as if he were saying: By being kept shut up under the Law, the Law was our pedagogue—that is, it guided and preserved us—in Christ, meaning on the way to Christ. This was done so that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. As Scripture says, Israel was a child and I loved him (Hosea 11:1); You have chastised me, and I was instructed (Jeremiah 31:18); and, For we account a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law (Romans 3:28).

Although the Law was our pedagogue, it did not bring us the full inheritance, because as is said in Hebrews 7:19, The law brought nothing to perfection. But the Law’s function ended after faith came. Thus, he says, But after faith has come—namely, the faith of Christ—we are no longer under a pedagogue. We are no longer under that constraint, which is not necessary for those who are free. As Paul says, When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man I put away the things of a child (1 Corinthians 13:11), and, If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).