The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917], at sacred-texts.com
Galatians Chapter 3
perfect
(See Scofield) - (Mat 5:48).
God
Jehovah. (Gen 15:6).
Wherefore then
The answer is sixfold:
(1) The law was added because of transgressions, that is, to give to sin the character of transgression.
(a) Men had been sinning before Moses, but in the absence of law their sins were not put to their account. (Rom 5:13). The law gave to sin the character of "transgression," that is, of personal guilt.
(b) Also, since men not only continued to transgress after the law was given, but were provoked to transgress by the very law that forbade it; (Rom 7:8); the law conclusively proved the inveterate sinfulness of man's nature. (Rom 7:11-13).
(2) The law, therefore, "concluded all under sin." (Rom 3:19); (Rom 3:20); (Rom 3:23).
(3) The law was an ad interim dealing, "till the seed should come". (Gal 3:19).
(4) The law shut sinful man up to faith as the only avenue of escape. (Gal 3:23).
(5) The law was to the Jews what the pedagogue was in a Greek household, a ruler of children in their minority, and it had this character "unto" that is, until Christ. (Gal 3:24).
(6) Christ having come, the believer is no longer under the pedagogue. (Gal 3:25).
because of
For the sake, that is, in order that sin might be made manifest as transgression.
See (Rom 4:15); (Rom 5:20); (Rom 7:7); (Rom 7:13).
righteousness
(See Scofield) - (Rom 10:10).
law
I. The law of Moses, Summary:
(1) The Mosaic Covenant was given to Israel in three parts:
the commandments, expressing the righteous will of God; (Exo 20:1-26);
the "judgments", governing the social life of Israel; (Exo 21:1-24); (Exo 21:11); and
the "ordinances", governing the religious life of Israel. (Exo 24:12); (Exo 31:18).
(2) The commandments and ordinances were one complete and inseparable whole. When an Israelite sinned, he was held "blameless" if he brought the required offering. (Luk 1:6); (Phi 3:6).
(3) Law, as a method of the divine dealing with man, characterized the dispensation extending from the giving of the law to the death of Jesus Christ. (Gal 3:13); (Gal 3:14); (Gal 3:23); (Gal 3:24).
(4) The attempt of legalistic teachers, (for example), (Act 15:1-31); (Gal 2:1-5), to mingle law with grace as the divine method for this present dispensation of grace, brought out the true relation of the law to the Christian, namely,
II. The Christian doctrine of the law:
(1) Law is in contrast with grace. Under the latter, God bestows the righteousness which, under law, He demanded. (Exo 19:5); (Joh 1:17).
(See Scofield) - (Rom 3:21); (Rom 10:3-10); (Co1 1:30).
(2) The law is, in itself, holy, just, good, and spiritual. (Rom 7:12-14).
(3) Before the law, the whole world is guilty, and the law is therefore of necessity a ministry of condemnation, death, and the divine curse. (Rom 3:19); (Co2 3:7-9); (Gal 3:10).
(4) Christ bore the curse of the law, and redeemed the believer both from the curse and from the dominion of the law. (Gal 3:13); (Gal 4:5-7).
(5) Law neither justifies a sinner nor sanctifies a believer. (Gal 2:16); (Gal 3:2); (Gal 3:3); (Gal 3:11); (Gal 3:12).
(6) The believer is both dead to the law and redeemed from it, so that he is "not under the law, but under grace". (Rom 6:14); (Rom 7:4); (Gal 2:19); (Gal 4:4-7); (Ti1 1:8); (Ti1 1:9).
(7) Under the new covenant of grace, the principle of obedience to the divine will is inwrought. (Heb 10:6). So far is the life of the believer from the anarchy of self-will that he is "inlawed to Christ", (Co1 9:21), and the new "law of Christ"; (Gal 6:2); (Jo2 1:5); is his delight; while, through the indwelling Spirit, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in him. (Rom 8:2-4); (Gal 5:16-18). The commandments are used in the distinctively Christian Scriptures as an instruction in righteousness. (Ti2 3:16); (Rom 13:8-10); (Eph 6:1-3); (Co1 9:8); (Co1 9:9).
to bring us
Omit "to bring us."
unto
Up to, or until.
schoolmaster
(Greek, "paidagōgos", "child-conductor"); "among the Greeks and Romans, persons, for the most part slaves, who had it in charge to educate and give constant attendance upon boys till they came of age." -- H.A.W. Meyer.
The argument does not turn upon the extent or nature of the pedagogue's authority, but upon the fact that it wholly ceased when the "child", (Gal 4:1), became a song of Solomon, (Sol 1:1); (Gal 4:1-6), when the minor became an adult. The adult "son" does voluntarily that which formerly he did in fear of the pedagogue. But even if he does not, it is no longer a question between the son and the pedagogue (the law), but between the son and his Father -- God.
Compare (Heb 12:5-10); (Jo1 2:1); (Jo1 2:2).
the children
(Greek, "uihos", means "sons").
(See Scofield) - (Eph 1:5).