Does the giving of the Law make only Israel guilty, or the whole world?
The giving of the Law does not make only Israel guilty; its convicting power extends to the whole human race. Though only Israel was placed under the Law, every mouth is stopped, and all the world—not just Israel—is made guilty before God. The Law reveals sin and cannot justify anyone.
Les explains that only Israel was put under the Law, but the power of it, the convicting part of it, did not stop with Israel; it went out to the whole human race. He points to Galatians chapter 3, where those who are under the Law are addressed so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world, not just Israel, is now made guilty before God. Les says this is the exact opposite of what most people think the function of the Law is. Most people think the Law was given to help people do right, do good, and do the best they could, and that God would somehow wink and let them in. But that is not the purpose of the Law. The Law was given for one purpose: to show mankind how far they fell short of God's standard, because no man has ever lived who could keep the Ten Commandments. Therefore, since all the world has become guilty by the giving of the Law, by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved or justified in His sight, because by the Law is only the knowledge of sin. Les stresses that the Law can do nothing but convict a person of their utter sinfulness, and that is why it was added. Up until this time God could not even impute all that wickedness before the Flood or put it to those people's account.
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.
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
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.