Abstract

This article attempts to delve into the purpose and origin of the law in light of the passage from Gal 3:19-20. The analysis of these verses shows, first of all, that Paul points out the purpose of the law in relation to soteriology in a negative way: the law was added to identify sins as transgressions: sins existed before the law and the purpose of the law was to transform them into transgressions, thus pointing out the gravity of sin and the inadequacy inability of the sinner to achieve justification, which comes only through faith in Christ. Second, the analysis presents a precision in relation to this, the analysis makes a further specification, namely on the purpose of the law: the law was restricted in a double sense, regarding its object and regarding the temporality. The first limit came from its object, which was only to manifest the transgressions; the second limit came from its temporary nature, since it was given in function of the fulfillment of the promise of the privileged descendant who was to arrive. The law, therefore, is inferior to the promise.