16 Bible Verses about Formality

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD, "Forsomuch as this people, when they be in trouble, do honor me with their mouth, and with their lips, whereas their heart nevertheless is far from me; and the fear which they owe unto me, that turn they to men's laws and doctrines;

Be not hasty with thy mouth,

For I have pleasure in loving-kindness, and not in offering: Yea in the knowledge of God, more than in burnt sacrifice.

"What acceptable thing shall I offer unto the LORD? Shall I bow my knee to the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, and with calves of a year old? Hath the LORD a pleasure in many thousand rams, or innumerable streams of oil? Or shall I give my firstborn for mine offenses, and the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"

Offer me no more oblations, for it is but lost labour. I abhor your incense. I may not away with your new moons, your Sabbaths and solemn days. Your fastings are also in vain.

When the priests come therein, they shall not go out in to the fore court: but, seeing they be holy, they shall leave their clothes of their ministration, and put on other garments, when they have any thing to do with the people."

"'I hate and abhor your holidays, and whereas ye cense me when ye come together I will not accept it. And though ye offer me burnt offerings and meat offerings, yet have I no pleasure therein. As for your fat thank offerings, I will not look upon them. Away with that noise of thy songs, I will not hear thy plays of music:

For if thou hadst pleasure in sacrifice, I would give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

And as they departed, Jesus began to speak unto the people, of John, "What for to see went ye out into the wilderness? Went ye to see a reed shaken in the wind? Other, what went ye out for to see? Went ye to see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? Went ye out to see a prophet? Yea I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, saying, "Why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands, when they eat bread."

Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye which tithe mint, anise, and cumin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone.

But now, seeing ye know God - yea rather are known of God - how is it that ye turn again unto the weak and beggarly ceremonies, whereunto again ye desire afresh to be in bondage? Ye observe the days, and months, and times, and years. I am in fear of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain.

Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from ordinances of the world: Why as though ye yet lived in the world, are ye led with traditions of them that say

This understand, that in the last days shall come perilous times: For the men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, cursed speakers, disobedient to father and mother, unthankful, unholy, unkind, trucebreakers, stubborn, false accusers, rioters, fierce, despisers of them which are good,read more.
traitors, heady, high minded, greedy upon voluptuousness more than the lovers of God, having a similitude of godly living, but have denied the power thereof. Such abhor.

Behold, thou art called a Jew, and trustest in the law and rejoicest in God, and knowest his will, and hast experience of good and bad, in that thou art informed by the law: And believest that thou thyself art a guide unto the blind, a light to them which are in darkness,read more.
an informer of them which lack discretion, a teacher of the unlearned, which hast the example of that which ought to be known, and of the truth in the law. But thou which teachest another, teachest not thyself. Thou preachest, a man should not steal: and yet thou stealest. Thou sayest, a man should not commit adultery: and thou breakest wedlock. Thou abhorrest images: and robbest God of his honour. Thou rejoicest in the law: and through breaking the law dishonourest God. For the name of God is evil spoken-of among the gentiles, through you, as it is written. Circumcision verily availeth if thou keep the law: But if thou break the law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcised keep the right things contained in the law: shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it keep the law, judge thee, which being under the letter and circumcision, dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is a Jew outward. Neither is that thing circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew which is hid within, and the circumcision of the heart is the true circumcision, which is in the spirit, and not in the letter: whose praise is not of men but of God.

though I have whereof I might rejoice in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, much more I: circumcised the eighth day, of the kindred of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew born of the Hebrews; as concerning the law, a Pharisee, and as concerning ferventness I persecuted the congregation, and as touching the righteousness which is in the law, I was unrebukable.read more.
But the things that were vantage unto me I counted loss for Christ's sake.