The Child-Conductor

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Galations 3:24

"Galatians 3:24 says the Law was our “schoolmaster” (KJV) to bring us to Christ. However the Greek word is paidagogos, and it referred to a very trusted household slave who oversaw the rearing of young boys, and accompanied them to and from school to oversee their safety.

It is easy to see that this Greek word is hard to bring into English just by the large number of ways it has been translated: “child-conductor” (YLT); “schoolmaster” (KJV); “guardian” (ESV); “tutor” (NASB); “put in charge” (NIV); “a slave to look after us” (NJB); and “disciplinarian” (NRSV).

None of those translations really perfectly describe the paidagogos, so at some point the student of Scripture simply has to learn what the paidagogos was and what he did, and then the truth of Galatians can be clearly seen: the Law was God’s trusted slave that took charge of educating and raising the people of God, and assuring them of ultimately getting safely back to Him."