Admin
|
Schoolmaster
Posted : 28 Dec, 2009 03:06 AM
A brother brought this up so here it is and hopefully it will explain itself..
What about the �Schoolmaster� or �Tutor�?
Paul goes on, in Galatians, saying, �But before faith came, we were kept under guard by
the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.�
�Therefore the law was our tutor (KJV, �schoolmaster�) to bring us to Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor
(schoolmaster)� (Galatians 3:24-25, NKJV). The Greek word for �schoolmaster� or �tutor�
here is paidagogos, meaning a �boy leader�, i.e. a servant whose office it was to take the
children to school. By implication, a �tutor,� �instructor,� �schoolmaster� (Strong�s Exhaustive
Concordance, #3807). The NKJV translates the word as �tutor.�
Says Thayer�s Greek-English Lexicon, �a leader, a tutor, i.e. a guide and guardian of
boys. Among the Greeks and Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were
charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class.
The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at
the age of manhood.�
Vine�s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says of
paidagogos: � �a guide� or �guardian� or �trainer of boys,� lit., �a child-leader� (pais, �a boy, or
child,� ago, �to lead�), �a tutor,� is translated �instructors� in I Cor.4:15, KJV (RV, �tutors�).�
So the �Law� Paul said was a �tutor,� �instructor,� or �teacher� � a �guide� for the
children of Israel. It �showed the way� to go. It was a �protector,� and �guardian� to save them
from troubles, danger, or perils.
Therefore, the �Law� was like a tutor or guardian for ancient Israel, to guard and protect
them from danger, to safeguard their moral conduct, to teach them proper conduct and the
enormity of sin and its severe penalty. In this respect, we are speaking of the entire �Law� of
Moses, including the rituals, washings, and sacrifices.
Now that Christ has come, we are no longer guided by the precepts of the Law alone �
we are NOW guided by Christ Himself, and by the Holy Spirit of God!
That is the meaning here. This does not mean the Law of God is done away with � but
now, added to it, is CHRIST � the Saviour and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit � which God
sends upon those who accept and believe in Christ (Acts 5:32).
The Paidogogos Mystery
Interestingly, the term paidagogos is also used in the Jewish Targums, ancient
commentaries on the Scriptures. Targum fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls show the usage of
written targums in pre-Christian times. In the Targums, God Himself is referred to as our
paidagogos! Likewise, so are Moses, Aaron and Miriam. To the Hebrews, the term paidagogos
carried the meaning of loving, caring, nursing father, as well as �teacher.� The Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem interpret the word for �nursing father� in Numbers 11:12, by
�pedagogue� (derived from paidagogos, obviously).
The New King James has this, �as a GUARDIAN carries a nursing child.� In the Torah
in Numbers 11:12, the term translated �father� is chathan, #2859, and means, �contract affinity
by marriage, join in affinity, father in law,� thus a relative in marriage. Says Gesenius Hebrew-
Chaldee Lexicon, �to give one�s daughter in marriage, hence, a father-in-law, the wife�s father,�
also, �he who takes one�s daughter in marriage,� a bridegroom [see Psalm 19:6, Isaiah 62:5],�
etc.
Moses says to God, �Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that
You should say to me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nursing father [paidagogos] carries a
sucking child . . .?� (Num.11:12, Amplified Parallel Bible).
In Old Testament times, Israel did not KNOW the Messiah; He had not yet come. But
they had the LAW of God as their teacher, tutor, guide and guardian. And it would have
performed that function, IF THEY HAD KEPT, OBEYED, AND OBSERVED IT
FAITHFULLY!
However, they did not � therefore, as a further �teacher,� �guide,� and �guardian,� God
gave them the Levitical Priesthood, and the law of sacrifices, rituals, and diverse washings.
What Paul is saying here is that we are no longer under the sole jurisdiction of the LAW
itself being our instructor, guide and tutor � NOW WE HAVE CHRIST! He is our instructor,
guide and tutor! Also, now that He has come, we no longer need the �types� and rituals of the
Levitical priesthood, which were a GUIDE, and a Lesson Plan, teaching the people the need for
forgiveness of sin, the need for a Mediator, and the coming Messiah, who Himself would fulfill
many of these �types� and �figures,� reconciling us to God through His own sacrifice of Himself
as our Passover Lamb and as an offering for sin (I Cor.5:7; II Cor.5:21).
Paul is not here saying the Law is done away, or is no longer a tutor, or instructive. He is
saying we now have a new supreme tutor, guide and instructor � Christ Himself.
Galatians 3:25 poses an interesting problem. In the New King James, it says, �But after
faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.� It is translated as a declarative sentence. As
such, however, the statement would be untrue � for Christ and the Holy Spirit are our tutors!
Yeshua declared, in fact, �But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will TEACH you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said
to you� (John 14:26). And He also said, �However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He
will GUIDE you into all truth� (John 16:13).
Christ and the Holy Spirit are now our tutors, and THEY explain and expound to us the
LAW of God itself, so we can understand it, and THEY enable us also to OBEY it (Rom.7:24-
25; 8:1-2; verse 9).
We are all still considered as � children.� We still need �instruction� and �tutors.� Peter
says, �As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby� (I
Pet.2;2). Paul says in the very next verse, �For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus
Christ� (Gal.3:26).
Post Reply
|
