Martin Luther on Galatians 3:24

Verſe. 24. VVherefore the lavve vvas our Scholemaſter to bring v[illegible: 1 letter] to Chriſte. Here againe he ioyneth the lawe and the Goſpell together, (which are ſeparate ſo farre aſunder) as touching the affections and inward man, when he ſayeth: The lawe is a Scholemaſter to Chriſt. This ſimilitude alſo of the Scholemaſter is worthy to be noted.The ſimilitude of the Schoole maſter vvorthy to be noted. Although a Scholemaſter be very profitable and neceſſary to enſtruct and to bring vppe children, yet ſhewe me one childe or ſcholer which loueth his maſter. We may eaſily coniecture what affection the Iewes bare to their Moiſes, and how zelouſly they performed that which he commaunded. In deede ſuch was their loue and obedience towards him,Exod. 17.4. that euery hower (as the Storie teſtifieth) they would with all their hearts haue ſtoned him to death. It is not poſſible therefore that the ſcholer ſhould loue his maſter.The ſcholer can not loue his maſter. For howe can he loue him which keepeth him in priſon, that is to ſay, which ſuffereth him not to doe that which gladly he would? And if he doe any thing againſt his commaundement, by and by he is rebuked and chaſtiſed, yea and is conſtrained moreouer to kiſſe the rodde when he is beaten. Is not this (I pray you) a goodly righteouſnes and obedience of the ſcholer, that he obeyeth his maſter ſo ſeuerely threatning and ſo ſharply correcting him, and kiſſeth the rodde? But doth he this with a good wil? As ſoone as his maſter hath turned his backe, he breaketh the rodde or caſteth it into the fire. And if he had any power ouer his maſter, he would not ſuffer him ſelfe to be beaten of his maſter: but rather he would beat him. And yet notwtſtanding the ſcholemaſter is very neceſſary for the child to enſtruct and to chaſtiſe him: otherwiſe the childe without this diſcipline, enſtruction, and good education ſhould be vtterly loſt. The ſcholemaſter therfore is appoynted for the child to teach him, to bring him vp,VVhie a Scholemaſter is apoynted for a childe. & to kepe him as it were in priſon. But to what ende, or how long? Is it to the ende, that this ſtreit and ſharpe dealing of the ſcholemaſter ſhould alwayes cōtinue? or that the child ſhould remaine in continuall bōdage? Not ſo, but onely for a time, that this obedience, this priſon and correction might turne to the profit of the child, that in time he might be heire and Prince. For it is not the fathers will, that his ſonne ſhould be alwayes ſubiect to the ſcholemaſter, and alwayes beaten with roddes: but that by this inſtruction and diſcipline he may be made able and meete to be his fathers ſucceſſour. Euen ſo the law (ſayth Paule) is nothing elſe but a Scholemaſter: not for euer, but vntill it haue brought vs to Chriſt: The lavve is a Scholemaſter to Chriſt. Galat. 4.19. Galat. 4.2[illegible: 1 letter]. Galat. 4.[illegible: 1 letter]3. as in other wordes he ſayd alſo before. The lavve vvas geuen for tranſgreſſions vntill the bleſſed Seede should come. Alſo, the ſcripture hath shut all vnder ſin. &c. Againe: vve vvere kept vnder & shut vp vnto faith vvhich should after be reuealed. Wherefore the lawe is not onely a Scholemaſter, but it is a Scholemaſter to bring vs vnto Chriſt. For what a Scholemaſter were he which would alwaies torment & beat the child,VVhat Scholemaſters there vvere in times paſt. & teach him nothing at all? And yet ſuch Scholemaſters there were in time paſt: when Scholes were nothing elſe but a priſon and a very hell, the Scholemaſters cruell tyrannes and very butchers. The childrē were alwayes beaten: they learned wt continuall paine and trauell, & yet few of thē came to any proofe. The law is not ſuch a Scholemaſter. For it doth not onely terrifie & torment (as the fooliſh Scholemaſter beateth his ſcholers & teacheth them nothing): but with his roddes he driueth vs vnto Chriſt: like as a good Scholemaſter enſtructeth & exerciſeth his ſcholers in reading and wryting, to the ende they may come to the knowledge of good letters & other profitable things, that afterwardes they may haue a delite in doing of that, which before when they were conſtrained thervnto, they did againſt their willes. By this goodly ſimilitude Paule ſheweth what is the true vſe of the lawe, namely, that it iuſtifieth not hypocrites, for they remaine wtout Chriſt in their preſumption & ſecuritie: And contrariwiſe yt it leaueth not in death & damnation thoſe that are of a contrite heart (ſo that they vſe it as Paul teacheth): but driueth them vnto Chriſt. But they which in theſe terrours continue ſtill in their weaknes, & doe not apprehend Chriſt by faith, do fall at length into deſperatiō. Paule therfore in this allegorie of the Scholemaſter,The true vſe of the lavv ſet out in the allegorie of the Scholemaſter. moſt liuely expreſſeth the true vſe of ye law. For like as ye Scholemaſter reproueth his ſcholers, he greeueth them & maketh thē heauy, & yet not to the end that this bondage ſhould alwayes continue, but that it ſhould ceaſe when the children are well brought vppe and enſtructed accordingly, & that afterwards wtout any cōſtraint of the Scholemaſter they ſhould cherefully enioy their libertie & their fathers goods: euen ſo they which are vexed & oppreſſed wt the law, doe know that theſe terrours and vexations ſhall not alwayes continue: but that therby they are prepared to come vnto Chriſt which is to be reuealed, and to receaue the libertie of the ſpirite. &c.

Verſe. 24. That vve may be made righteous by Faith. The lawe is not a Scholemaſter to bring vs vnto an other lawgeuer which requireth good workes,The lavve is not a Scholemaiſter to bring vs to an other lavvgeuer, but to Chriſte. but vnto Chriſt our Iuſtifier and Sauiour, that by Faith in him we might be iuſtified, and not by workes. But when a man feeleth the force and ſtrength of the law, he doth not vnderſtand nor beleue this. Therefore he ſayth: I haue liued wickedly: for I haue tranſgreſſed all the commaundements of God, and therfore I am giltie of eternall death. If God would prolong my life certaine yeres, or at leaſt certaine moneths, I would amend my life, and liue holily hereafter.Of the true vſe of the lavve, to make an abuſe. Here, of the true vſe of the lawe he maketh an abuſe. Reaſon being ouertaken in theſe terrours and ſtreites, is bolde to promiſe vnto God the fulfilling of all the workes of the whole law. And hereof came ſo many ſectes and ſwarmes of Monkes and religious hypocrites, ſo many ceremonies, and ſo many workes, deuiſed to deſerue grace and remiſſion of ſinnes. And they which deuiſed theſe things, thought that the lawe was a Scholemaſter to lead thē, not vnto Chriſt, but to a new lawe, or vnto Chriſte as a lawgeuer, and not as one that hath aboliſhed the lawe. The true vſe of the lavv.But the true vſe of the lawe is to teach me that I am brought to the knowledge of my ſinne & humbled, that ſo I may come vnto Chriſt and may be iuſtified by Faith. But Faith is neither lawe nor worke, but an aſſured confidence which apprehendeth Chriſt, vvho is the end of the lavv. Rom. 10.4. Rom. 10. And how? Not that he hath aboliſhed the olde law and geuen a newe: or that he is a iudge which muſt be pacified by workes, as the Papiſtes haue taught: but he is the ende of the lawe to all thoſe that beleue: that is to ſay, euery one that beleueth in him is righteous, and the lawe ſhall neuer accuſe him. The lawe then is good, holy, and iuſt, ſo that a man vſe it as he ſhould doe. Nowe, they that abuſe the lawe, are firſt the hypocrites which attribute vnto the law a power to iuſtifie: and ſecondly they which doe deſpaire, not knowing that the lawe is a Scholemaſter to lead men vnto Chriſt: that is to ſay, that the lawe humbleth them, not to their deſtruction, but to their ſaluation: For God woundeth that he may heale againe: he killeth that he may quicken againe. Now, Paule (as before I haue ſayd) ſpeaketh of thoſe that are to be iuſtified, and not of thoſe which are iuſtified already. Therefore when thou goeſt about to reaſon as concerning the lawe, thou muſt take the matter of the lawe, or that whervpon the lawe worketh, namely the ſinner and the wicked perſon, whom the lawe iuſtifieth not, but ſetteth ſinne before his eyes, caſteth him downe, and bringeth him to the knowledge of him ſelfe: it ſheweth vnto him hell, the wrath and the iudgement of God. This is in deede the proper office of the law.The proper office of the lavve, and the vſe of the office therof. Then foloweth the vſe of this office: to witte, that the ſinner may knowe that the lawe doth not reueale vnto him his ſinne and thus humbleth him, to the ende he ſhould deſpaire: but that by this accuſing and bruſing it may driue him vnto Chriſt the Sauiour and comforter. When this is done, he is no longer vnder the Scholemaſter. And this vſe is very neceſſary. For ſeeing the whole world is ouerwhelmed with ſinne, it hath neede of this miniſterie of the lawe, that ſinne may be reuealed: Otherwiſe no man ſhould euer attaine to righteouſnes, as before we haue largely declared. But what worketh the lawe in them which are already iuſtified by Chriſt? Paule aunſwereth by theſe wordes: which are as it were an addition to that which goeth before.