38 Bible Verses about Law, Letter And Spirit Of

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered together to him, they saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.read more.
When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pitchers and copper vessels.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with impure hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You let go of the commandment of God, and hold on to the tradition of men."

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat."

And as Jesus sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.read more.
But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

And as he sat at table in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Then Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there were a great number of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes complained against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.read more.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God),read more.
then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God'read more.
he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must observe and do whatever they tell you. But do not do what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.read more.
They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. But they do all their works to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and the tassels of their garments long. And they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi.' But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master, and you are all brethren. And do not call anyone on earth your 'Father,' for you have one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'Teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who would enter to go in. (...) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win a single proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If any one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift that is on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. You serpents! You brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he did not first wash before dinner. But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.read more.
You foolish ones! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it." One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, by saying these things you reproach us also." And he said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So you witness that you approve of the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

Also he told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other menextortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.read more.
I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man sinned nor his parents sinned. But that the works of God might be revealed in him,read more.
we must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the saliva, and anointed the man's eyes with the clay. And he said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.

But if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and approve of what is excellent, because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,read more.
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

Now behold, one came up and said to him, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness,read more.
honor your father and mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter answered him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"read more.
And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But he fell sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this timehouse and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life.

Now a certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'"read more.
And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." When Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Then Peter said, "Behold, we have left all and followed you." So he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him:read more.
how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." And he went on from there, and went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:read more.
how he entered the house of God, took and ate the consecrated bread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?" And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise and stand here." And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" And he looked around at them all, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,read more.
saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you arethe Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Then he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and he was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,read more.
"Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you arethe Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!" And the report about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity."read more.
And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? Then ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, be loosed on the Sabbath day from this bond?" When he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they watched him. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"read more.
But they kept silent. And he took him and healed him, and let him go. Then he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" And they could not reply to this.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a multitude of disabled people, blind, lame, paralyzed.read more.
(...) One man who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been in this condition for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." But he answered them, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'" They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in that place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?read more.
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.read more.
Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say?" They said this to test him, that they might have something of which to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. And when they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it went away one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last, and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more."

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"read more.
Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'read more.
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have well said that God is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.read more.
Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left hand, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a breaker of the law.read more.
For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something outward and in the flesh. He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, and not by the written code. His praise is not from men but from God.

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?read more.
Did you suffer so many things in vainif it really was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of carnal hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; but our competence is from God,read more.
who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.read more.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit to God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once held us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weakened through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin: he condemned sin in the flesh,read more.
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; and then the spiritual.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of the radiance that was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because only in Christ is it removed. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.read more.
But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); and on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath.read more.
Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but he became a priest with an oath through the One who said to him, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'" Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle which is set up by the Lord, not by man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; and so it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.read more.
Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain." But as it is, he has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no place sought for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach every one his fellow or every one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." When he said, "A new covenant," he has made the first obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.