THE SIX FUNCTIONS OF GOD’S LAW

Understanding the Six Functions of God’s Law

by Traver Dougherty

Quick Links

The Israelites are thirty days into a fifty-day journey.^[1] During the fifty days, YHWH tests Israel—in a formative way, wanting Israel to see, to know, that his regime is fundamentally different than Pharaoh’s. YHWH wants the Israelites to understand that what’s about to happen at Sinai is about service, but not the sort of service that oppresses the worshiper while at the same time bolstering the vain imaginations of a narcissistic king. Rather, the sort of service—the sort of worship—for which YHWH is looking is the sort that facilitates loving relationship.

From a mountain, pre-salvation, pre-exodus, YHWH makes a statement to Moses—I choose Israel (Ex 3:8, 12). From the same mountain, fifty or so days post-salvation, post-exodus, YHWH asks all Israel a question—Will you choose me?^[2] This is where the story gets a little complicated, mostly because humans (especially those with western sensibilities) have difficulty conceiving of themselves as both individual and part of a composite whole. There were some, to be sure, who found themselves at the base of Sinai with this centering thought: Here we go again—some god is asking me to trade one set of oppressive and exhausting laws for another. But then there was another group, a group within the group. They were flawed, to be sure, given to the occasional relapse, but they had eyes to see both the insidiousness of Egypt’s gods and the lovingkindness of this other God—the passing over, the parting of the sea, the cloud by day, the fire by night, the manna, the meat, the water, the triumph over enemies. For these people, another line of thinking pervaded their consciousness: This God is majestic, holy, and awesome. This God works wonders. In lovingkindness, this God has saved us and now wants to lead us into his holy habitation by showing us how to live.^[3]

If anyone’s ever led you to believe the laws YHWH gave at Sinai are oppressive or exhausting, you were lied to. The law of sin is oppressive and exhausting. The extra laws many of the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders added to YHWH’s laws are oppressive and exhausting. And yes, YHWH’s laws, if used improperly, have the potential of being oppressive and exhausting—like riding a bike in the wrong gear. But when interpreted properly, when understood as that which leads God’s people into YHWH’s holy habitation, the laws YHWH gave at Sinai are nothing short of lifegiving. To better understand what I mean, it’s important to understand the six functions of the Sinaitic Covenant.

But when interpreted properly, when understood as that which leads God’s people into YHWH’s holy habitation, the laws YHWH gave at Sinai are nothing short of lifegiving.

Function 1: To Serve as a Bridge Pre-First Coming

The Sinaitic Covenant served as a bridge between YHWH’s promises to Abraham and the seed that would bring about those promises. While you and I have the benefit of the Gospels, those who lived before Jesus’s first coming did not. To help those people, YHWH provided a custodian—a paidagogos—to “guard” them until Messiah’s arrival. Here’s the way Paul communicates the idea in Galatians, step-by-step.^[4]

Step 1: Jesus is the promise to which the Abrahamic Covenant points.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ (3:16).

Step 2: The Sinaitic Covenant does not invalidate God’s promise to Abraham.

What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise (3:17, 18).

Step 3: Rather, the terms of the Sinaitic Covenant were given, in part, so you might recognize the condition of your hearts and the One who would fix it all.

Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions … until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made (3:19).

Step 4: So then, the Law functioned like a custodian—to keep and protect you until Jesus arrived.

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith (3: 23, 24).

Step 5: But now that the “seed” has come, it’s time for us to place our faith in the One to whom the custodian points.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (3:25, 26).

Over the years, I’ve learned that somewhere between steps 3 and 4, there’s much confusion. Here’s why. The thrust of the Sinaitic Covenant isn’t salvation; it’s sanctification. Its intent is to foster love of God and neighbor as a response to salvation, not to earn it. That’s not to say salvation isn’t the central storyline. It is, but it relates to salvation differently than the Abrahamic and New Covenants. Whereas the Abrahamic Covenant promises salvation and the New Covenant achieves salvation, the Sinaitic Covenant helps the covenant-participant walk toward or in salvation.^[5]

In Galatians, the apostle Paul chastises those confusing the verbs. Instead of understanding the Sinaitic Covenant as something to walk in post-salvation, some were trying to achieve salvation (or, at times, sanctification) through it.^[6] The first group, the (Jewish) Influencers, were those who felt it necessary to become halachically Jewish to attain salvation.^[7] The second group, the “foolish Galatians,” were those buying into the Influencers’ rhetoric, which Paul strongly asserts is “a different gospel; which is really not another” (Gal 1:6b, 7a). To correct the error, Paul offers an allegory. Again, here’s a step-by-step.

Step 1: Foolish Galatians, stop thinking salvation comes by observing the Law.^[8]

Tell me, you who want to be under law (4:21a).

Step 2: Listen to what the good Law is telling you.

… do you not listen to the law? (4:21b)

Step 3: The Sinaitic Covenant is like Hagar. Hagar is good, but if you try to earn your salvation though works of Law, you’ll end up just like Ishmael—a slave with no inheritance. Don’t be like Ishmael.

This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother (4:24–26).

Step 4: The Abrahamic Covenant, on the other hand, is like Sarah. Her son, Isaac, wasn’t born according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Isaac is free and has an inheritance. Be like Isaac.

… you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman (4:28, 31).

Step 5: When you equate salvation with Torah-observance, in whatever form, the consequences are myriad: no salvation, no freedom, no inheritance. What’s more, you tend to persecute those who’ve got it right.

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also (4:29).

Step 6: Stop it. In the same way Sarah declared there’d be no inheritance for Hagar and Ishmael, so it will be with you if you continue equating Torah-observance with salvation.

But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” To summarize, Paul is telling the Galatian believers something to this effect: one of the Law’s aims was to shape your consciousnesses in such a way that you’d recognize the seed to which the Abrahamic Covenant points. Now that the Seed has come, do what the Law was asking you do all along—put your faith in the Seed. Again, Paul is not suggesting the Galatians stop Torah-observance; rather, he’s telling the Galatians to stop equating Torah-observance with any meritorious notions of salvation and sanctification.

---

[1] Fifty days, or thereabouts, as the timing is not explicit.
[2] The question is inherent in the commandments (see Ex 20:6; Dt 5:10, 7:9, 11:1, 13, 30:16; Jo 22:5; Dn 9:4). Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (Jn 14:21). And yes, I’m equating Jesus with YHWH, for they are one; YHWH’s commandments are Jesus’s commandments. John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3).
[3] See Ex 15:11–13.
[4] Custodian better represents the intent of paidagogos. “In English, the word ‘pedagogue’ refers to a teacher, but the Greek word does not have that meaning. … The παιδαγωγός ‘was distinguished from the didáskalos, for he gave no formal instruction but administered the directives of the father in a custodial manner—though of course indirectly he taught by the supervision he gave and the discipline he administered’” (Smith, Michael J. 2006. “The Role of the Pedagogue in Galatians.” Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 198). See also Longenecker, Richard N. 1982. “The Pedagogical Nature of the Law in Galatians 3:19–4:7.” Journal of The Evangelical Theological Society 25, no. 1:53.
[5] Whether it’s in or toward depends on which side of the cross a person is on: historically or spiritually.
[6] In Galatians, while Paul does seem to emphasize salvation, sanctification is certainly in Paul’s purview (Gal 3:3).
[7] Halakhah means Jewish Law (i.e., written and oral) or, literally, “the path that one walks.”
[8] Either Sinaitic or rabbinic; written or oral.