Kept in Custody Under the Law
And the Parable of the Prison Guards
When you see the law mentioned in the Bible, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think “the law” = the Law of Moses.
If so, you may dismiss chunks of the New Testament as “not for me.” You might think, “The law was given to the Jews. I am not a Jew. This is not for me.”
And you would be mostly right. The law is not for you. We are under grace, not law. We died to the law, so that we might live for God.
But it would be a mistake to dismiss all those law passages as Jewish passages. Consider this verse:
But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. (Galatians 3:22–23)
This passage is not talking about Jews but everyone. Once upon a time, the human race was captive to sin and kept in custody under the law. In this context “the law” refers to the universal law of right and wrong, a.k.a. the knowledge of good and evil.
Law 1.0 – The Law of Right and Wrong
After Adam ate from the forbidden tree, he knew he had done wrong because he had acquired the knowledge of good and evil. He had a basic version of the law, as do we all. The law of right and wrong is hardwired into the heart of every human:
(The Gentiles) show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them. (Romans 2:15)
When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they described their actions using words like evil, sin, and transgression (Gen. 50:15–17). It was not the Law of Moses that condemned them – that came 400 years later – but the law of right and wrong.
The law written in the hearts of sinners gives the knowledge of good and evil. It silences every mouth and holds the whole world accountable to God (Rom. 3:19).
As a sinner, you knew when you had done wrong because your conscience condemned you through the law of right and wrong.
Law 2.0 – The Law of Moses
Then we come to the Law of Moses which refers to the commandments, ordinances, and ceremonial observances given to the nation of Israel (Jos. 8:31, John 1:17, 7:19).
The Law of Moses is a souped-up version of the universal law of right and wrong. It is the Law 2.0 in the sense that it draws lines and prescribes penalties for improper behavior.
Imagine a prison with two prison guards. The first guard is a timid fellow, but the second is a bully. Step out of line and the first guard might have a quiet word in your ear, but the second guard will bash you with his big stick.
This is what Paul is describing in Galatians 3. All of us were in a prison of sin and kept under the guardianship of the law. But the law guarding the Jews was a tougher law. They got the bully. This bully was a boon to the Jews because it made them long for a Deliverer.
Law 3.0 – The Sermon on the Mount
The Ten Commandments were ten blazing spotlights revealing the Jews’ captivity and highlighting their need for a Savior. But the religious leaders dimmed the lights by preaching a partial law. Without the merciless law constantly pounding them, the Jews began to get comfortable inside the prison.
Enter Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord elevated the law and made it magnificent.
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery”; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27–28)
Jesus preached a law even stricter than the Law of Moses. He introduced the meanest prison guard of all. If Guard #2 beat you for committing adultery, Guard #3 clobbered you for just thinking about it.
Jesus preached the Law 3.0 to people living under Law 2.0 so that all of us, even those living under Law 1.0, would realize our need for salvation.
What is the custody of the law?
The law – however you define it – tells you that you are a lawbreaker or sinner in need of salvation. The law is not your friend; he is your jailer. He berates and condemns you without mercy, because that’s his job.
Therefore the law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)
Who is this talking about? Everyone. All of us. Before faith came, we were all kept in custody under the law (see verse 22).
But that was then and this is now. Jesus has come and we don’t need any law any more. We don’t need Jewish law or church law. We who have come to Christ are no longer under the custody of the law (see Rom. 10:4).
So what value does the law have for the believer? It has no value at all. The law is for captives and in Christ we are free.
Thank God for the law that leads us to Christ, but thank him even more that in Christ we are no longer under the custody of the law.
—
Escape to Reality 
I love this! Great stuff!
There is a typo in the paragraph “What is the custody of the Law?” I think you used the word definite when you meant to say define.
Great article.
Kathy
Oops. Fixed now. Thanks, Kathy.
This is so awesome!!!!!!!! We all need to live this out as believers. It is the core issue of grace and freedom in Christ. Thank you so so much.
WORD!!!!
Jesus didn’t give a third law. He explained the second law. It was always adultery in the mind, for example. God rebuked the Jews for trying to make the law only about externals and not of the heart. For trying to claim the law was only what you call law 2.0.
There is nothing in the Law of Moses that forbids thinking; people were judged for specific misdeeds. But as you say, Law 3.0 explains Law 2.0. In the same way, Law 2.0 explains Law 1.0. They are different levels not different types. Law 1.0 = do no wrong; Law 2.0 = don’t cheat on your wife, Law 3.0 = don’t even think about cheating.
The point is, before Christ, every one of us was under one sort of law or another. Everyone was kept in custody under the law, not just the Jews.
Dr. Ellis has posts that are of value and interesting. However, the good thing about Christian brothers and sisters is that we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable. I agree that in Christ, the believer is no longer under the custody of the law.
However, at the end of his article, Dr. Ellis writes: “Jesus has come and we don’t need any law any more” and “so what value does the law have for believers? It has no value at all.” To me that is pushing a little too far. The feast laws, ceremonial laws, and the dietary laws of the O.T. are no longer applicable today.
However, I do find that God’s moral laws in the Bible reveal to me what is right and what is wrong. If one did not have a biblically standard of the moral code, then it would just be my own personal opinions, feelings, or preferences. I agree that following any law cannot save anyone, but to say that the law is of no value to a believer is to me not what God’s word is teaching. Thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts on an otherwise very good article.
The law is not a guide to moral living. Since “the law is not of faith” (Gal. 3:12), looking to the law for guidance is a kind of unbelief. It’s trusting in yourself and your works, instead of trusting in the Lord and his finished work. We have a far better guide in the Holy Spirit.
One of the thing I often marvel at with the people who write contrary views in response to your post is how obvious it is that there is no spirit of grace in their tone. I think that is exactly what being law driven does.
Great little essay. Thanks for this.
Perfectly said, David… It’s staggering how graceless much of the church leadership is. As a recovering Pharisee, I know what I’m talking about.
Thank you for this article and all the work you have done in getting the message of grace out. I do have a question that pertains to this topic. It seems to me that we have become so behavior centric in our approach to the gospel of grace. Reading this article, there are tones of this. The line “The law – however you define it – tells you that you are a lawbreaker or sinner in need of salvation.” I would like to respectfully push back a little on this. Based on this statement and the way most people share the gospel, our sin issue would seem to be a result of our behavior. I am always surprised when I ask people what the primary definition of sin (hamartano). This word is defined as “to be without a share in”. Not missing the mark, to err or violate God’s law. Given this definition, Law 1.0 would be flawed from the beginning. Right and wrong does not even matter, because we are on the outside doing it. There is no right or wrong for the unbeliever, it is all wrong because of the person’s position/lack of possession.
I believe Christians have adopted this style of evangelism because we would rather be counted as offensive rather than foolish (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). As offensive, at least we get to maintain the moral high ground, which is nothing more than self-righteousness.
I guess my question is am I crazy for seeing things this way?
Hi Chris, great question! Your view of sin will be shaped by the way you relate to God. Those who rely on their law-keeping, define sin as law-breaking. But such a definition makes no sense to those of us who live under grace. I discuss this fully in my article “What is the Biblical definition of sin?” And yes, this does affect the way we do evangelism.