© Copyright Double Portion Inheritance Ministry
October 2009
What is A School Master?
By Maria Merola?
"The Torah is our school master to lead us to the true Messiah, but most of the Christian world has not even enrolled in kindergarten and the "Jesus" promulgated in the Western Gentile world is an amalgam of a celestial Santa Claus and a bleeding heart liberal who makes no demands and has no standards for behavior."--quote from Michael Rood
The Strong's Greek Concordance defines very well for us what the Apostle Sha'ul Paul was describing when he compared the Holy Law of YHWH (Torah) to a"schoolmaster."
Galatians 3:
24 Wherefore the Torah (written law ) was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (the written law).
This term in Greek means "a person assigned to take the children to school."
# 3807. paidagogos pahee-dag-o-gos' from 3816 and a reduplicated form of 71; a boy-leader, i.e. a servant whose office it was to take the children to school; (by implication, (figuratively) a tutor ("paedagogue"):-- instructor, schoolmaster.
But once the student gets to class, the "Teacher" takes over from there. So what is the "schoolmaster"? It is the written law in it's corruptible form (in stone or in scrolls or in the"letter" ) so that we realize that we need to go to school and learn from the Holy Spirit. Now, once the written Law (the schoolmaster) shows us that we need the Holy Spirit, we are motivated to come to faith in Messiah because we can see our sinfulness and lawlessness.
And what is sin?
1st John 3:4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the Torah (law): for sin is the transgression of the Torah (law).
*Note: Aha! If we transgress the Torah (instructions) of our Father in Heaven, then we sin, and what is the wages of sin?
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim (God) is eternal life through YaHuW'shua Messiah our Master.
If the wages of sin is death, and sin is the transgression of the Torah (Law), that means that we are under a curse every time that we violate the Torah (Law) of YHWH! And so how are we going to learn to live righteous in Messiah? How are we going to learn to crucify the "old sinful man" daily? How are we going to "overcome" sin (Lawlessness)?
Well we can't do this with the "written" Letter of the Law alone! We need the help of the very same power that raised up our Messiah from the dead!
The Letter of the Law does not teach us how to die daily to the "old man." It only tells us how sinful we are, and we already know this!
It is like receiving a diagnosis from the doctor that you are dying of cancer and it is not treatable. You know that you are going to die, no matter what! There is no hope! The Doctor's diagnosis is like the "letter of the law." It is a piece of paper with the doctor's diagnosis on it and his handwriting is not going to miraculously change!
But....what if the Doctor himself (the person) sends you to another specialist? What if the doctor is just like that "schoolmaster" who merely shows you that you need to get to another doctor who can treat you? What if the doctor who gave you the diagnosis is only a "general practitioner" and all he can do is tell you what is wrong, but he does not know how to treat you? That is what the "letter of the Law" does! It shows us how sinful we are, but it does not help us die to the old selfish nature!
But who can help us die to the old sinful man? Who can teach us how to live "Holy"and set apart? It is the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit of YHWH who teaches how to obey the Commandments of YHWH!
The teacher is the Holy Spirit once we come to faith by the "hearing of the law."Once we come to faith in Messiah, what does the Holy Spirit teach us to do? To obey the Commandments of YHWH!
In Romans 8:1-4, Paul uses this term "The Law of the Spirit of Life" and he says that this "Law" frees us from another Law called "the law of sin and death." Then he goes on to say that the written "Law" can not make us righteous because of our weak sinful flesh. So what exactly is this THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE?
It is the very same spirit that gave Moses the Torah---THE SPIRIT OF YHWH!
The Spirit of YHWH Elohim is the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit.
The Torah was written with the finger of Elohim (God)!
People in the Christian Church are treating the "Letter of the Law" (in it's corruptible form) as something different from the "Spirit of the Law" (in it's incorruptible form) and treating them as if they are completely different, but they are not. One is physical, the other is spiritual, but the Holy Spirit is not against the Law (Torah) of YHWH!
You see the Torah (Law) in the Letter form or in stone tablets was "broken" just as Moses broke the tablets when he found Israel whoring with the molten calf. In the same way, Messiah's body was "broken" for us on the cross (stauros). When his body was broken, the corruptible form of the Law (in stone or in the letter) was also broken (destroyed). But what happened to Messiah's body? He resurrected! And so what does this mean? It means that the same Law (Torah) has now become incorruptible! That means that we still have the same Torah (Law) in a more permanent form, called "The Law of the Spirit of Life" (Romans 8:2). It is also referred to as "the perfect Law of Liberty" (James 1:25), because it does what? The Law in it's permanent resurrected form brings us LIBERTY! FREEDOM! NOT BONDAGE!
Romans 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah YaHuW'shua, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah YaHuW'shua has made me free from the law of sin and death.
*Note: we are not under condemnation when we do what? Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit! And what does the Holy Spirit do? He frees us from the law of sin and death, with what? Another law called "the law of the Spirit of life."
Romans 8:3 For what the law (in stone or in the letter) could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Elohim (God) sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
*Note: the Law in it's corruptible form in the letter or in stone, could not save us ----Why? Because the Law in the Letter form is WEAK BECAUSE OF OUR OWN SINFUL FLESH!
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
*Note: Because Messiah condemned sin in his own flesh, we are now able to FULFILL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW WHEN WE WALK IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Romans 8:
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
*Note: the Torah (Law) of YHWH is "spiritual" (Romans 7:14), but we as humans are "carnal." And so to be carnal is death, but to be spiritual (subject to the Law) is life and peace!
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim (God): for it is not subject to the Torah (Law) of Elohim (God), neither indeed can be.
*Note: Aha! The carnal mind is NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OR TORAH! That is why we must be BORN AGAIN! When we "put off the old man" (Colossians 3:9), and we"put on the new man" (Colossians 3:10), we are actually putting on Messiah himself, the renewed image of Elohim!
Romans 8: 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please Elohim (God).
*Note: We are not able to please YHWH Elohim when we are walking in the flesh because the "old sinful" nature is not subject to the Law (Torah) of YHWH! Butwhen we are walking by the Resurrection power of Messiah, in the Set-Apart Spirit, we are now able to be subject to the (Law) Torah!
Okay, so with this understanding, Let's break down the letter that Paul wrote to the Galatians:
Galatians 3
1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes YaHuW'shua Messiah has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
*Note: Paul did not say "did you receive the Spirit by the hearing of the Law?" He specifically said "Works of the Law" and this was the name of an Essene Cult in Paul's Day called "Works of the Law." This cult taught that one could be JUSTIFIED by doing "works" WITHOUT HAVING FAITH IN Elohim (God).
If Paul was discounting the Torah (instructions) of our Heavenly Father for bringing us to faith and receiving the Holy Spirit, he would be contradicting King David:
Psalm 19:7 The Torah (law) of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of YHWH is sure, making wise the simple.
The Torah (Law) is perfect and it CONVERTS THE SOUL---brings us to faith in Messiah!
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?
*Note: the Galatians started out with the Holy Spirit's power to obey the Commandments by the hearing of faith! But now they were going backwards and trying to obtain power in outward circumcision, when that was never the way of righteousness even under the First Covenant! Abraham received circumcision in his flesh AFTER HE HAD FAITH, as an outward sign of his faith in YHWH!
Galatians 3:
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
*Note: Notice that Paul makes as distinction between "hearing of faith" and"going through the motions of the law without faith."
This means that faith comes by hearing what? The word of Elohim (God)! Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by Hearing the word of Elohim (Torah)! Doing meaningless works without faith is useless! And which "word of Elohim" was in print when Paul wrote this letter? The Law & Prophets! There was no "New Testament" scriptures in print in those days. And so the only "hearing of faith" that they had was hearing the Law of Moses, and then obeying it by faith!
And so we see here that Paul is making a distinction between the "hearing of faith"in the Word of Elohim (God), which by the way includes the law & prophets, and this Essene Cult in his day who called themselves WORKS OF THE LAW. The existence of this cult was proven in 1947 when a document was discovered along with the Dead Sea Scrolls. In America, there have been law suits filed by various religious organizations over this document because the very existence of this document will shatter the lies that have been taught to us over the years about the Holy Torah (Law) of YHWH and it's role under the Renewed Covenant. Below there is a website that shows us the evidence for this phrase "works of the Law" having to do with man-made laws, and not the Torah of YHWH:
This cult wanted Gentiles to convert to their man made religion and to obey them without having faith in YHWH Elohim (God) first. Paul was rebuking them because they were "putting the cart before the horse" by not allowing Gentiles to have fellowship with them until they first did the outward circumcision and went through an earthly man made conversion into their sect.
It would be the equivalent of what the Catholic Church does to this day, in teaching that "one must be baptized into the Catholic Church first, attend Catechism classes first and then the priest will pronounce you as 'saved.'" And of course we know that this is completely false. YaHuW'shua (Jesus) told us in John 3 that we must be BORN AGAIN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT---NOT JOIN A MAN MADE RELIGION.
Galatians 3:
6 Even as Abraham believed Elohim, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that Elohim would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
*Note: Paul is speaking of JUSTIFICATION here. He is NOT addressing being sanctified and set apart after we come into the faith. Why? Because he is shooting down the heresy of this cult known as "Works of the Law" because they were requiring Gentiles to become circumcised as a "pre-requisite" to salvation and to convert to their brand of religion "BEFORE" they could become saved!
But we are SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH,as it always was even under the First Covenant. No person was every Justified by keeping the Law (even under the First Covenant) And so then, after we are justified by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit brings us into SANCTIFICATION, by teaching us to obey the Torah (Law) of YHWH Elohim (God) ----not the laws of men!
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
*Note: What does Paul mean here? Is he telling us that we are under a curse for attempting to obey the Law? NO! He is telling us that if this is the way in which we seek to be justified, then we are under a curse! But if we are justified by grace through faith first, and then we obey the Torah (Law) as a RESULT OF OUR FAITH, then we are not under a curse! The Torah only brings us under a curse when we seek to be justified by it! But when it becomes the end result of our walking in the Holy Spirit's power, then it gives us liberty!
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of Elohim(God), it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
*Note: Aha! Paul reveals what he is talking about here. He says that NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW. He never says that we are no longer required to obey the law AFTER WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. And what does Paul mean when he says"as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the curse"? He is emphasizing that belonging to this cult and doing things in the reverse order ofputting the cart before the horse brings us under a curse. Why? Because no man is able to keep the law 100% of the time. But if we are JUSTIFIED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH FIRST, then we are FREE TO OBEY THE LAW WITHOUT FEAR OF CONDEMNATION SHOULD WE BREAK IT UNINTENTIONALLY.
Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them.
*Note: What does he mean here? Which laws does he mean? He is referring to certain man-made interpretations of the Law of YHWH. He is telling us that keeping the law does not produce faith, and it cannot justify us. If a man supposes that this is how he shall be justified, then he must be able to live by the law 100% of the time without fail.
Galatians 3: 13 Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
*Note: Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of not being able to obey the law! What is this curse? In Deuteronomy 28 there are 98 curses for not obeying the law. That is why during the week of The Feast of Tabernacles there were 14 lambs slaughtered for each of the 7 days of this feast, totaling 98 lambs for each curse that Israel broke when they failed to keep the law. Messiah fulfilled all of these in his once and for all blood sacrifice.
Galatians 3:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through YaHuW'shua Messiah; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man annuls, or adds to it.
*Note: What is Paul talking about here? He is giving an example of what happens in a man made contract or covenant. He says (if I may paraphrase), "once a contract is made, no person adds to or takes away from that contract....therefore, how much more with a Covenant that YHWH Elohim (God) made with Abraham, shall Elohim (God) not make good on his promises?" Paul is explaining that entering into covenant with YHWH Elohim is exactly the way it was for Abraham--by faith. But once that Covenant is established, YHWH Elohim added the law because of Israel's sins. Therefore, the law cannot initially save any man, but once we are saved, we know that the Law/Torah reveals what YHWH Elohim requires of us to live Holy and set apart.
Galatians 3:
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, 'And to seeds', as of many; but as of one, 'And to your seed', which is Messiah.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of Elohim in Messiah, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot dis-annul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but Elohim gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Wherefore then serves 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.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but Elohim (God) is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of Elohim? Elohim forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
*Note: the Torah (Law) of YHWH Elohim is NOT AGAINST THE PROMISES OF ELOHIM (GOD)!
Galatians 3:
22 But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of YaHuW'shua Messiah might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
*Note: Once, again, as I stated at the beginning of this teaching, a schoolmaster is a term in Greek that means "a person assigned to make sure the student gets to class every day." But once the student gets to class, the "Teacher" takes over from there. The "schoolmaster" is the law in it's corruptible form in stone or in scrolls or in the "letter" so that we realize we need to go to school and learn from the Holy Spirit. Now, the written Law (the schoolmaster) shows us that we need the Holy Spirit, so we are motivated to come to faith in Messiah by seeing our sinfulness and lawlessness. And who is the teacher?
YaHuW'shua tells us:
1st John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.
Abide in who? The Holy Spirit!
It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit who teaches AFTER our heart is circumcised when we come to Messiah by faith in his finished work on the cross (stauros)!
And so what is the main problem in today's Christian Church? Many of them don't even have the REAL MESSIAH, OR THE REAL HOLY SPIRIT TO BEGIN WITH!
2nd Corinthians 11:4 For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, oranother gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.
Paul rebuked the Corinthian Church because they were ready to accept "Another Spirit" or "Another Jesus" and "Another Gospel" and why do you think this is?
Because the Corinthians were not schooled in the Torah to begin with, so they had all kinds of pagan ideas left over from their former lives. They had no "gauge" for how to identify the real Messiah from the pagan counterfeit ones. They had no gauge for how to identify the true Holy Spirit who always agrees with the scriptures versus the false spirit of Antichrist who teaches Lawlessness.
And so Paul had to bring them back to the basics again! They had to go back to the rudimentary principles of being taught the Torah (Law of Moses) which is the schoolmaster. And this schoolmaster brings us to the REAL MESSIAH, YaHuW'shua, and the real SET-APART SPIRIT and THE REAL BESORAH (GOSPEL)!
Now once the "schoolmaster" (the written law) gets us to the school, what will the Holy Spirit teach us?
The Holy Spirit will DEPOSIT THE SAME LAW IN SPIRITUAL FORM INTO US:
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YaHuWaH; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them an Elohim (God), and they shall be to me a people:
Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says YaHuWaH, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
In Conclusion, we have the "schoolmaster" which is the written Law in Stone or in scrolls which "kills our flesh" because "the letter kills" (2nd Corinthians 3:3-4). This is because our flesh must be crucified daily.
But once the written Law (the schoolmaster) gets us safely to school, we have the Holy Spirit who "teaches us" the same law only NOT UNDER AN EARTHLY RABBI(who has limited understanding), but now the Rabbi is YaHuW'shua Messiah himself:
Matthew 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Messiah; and all ye are brethren.
We have only ONE RABBI---YaHuW'shua Messiah!
The word "rabbi" often times means: Master or Teacher, but more literally, it means "my great one." This is why YaHuW'shua does not want us to call any human being "rabbi"!
There is only one "Great One" and that is our Master YaHuWaH Elohim and Messiah!
And so ultimately the final teacher is YaHuW'shua Messiah himself as he has sent the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit to teach us. There is nothing wrong with having earthly teachers, so long as we know who the final authority is, and we don't allow an earthly teacher to usurp the authority of the word of Elohim over us. Every person who teaches us must be under the authority of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures as their final authority.
The term "under the law" in those days when Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians, meant being "under rabbinic law" and so we are not "under" some earthly Rabbi if the Holy Spirit is our teacher. The earthly rabbi may be our schoolmaster who brings us to faith in Messiah, but once we obtain faith in Messiah and our heart is circumcised, then the Messiah is our Rabbi, who teaches us through the Holy Spirit!
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