What was the purpose of the Old Testament according to the book of Galatians?

Answer 1

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. * But Jesus said: Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Matthew 5:18-19 Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. Luke 16:17 It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Answer 2

Main purpose of the Old Testament was to announce the coming Messiah (Jesus Christ) who would restore the man from his fallen state (sins). This Messiah is seen in all the books of the OT. Following are few examples.

In Genesis Messiah is "The Seed of the woman"

In Exodus Messiah is "The Passover Lamb"

In Leviticus Messiah is "The High Priest"

In Deuteronomy Messiah is "The Prophet Like Mose"

In Isaiah Messiah is "The Suffering Servant" (Ch. 53) and "God with Us" (9:6, 7:14, Jn 1:1, 14, 10:30)

And:

For the preservation of the Word of God; its testimony, witness and warning to the generations of man in the last days.

Moses: "...was in the church in the wilderness with the Angel which spake unto him in the Mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us..." (Acts 7:38).

To those in the world whom God is calling... the Bible is the text book whereby a Child of God may be trained in God's ways:

It's: "...profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be [become] perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (II Tim.3:16-17)

From a NT perspective:Romans 15:4 - For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11 - Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Galatians 3:23, 24 - But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

[Quotes from NKJV]
All scripture reveals the mind and the will of God. As for any specific purpose, they are at least as many as the number of books, you would have to do a study on where, when and for whom a particular book was written.

Also the Old Covenant was to teach the Children of Israel how to live. After being in captivity all their life,when they were set free they had to be instructed in how to live and what was acceptable or unacceptable to God. Upon deeper research one will find that in each book a revelation of the Christ is apparent. Thereby it is also a shadow of things to come.

Simply put the Old Testament is Jesus concealed, while the New Testament is Jesus revealed...

Answer 3

The Galatians were a city/church during bible times. As a church they had reverted to relating to God through religious way. The Apostle Paul wrote to them to encourage them to walk free from the law but walk in the freedom that Jesus brought.