Galatians 3:23-25
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The verse doesn't just say we were under the law, but "kept under" and "shut up," emphasizing that the law's purpose wasn't just to guide, but to confine us, acting like a warden to prevent escape from our sin until faith, like a key, was revealed. This highlights how the law's strictness was designed to drive us toward the liberating grace of faith, not trap us permanently.
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. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Before this point, Paul has been arguing that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin, and that the law, instead of providing righteousness, actually highlights humanity's sinfulness. Now, he explains the law's temporary role: it acted like a guard, holding people captive and imprisoned, not as a permanent solution, but as a way to keep them confined until the arrival of faith in Christ, when a new revelation would set them free.
Before faith in Christ arrived, we were under the law, but not just any law. This law acted like a strict guard, keeping us confined.
The apostle Paul uses powerful imagery here. He says we were 'kept under the law' and 'shut up.' This wasn't just a gentle reminder; it was like being in a holding cell.
The Law's Purpose:
The law kept us locked up, but it wasn't the end of the story. There was a future 'faith' that would be revealed, changing everything.
This verse points to a pivotal shift: the transition from the era of the law to the era of faith.
The Shift to Faith:
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Understand the original words
paidagōgos · Greek Noun
A child-guardian, tutor, or pedagogue; in the ancient world, this was a slave tasked with the supervision, protection, and moral instruction of a child until they reached adulthood.
dikaioō · Greek Verb
The act of God declaring a person righteous in His sight, based solely on the merits of Jesus Christ received through faith, apart from human works.
This verse speaks powerfully to a specific moment in salvation history. Before Jesus, the Law acted like a strict guard, confining people, making them aware of their sin and inability to save themselves, and pointing them toward the future hope of Christ. It wasn't meant to be a permanent prison, but a temporary holding place until the 'faith' – the person and work of Jesus – was fully revealed.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Law, including the Ten Commandments and other statutes, to Moses and the Israelites. This establishes a covenant relationship based on obedience.
c. 1000 BC - 586 BC
Period of the Judges and Monarchy
Israel experiences cycles of faithfulness and unfaithfulness to the Law, leading to periods of blessing and judgment under the Judges and Kings.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile many Israelites. This marks a profound crisis in their relationship with God and the Law.
538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows some Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, beginning the restoration period.
c. 450 BC - 400 BC
Ezra and Nehemiah Rebuild
Ezra the scribe and Nehemiah the governor lead efforts to restore religious observance and rebuild the city walls, emphasizing adherence to the Law.
c. 6 BC - AD 30/33
Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ
Jesus lives, teaches, and dies, fulfilling the Law's requirements and inaugurating a new covenant based on faith in Him.
c. AD 48-55— this verse
Paul's Ministry and Letters
Paul preaches the gospel of grace through faith, confronting those who insisted on the necessity of adhering to the Law for salvation.
This passage parallels Galatians 3:23 by describing how believers are no longer bound to the 'old written code' (the law), just as the Galatians were 'kept under the law' before faith in Christ.
Colossians 2:17This verse speaks of the law as a 'shadow of things to come,' which directly relates to Galatians 3:23's idea that the law held people captive 'until the coming faith would be revealed,' implying a temporary and preparatory role.
Hebrews 11:1This chapter, often called the 'hall of faith,' provides examples of Old Testament figures who lived by faith, illustrating that 'faith' (as a principle of trusting God) existed before its full revelation, as hinted at in Galatians 3:23.
John 1:17This verse highlights the contrast between the Law given through Moses and the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ, echoing Galatians 3:23's theme of being held by the law before the fuller revelation through faith in Christ.
Romans 8:3This verse explains God sending His Son to condemn sin in the flesh, enabling believers to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law, which connects to Galatians 3:23's concept of the law's inability to save and the need for faith's revelation.
bengelGalatians 3:23: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
Galatians 3:23 . Τὴν πίστιν , the faith of Jesus Christ ) So the following verses.— ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκεκλεισμένοι , we were kept shut up ) These two words elegantly disjoin the law and faith. The being ‘kept’ in custody is the consequence of the shutting up. Wis 17:16 : ἐφρουρεῖτο εἰς τὴν ἀσίδηρον εἱρκτὴν κατακλεισθείς , he was kept shut up in a prison without iron bar…
calvinGalatians 3:23-29: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
- Before faith came. The question proposed is now more fully defined. He explains at great length the use of the law, and the reason why it was temporal; for otherwise it would have appeared to be always unreasonable that a law should be delivered to the Jews, from which the Gentiles were excluded. If there be but one church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, why i…
The verse doesn't just say we were under the law, but "kept under" and "shut up," emphasizing that the law's purpose wasn't just to guide, but to confine us, acting like a warden to prevent escape from our sin until faith, like a key, was revealed. This highlights how the law's strictness was designed to drive us toward the liberating grace of faith, not trap us permanently.
Before this point, Paul has been arguing that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin, and that the law, instead of providing righteousness, actually highlights humanity's sinfulness. Now, he explains the law's temporary role: it acted like a guard, holding people captive and imprisoned, not as a permanent solution, but as a way to keep them confined until the arrival of faith in Christ, when a new revelation would set them free.
Before this point, Paul has been arguing that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin, and that the law, instead of providing righteousness, actually highlights humanity's sinfulness. Now, he explains the law's temporary role: it acted like a guard, holding people captive and imprisoned, not as a permanent solution, but as a way to keep them confined until the arrival of faith in Christ, when a new revelation would set them free.
"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. But now that faith has come,…" — The verse doesn't just say we were under the law, but "kept under" and "shut up," emphasizing that the law's purpose wasn't just to guide, but to confine us, acting like a warden to prevent escape…
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Last reviewed October 2026
