What was the Law's role in relation to Christ?
The Law, specifically the Ten Commandments or Moral Law, served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. For 1,500 years it was the system by which God trained, taught, and hopefully matured Israel, preparing the nation to become His instruments for reaching the Gentile world.
Les explains that in this passage the Law refers to the Moral Law—the Ten Commandments—not the entire system of Judaism, which includes the Ceremonial Law, Civil Law, and Moral Law. The Law was Israel's schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. For 1,500 years, Israel was under this system, and God used it to train and teach them, hoping they would become mature, understanding, believing Jews. That was God's purpose: to prepare the nation of Israel for a great opportunity to be vessels and instruments He could use to bring in the masses of the Gentile world. Les notes that this was what God was striving for, even though it did not happen as hoped.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
More Questions
what does 'the Law' mean in Galatians 3:24 - the whole law of Judaism or just the Ten Commandments?
When the Bible says 'the Law' it sometimes means the whole system of Judaism (ceremonial, civil, and moral law) lumped into one word, but in this passage Paul is referring only to the Moral Law, the Ten Commandments.
Which law is Paul referring to in Galatians 3:24?
In Galatians 3:24 Paul is referring only to the Moral Law, so 'the Law' there means specifically the Ten Commandments.