King James Bible
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Paul compares the Mosaic law to a paidagogos—a Greek slave who supervised children and led them to school, maintaining discipline until maturity. The law served as a temporary guardian, revealing humanity's sinfulness and inability to achieve righteousness through works alone. The law's ultimate purpose was directional, pointing beyond itself to Christ as the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. By exposing our need for salvation, the law prepared hearts to receive the Messiah who alone could satisfy its demands. This phrase reveals the goal: righteousness comes not through law-keeping but through trusting in Christ's finished work. Paul emphasizes the shift from the old covenant's emphasis on human effort to the new covenant's foundation of grace received through faith.