Up to this point in Galatians, Paul has built a strong case that we can only be accepted by God through faith in the gospel.

In this passage, Paul will tell us what faith in the gospel does to us. When we truly believe, what happens to us? Paul will explain it to us in fairly radical terms, first by telling us what we were (the bad news) and then by telling us what we are (the good news). So, let us look first at what we were.

What We Were (23-24)

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:23-24)

1. Imprisoned (23)

Without the gospel, the first thing we are is imprisoned under the law (held captive, 23). Paul alluded to this when he said that "the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin" (Galatians 3:22). The words Paul used meant to be protected by military guards—guards who would keep an enemy out and inhabitants in.[1] The term is used about Paul in one episode in the New Testament when the governor of Damascus guarded the city—and Paul's enemies also watched the gates—so Paul could not escape (2 Corinthians 11:32, Acts 9:24). He was trapped in the city under the watchful eye of his opponents.

The law does this to us—it restrains or imprisons us until Christ comes. It is a picture of being caged. A cage can limit behavior, but it cannot change a heart. I recently saw a video of a small toddler in front of a lion exhibit at a zoo. The child was completely safe in front of a strong glass wall. At one point, his parents had him turn to take a photo with the lions behind him. As he did, a lioness near him opened up its mouth and tried to wrap its teeth around the toddler's head, the glass restraining it from catching its prey. The cage kept the lion from doing what it wanted but did not change its desire.[2]

That is how the law is for us. It cannot bring true inner transformation, but because it imprisons us until Christ, it slows down the practice of sin. If there were no Ten Commandments, no laws of nature, and no one had a conscience, sin would be worse than it is today.

2. Under a Guardian (24)

Second, before faith in the gospel, we are under a guardian. Paul said the law was our guardian until Christ came (24). In the first-century Roman world, wealthy families appointed guardians to supervise and discipline their children from around ages six to sixteen. This guardian was usually a household servant, and in our modern society, there is no good parallel for comparison. [3] There are some similarities to Queen Elizabeth’s "governess" who helped shape her, but perhaps a vice-principal is our closest comparison. These guardians were much more severe than a tutor or teacher charged with teaching and training. It was a role that spoke the truth and gave firm corrections to the emerging adult under their tutelage.

The law did the same for Israel and did the same for us before we came to Christ. It served like a mirror that showed us our flaws and imperfections, but it was powerless to substantially change any of those flaws.

When my wife and I went away for a couple of nights to celebrate our anniversary, we had a great time and ate a lot of food. The first morning we were home, I hopped on my scale, which connects to an app on my phone that tracks me over time. But that morning, I got a notification I don't think I'd ever received. It read, "This must not be Nate Holdridge. Who is this?" Thanks, scale. I get it.

This is what the law was like—a scale, a mirror, an honest governess who points us to our lack. And the conclusion we must come to is that we need another way to be accepted before God. Fortunately, that way has now arrived! As Paul wrote to the Roman church:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21–22, ESV)

Next week, we’ll see what Paul says we become after placing our faith in Christ.

[1] Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [2] USA Today. 2023. “Hungry Lioness Tries to Eat Unsuspecting Baby through Glass Wall at Zoo in China,” January 11, 2023. https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/have-you-seen/2023/01/11/lioness-chinese-zoo-tries-snack-baby-through-glass-barrier/11035184002/. [3] Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic.