20. But when God gave the promise, there was no mediator, because a mediator is not needed when there is only one side, and God is one.
21. Does this mean that the law works against God’s promises? Of course not. The law was never God’s way of giving new life to people. If it were, then we could be made right with God by following the law.
22. But this is not possible. The Scriptures put the whole world in prison under the control of sin, so that the only way for people to get what God promised would be through faith in Jesus Christ. It is given to those who believe in him.
23. Before this faith came, the law held us as prisoners. We had no freedom until God showed us the way of faith that was coming.
24. I mean the law was the guardian in charge of us until Christ came. After he came, we could be made right with God through faith.
25. Now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law to be our guardian.
26-27. You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
28. Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.