the (sometimes to be supplied · article — genitive singular feminine
faith
πίστεωςpisteōs
G4102
persuasion · noun — genitive singular feminine
come
ἐλθούσηςelthousēs
G2064
to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — second aorist active participle, genitive singular feminine
are
ἐσμένesmén
G2070
we are
longer
οὐκέτιoukéti
G3765
not yet
under
ὑπὸhupo
G5259
under · preposition
schoolmaster
παιδαγωγόνpaidagōgon
G3807
a boy-leader · noun — accusative singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is r…
Hebrews 10:15-18 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Hebrews 7:11-19 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that anoth…
Hebrews 8:3-13 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Galatians 4:1-6 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Galatians 3:19–end
The apostle having just before been speaking of the promise made to Abraham, and representing that as the rule of our justification, and not the law, lest they should think he did too much derogate from the law, and render it altogether useless, he thence takes occasion to discourse of the design and tendency of it, and to acquaint us for what purposes it was given. It might be asked, "If that promise be sufficient for salvation, wherefore then serveth the law? Or, Why did God give the law by Moses?" To this he answers,
I. The law was added because of transgressions, Gal 3:19. It was not designed to disannul the promise, and to establish a different way of justification from that which was s…
"But now that faith is come," &c. Moses the lawgiver cannot bring us into the heavenly Canaan though he can bring us to the border of it. At that point he is superseded by Joshua, the type of Jesus, who leads the true Israel into their inheritance. The law leads us to Christ, and there its office ceases.
Adam Clarke on Galatians 3:25
But, after that faith is come - When Christ was manifested in the flesh, and the Gospel was preached, we were no longer under the pedagogue; we came to Christ, learned of him, became wise unto salvation, had our fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life.
It is worthy of remark that, as ὁ νομος, the Law, is used by St. Paul to signify, not only the law, properly so called, but the whole of the Mosaic economy, so ἡ πιστις, the Faith, is used by him to express, not merely the act of believing in Christ, but the whole of the Gospel.
John Gill on Galatians 3:25
But after that faith is come,.... That is, since Christ the object of faith is come in the flesh, and has fulfilled the law, and redeemed them that were under it from its bondage, curse, and condemnation:
we are no longer under a schoolmaster; under the law as such; as no longer under it as a military guard, nor in it as a prison, so neither under it as a schoolmaster; not needing its instructions, or its discipline; since Christ is come as a prophet to teach and instruct, as a priest to atone for sin, and make intercession for transgressors, and as a King to rule and govern; in whose hands, and not in the hands of Moses, the law now is, as a rule of walk and conversation.
The Church Fathers
"That faith has come" means that Christ himself has come—for then faith arose. There began to be a time for faith to fully come and for us to believe in him in whom is all salvation, in contrast to the Jews, who did not believe [in him].
"But when faith came." Therefore, then, the perfection and the adoption as sons being given. "we were no longer under a guardian." For being children, it was necessary to act under a guardian, although not having become fully grown. "Proof of perfection, to be made sons to God."
The Law then, as it was our tutor, and we were kept shut up under it, is not the adversary but the fellow-worker of grace; but if when grace is come, it continues to hold us down, it becomes an adversary; for if it confines those who ought to go forward to grace, then it is the destruction of our salvation. If a candle which gave light by night, kept us, when it became day, from the sun, it would not only not benefit, it would injure us; and so doth the Law, if it stands between us and greater benefits. Those then are the greatest traducers of the Law, who still keep it, just as the tutor makes a youth ridiculous, by retaining him with himself, when time calls for his departure. Hence Paul says, "But after faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor." We are then no longer under a tutor, "for ye are all sons of God." Wonderful! see how mighty is the power of Faith, and how he unfolds as he proceeds! Before, he showed that it made them sons of the Patriarch, "Know therefore," says he, "that they which be of faith, the same are sons of Abraham;" now he proves that they are sons of God also, "For ye are all," says he, "sons of God through faith, which is in Christ Jesus;" by Faith, not by the Law. Then, when he has said this great and wonderful thing, he names also the mode of their adoption...
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Schoolmaster — The law so designated by Paul (Gal. 3:24, 25). As so used, the word does not mean teacher, but pedagogue (shortened into the modern page), i.e., one who was intrusted with the supervision of a…
School · Schoolmaster (tutor, R. V.) — Schoolmaster (tutor, R. V.)
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Galatians 3:23–end
Galatians 3:23-29
23. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
23. Antequam autem veniret fides, sub Lege custodiebamur, conclusi sub fidem, quae revelanda erat.
24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
24. Itaque Lex paedagogus noster fuit in Christum, ut ex fide justificaremur.
25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
25. Adveniente autem fide, non amplius sub paedagogo sumus.
26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
26. Nam omnes filii Dei estis per fidem in Christo Iesu.
27. For as many of yo…
the way of faith has come: The principle of righteousness by faith was always operative (cp. 3:6-9), but the object of that faith and the means of appropriating it are now clear to everyone through Jesus Christ. • we no longer need the law as our guardian: In Greco-Roman culture, a freeborn child who came of age was no longer under the discipline of a guardian, but was free to rule himself. So, too, those who are “of age” through faith in Christ are free from the guardianship of the law. They serve Christ directly as he leads by his word and Spirit.
