Simple explanation: Paul uses the phrase “under the law” four times in this passage. Three times out of four, the phrase means the same thing, while its fourth use in Greek is a completely different word, although in most English Bibles it is translated as “by virtue of the law.” Once faith comes, we are no longer “under the guidance of one educator” because the disposition and nature of our hearts change. It is no longer an external burden or requirement to do what God says, but obedience becomes our joy and joy. Notice Paul`s final statements in Romans 7. As we approach our next text and the occurrence of “under the law,” we must remember Paul`s battle in Galatians. Some false brethren try to make pagans believe that salvation comes only through circumcision and submission to the entire Torah (written and oral). If the Gentiles were to submit to this idea, then they would literally be trying to gain their justification before God, based on the misconception that only by becoming a Jewish proselyte can a Gentile be accepted before God. So Paul writes to the believers in Galatia, advocating salvation by faith alone, and encouraging believers not to submit to those heretics who only want you to be circumcised so that they can boast in your flesh. Like all other people, Christ was “under the law.” This is not a reference to the Old Covenant; There is no definite article before “law” in the Greek original. He was not subject to the “Mosaic law,” as some have assumed, but to the laws of nature that God set in motion with the creation of man: he was hungry and thirsty when he could do without food and water; He was tired of physical exertion and lack of sleep; His physical body had limits in terms of abuse he could endure before he stopped working; His body was subject to gravity, inertia, decomposition, etc.

He was subject to all the physical situations of cause and effect faced by all who had ever lived. In Romans 6:14, Paul writes, “For sin shall have no dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace. The multiple meanings of the word law can lead to confusion in the interpretation of Scripture. I would like to focus on three main meanings of the law in Paul`s writings. First, it can refer to the entire volume of Hebrew Scripture (Romans 3:19 includes the Psalms and prophets in the Law). Second, the law can specifically mean the law of God given by Moses (Luke 24:44). Third, Paul uses the word law to imply the legalistic interpretation of God`s commandments as they are used to obtain salvation. Since there is no Greek word for “legalism,” Paul often had to use the phrase “works of the law” or even simply “law” instead of the idea of legalism. Second, if “under the law” means that believers are now free to disregard the Torah, how do we explain all the scriptures that show us that Paul and the other apostles (and even Yeshua himself) support the validity of the Torah as a rule of the saint`s life? (See Matthew 5:17–19; John 14:15; Romans 3:31; 6:14, 15; 7:12, 14, 22; Acts 21:24; 24:14; 25:8; 1 Cor 7:19; 1 John 2:3–6; 3:4.) It is obvious that Paul cannot teach against and advocate obedience to the Torah at the same time.

This would make Paul a liar and a deceitful hypocrite and would also call into question the validity and divine inspiration of Scripture. The fact is that the problem is not with Paul or the Bible, but with the human interpretation of YHWH`s writings. A final grade in this section is required for those who falsely teach what “by virtue of the law” means. Some teach that the person who believes that God`s Torah is for the believer is “under the law.” This is simply not true because 1) the believer is not trying to gain righteousness and 2) literally all the commandments, both positive and negative, come to us as believers in the form of God`s Torah, His instructions on how to live. People like me are not trying to establish any form of identity or righteousness from the law, we are simply trying to do what pleases our Father. If Our Father`s Torah, which He gave to His children, no longer pleases Him, then I am simply waiting for the biblical evidence to show me. Paul then taught that the person who lives in the flesh is imprisoned under the law. At a glance, this verse gives the impression that the law imprisons us in the sense that the law does not want us to be free to serve God.

It couldn`t be further from the truth. Remember that we spoke earlier of all humanity imprisoned under something; What was that? Galatians 3:22 and Romans 3:9 both tell us that we are trapped in sin. When the Messiah came, the part of the Torah that was added because of sin was no longer necessary; namely, the system of lawful punishments, as well as the sacrificial and Levitical system—something that the writer of Hebrews makes very clear in Hebrew chapters seven through ten. Has the original Torah, which describes how to walk in righteousness in relation to Elohim and his neighbor, been abolished? We let Paul answer that question. He asks, “Are we invalidating the Torah by faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Torah” (Romans 3:31). He also explains: “Should we sin [or violate the Torah] because we are not under [punishment] the law, but under grace? Certainly not! (Romans 6:15). We will also give Yeshua the opportunity to address the purpose of His mission. Was it to abolish the Torah? No way! In His omniscience, Yeshua foresaw those who would think this wrongly when He said, “Then what shall we say?” That the law is a sin? On no account! But if the law had not existed, I would not have known sin.

For I would not have known what coveting meant if the law had not said, “Thou shalt not covet.” 8 But sin, which seized an opportunity by command, produced in me all kinds of greed. For, outside the law, sin is dead. 9 Once I lived without the law, but when the commandment came, sin came back to life and I died. 10 The commandment that promised life turned out to be death for me. 11 For sin, which seized an opportunity by commandment, deceived me and killed me thus. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just, and good. 13 Has what is good brought me death? On no account! It is sin which, by what is good, has brought death into me, so that sin may reveal itself to be sin and become extremely sinful by commandment. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to understand Paul`s intention to write the book of Galatians. Everything he discusses in this book is about salvation and justification. If we want to properly understand what he says about the phrase “under the law,” we need to understand the context so far. Make sure you understand how we are all “under the law” and “under sin” when it comes to righteousness. Know also that God puts us there to prove that no attempt by man to be justified by his own works is accepted by God. Instead, only faith and trust in the work of the Son of God, Yeshua the Messiah, will lead to a justification that leads to eternal life. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, closed to the faith that was to be revealed later. (KJV) Let`s define the word sin first. Sin, according to the Bible, is the violation of the laws of Elohim (or the law of Moses or the Torah, 1 John 3:4). So Paul teaches us in this verse not to let anarchy rule over us. In other words, Paul says, “Do not sin” (that is, do not violate the laws of Elohim). Then He tells us that we are not under the law, but under grace.