Does the law make only Israel guilty, or the whole world?
The law makes the whole world guilty, not only Israel. Though the Ten Commandments were given directly to Israel, as the Law of the Sovereign Creator God its influence reaches to the ends of the earth. Thus every mouth is stopped, and all the world—Jew and Gentile—becomes guilty before God.
Les explains that the Ten Commandments were given directly to the nation of Israel, not to the Gentile world. But since it is the Law of the Sovereign Creator God, its influence extends to the ends of the earth. He points to the verse where every mouth is stopped, so that even a Gentile cannot claim innocence after stealing, because God's Law says stealing is against His will. Consequently, all the world—not just Israel—becomes guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the Law, by law-keeping or works, no flesh, Jew or Gentile, shall be justified in His sight, because the Law's one function is to show mankind how sinful they really are.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
More Questions
Does the law apply to everyone or only to Israel?
The law's demand is not limited to Jews: it silences every mouth and applies to every person in the world, regardless of status.
What was all the Law could do—why does it say all the world may be found guilty?
The purpose and limit of the Law was that every mouth be stopped and all the world be found guilty, since all the Law could do was pronounce guilt upon every human being.