Paul refers to the time before the coming of Christ. The coming of faith is seen as being identical with the coming of Christ who is the object of faith.1 This does not mean that faith did not exist before his coming (Galatians 3:6–9; Romans 4:1–25). In this verse he uses the term faith
to represent the inauguration of a new era in redemptive history, the time of greater fulfillment.2
23 Avant que la foi vienne, nous étions enfermés sous la garde de la loi, en vue de la foi qui devait être révélée.