How to Study Galatians 3:19 (“Why was the law given?")
Galatians 3:19
“Why, then, was the law given?” (NLT)
Welcome to the Bible Study Guide for Galatians 3:19, which leverages questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide when studying this verse. Below are the questions the Chara team chose to ask, in the order they chose to ask them, but feel free to use other questions or change up the order as you dive into this passage. For ANSWERS from the Chara team on these questions, check out the video below.
RESEARCH
Observations & Questions: Our verse is asking the question that probably a lot of people may have. Why was the Old Testament Law given? We can often read the Old Testament, see all of the laws listed in the first 5 books of the Bible (also referred to as the Torah or Pentateuch) and wonder what was/is the purpose of the Old Testament Laws. What questions do you have about the Old Testament Law that you may want to look into further as you study?
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s) and how does that help determine what Galatians 3:19 is talking about? Start by reading Galatians 3:19-25. If you have more time, read the entire book of Galatians to understand the author’s purpose and specific items Paul is trying to address to the churches of Galatia. (Hint: Do you struggle to understand what these verses are talking about? Read the passage in the New Living Translations to get a more thought-for-thought translation of what the original text was communicating)
AUTHOR/HISTORY
Person/Purpose/Who: Who was the author of Galatians? What was his purpose in writing Galatians? Who was he writing to? (Hint: You can find information about the author, the audience and their purpose in the intro to the book of Galatians in a Study Bible or by reading the entire book. You can also get a sneak peak of this information in Galatians 1:1-9). We start to see that Paul’s purpose in writing was to clarify the gospel message to many who were being confused by false teachers or were holding on to Jewish ceremonial practices. How does knowing this help provide clarity as to why Paul would be addressing the idea of “the Law” in Galatians 3:19-25?
CONTEXT
Book: Is the theme repeated throughout the book and how does it fit within the overall purpose of the book? (Hint: Check out verses like Galatians 2:16 and 3:2-5 - often found through cross references - to see the clarity Paul is providing around the gospel message, specifically addressing the confusion around works of the Law versus faith.)
HISTORY
Why was this message given to those people at that time? Based on what you have learned about Paul (the author) and his purpose for the letter to the Galatians found in book context throughout Galatians, why do you think a message about the Law was being given to the churches of Galatia?
What worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences were a part of their world and how did that influence them? Jews located in the churches of Galatia would have had a deep understanding of the 613 Old Testament Laws outlined in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Read Deuteronomy 5:1-5 and 6:20-25 for some background on how Moses described the Law to the Israelites. Based on these verses, what was the original purpose of the Old Testament Law (Hint: see Deuteronomy 6:25 for the direct answer)?
CONTEXT
Bible: Does my interpretation hold true throughout the rest of the Bible? Given that our passage in Galatians 3:19-25 speaks to the Law being given to show us our sin, do we see other verses across the Bible that say the same thing and help provide clarity on the subject? (Hint: Look at cross references to identify verses like Romans 3:19-20, 5:20-21 and 10:3-4)
APPLY
Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?” You may be asking, “does the Old Testament Law apply to me today?” Based on the passages in Galatians and Romans that we’ve read, where Paul is trying to get the Jewish people to let go of their bondage of the law, we’re seeing that the Old Testament Law served its purpose back then, but instead we should be clinging to Jesus for our right standing with God. What does it look like to place your trust in Jesus, and Jesus alone?
Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires? What we’re seeing while studying the Old Testament Law is that God wanted the Israelites to trust Him, and have faith in His plan, and not rely on themselves. In the New Testament, we see that God is expecting the same thing of us - full trust that His plan to save us only comes through Jesus. What else do you learn about God in the passages you studied?
Join the Chara Project team as they study Galatians 3:19 and see their ANSWERS to the questions asked from the CHARA Bible Study Guide.