The crisis that Paul faced in the Galatian congregation was provoked by the Judaizers, who sought to put believers back under the law for their standing with God, for their justification. Using the terms we discussed before, the Judaizers sought to place believers back under the pedagogical use of the law or, as Ursinus explained it, back under the covenant of nature or the covenant of works. It is in this sense that Paul declares that believers are no longer “under the law.”

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 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, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith (Gal 3:21–26).

Thus far we have already considered the Reformed approach to the law. It is essential, however, to understanding the Reformed approach to this question especially, to see how Paul talked about the law in Galatians 3, Romans 3, and in Romans 7. When the Reformed speak of the pedagogical use of the law, we are drawing that imagery from Galatians 3. We are applying Paul’s language about redemptive history to the application of redemption to the elect and to the order of salvation (ordo salutis).

The crisis that Paul faced in the Galatian congregation was provoked by the Judaizers, who sought to put believers back under the law for their standing with God, for their justification. Using the terms we discussed before, the Judaizers sought to place believers back under the pedagogical use of the law or, as Ursinus explained it, back under the covenant of nature or the covenant of works. It is in this sense that Paul declares that believers are no longer “under the law.” So he uses this very expression this way in Romans 2:12 “For all who have sinned outside the law (ἀνόμως) will also perish outside the law, and all who have sinned in the law (ἐν νόμῳ) will be judged by the law.” In this section of Romans (1:18–3:20) Paul is preaching the law, in its pedagogical use, to teach the Roman congregation (and all of us) the greatness of their sin and misery (and ours) outside of Christ. His intent is, as it were, to drive them (and us) to Christ for our salvation. Everyone is condemned by the law, whether Jew (under the law) or Gentile (outside “the law”). The natural law is the substance of the moral law and it condemns all who are outside of Christ and his righteousness imputed and received through faith alone.

In Romans 3:19 Paul says this very thing: “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are in the law (ἐν τῷ νόμῳ), so that every mouth may be shut, and the whole world may be indicted before God.” Why? “Because by works of the law no man will be justified in his sight, because through the law comes knowledge of sin.” This is the pedagogical use of the law. Rhetorically, following the threefold structure of the book, we are not Christians yet, i.e., he is not speaking to us as if we are actually converted, believing, and repentant. He is still convicting. This is a distinct use of the law for Paul. This is how the Reformed have historically understood Romans 2:13: “Because it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous with God, but the doers of the law who shall be justified.” This is nothing but the covenant of works. This is not, as some have suggested, a promise to believers (that if we cooperate with grace sufficiently to become sufficiently sanctified, God will recognize our sanctity and reward us accordingly). To read this passage that way is to misunderstand it quite fundamentally and thus to misunderstand the entire book of Romans.

In case we are still not still uncertain about what Paul means when he speaks of being “under the law” or “in the law” in this way, he explained it more fully in chapter 7. Arguably (this is debated), from vv. 7–14, he is reflecting on is pre-Christian experience of the law. This is how the Reformed (e.g., Calvin) have traditionally understood it. Consider vv. 7–9:

Rom 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died (ESV).

One of his major burdens in this section is to vindicate the law. The law is not the problem. It is the chemistry, if you will, of the mixture of my sin with the law. In that case, the law does what it does because it is what it is. The law is the reflection of God’s holiness and righteousness. It is relenting. When mixed with my sin, it brings condemnation. It reveals our sin. Sin becomes the subject of the verb. Sin seizes the opportunity. Sin produces covetousness. Of course Paul was never actually “alive” apart from the law. We know that from chapters 2 and 3. Existentially, however, or experientially, he thought he was alive because he did not know the greatness of his sin and misery. He was deluded until the law, as wonderfully used by the Holy Spirit, convicted him and taught him the greatness of his sin and misery and his need for a Savior.

So, with this context, we can better understand what Paul meant in Galatians 3. Again, the problem is not with the law or the gospel. The law and the gospel are not against each other. They both promise life under different conditions. The law promises life to those who obey perfectly. The gospel promises life to those who trust Jesus the perfectly righteous one. They agree. Scripture imprisoned everything and all of us “under sin” (ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν) but putting us all “under the law” in order that we might give up trying to present ourselves to God on the basis of our law keeping, so that we might flee to Christ, who kept the law perfectly for all his elect. The promise is given to those who believe. That process is worked out both in the history of redemption and in the life of the believer, in the order of salvation (ordo salutis), in the application of redemption.

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