50 Bible Verses about Legalism

But Israel who pursued a law of righteousness, did not arrive to a law of righteousness. Why? Because it was not from faith but as from works of law. For they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,

Because from works of law no flesh will be made right before him, for through law is knowledge of sin.

For as many as are from works of law are under a curse, for it is written, Cursed is every man who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law, to do them. But that no man is made righteous by law before God, is evident, because, The righteous man will live from faith.

knowing that a man is not made righteous from works of law, instead through faith of Jesus Christ. And we believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made righteous from faith of Christ, and not from works of law, because no fles

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye close up the kingdom of the heavens ahead of men. For ye enter not in, nor do ye allow those who are entering to enter in.

Because from works of law no flesh will be made right before him, for through law is knowledge of sin. But now a righteousness of God has been manifested independent of law, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. And the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is for all and upon all those who believe, for there is no distinction.read more.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being made righteous freely by his grace, through the redemption in Christ Jesus,

But indeed therefore I even consider all things to be loss because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom I suffered the loss of all things, and consider them to be rubbish, so that I may gain C and be found in him, not having my righteousness, that from law, but that through Christ's faith--the righteousness from God based on faith--

Although (I having confidence also in flesh) if any other man seems to be confident in the flesh, I more: in circumcision the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness in law, having become blameless.

And I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my race, being a more extreme zealot of my paternal traditions.

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye tithe the mint and the anise and the cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law--justice and mercy and faith. These things must be done, and not neglecting t

For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

Will LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown thee, O man, what is good. And what does LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?

But woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye devour widows' houses, and praying long in pretence. Because of this ye will receive greater condemnation.

And by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise also a Levite who happened upon the place, having come, and having looked, passed by on the other side.

But this multitude that does not know the law are accursed.

Having stood by himself, the Pharisee prayed these things: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, predatory, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice per Sabbath. I tithe all things, as many as I acquire.

Be careful not to do your charity before men in order to be seen by them, otherwise ye have no reward from your Father in the heavens. When therefore thou do charity, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

But all their works they do in order to be seen by men. And they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the hems of their garments. And they love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be designated by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

And he said to them, Ye are those who declare yourselves righteous in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. Because what is lofty among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

For not understanding the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.

And LORD said, Inasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me, {but in vain they worship me (LXX/NT)}, {teaching the commandments and doctrines of men

And having answered, he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from me.

But in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For having set aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men: washings of pots and cups and many other such like things ye do.

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. In this way also, ye indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Why then did thou not obey the voice of LORD, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of LORD? And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of LORD, and have gone the way which LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to LORD thy God in Gilgal.read more.
And Samuel said, Has LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

And having answered, he said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God, because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother, and, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him perish in death. But ye say, Whoever may say to the father or the mother, Whatever thou might have benefited from me is an offering.read more.
And he will, no, not honor his father or mother. And ye have annulled the command of God because of your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying, This people comes near me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

And he said to them, Well do ye reject the commandment of God, so that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother, and, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him perish in death. But ye say, If a man should say to his father or mother, Whatever ye might be benefited from me is Corban, that is, an offering,read more.
then ye no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, annulling the word of God by your tradition that ye have delivered. And many such like things ye do.

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but inside they are full of plunder and unrighteousness. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, so that the outside of them may also become clean.

Did not Moses give you the law, and none of you does the law? Why do ye seek to kill me?

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath. Other men said, How is a sinful man able to do such signs? And there was division among them.

And Jesus said to them, Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

And he commanded them, saying, Take heed, watch for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

Then they understood that he said not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest somehow I have labored toward you in vain.

Behold, I Paul say to you, that if ye are circumcised, Christ will benefit you nothing. And I solemnly declare again to every man who is circumcised, that he is obligated to do the whole law. Ye were discharged from the Christ, ye who are made righteous by law. Ye have fallen from grace.

Now therefore why do ye challenge God, to place a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

If thou, LORD, should note iniquities, O LORD, who could stand?

For whoever keeps the whole law, and stumbles on one, he has become guilty of all.

But through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe to be saved, in the same way as those men also.

Think not that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I came not to abolish, but to fulfill.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is every man who hangs on a tree.

Tell me those desiring to be under law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from the servant girl, and one from the freewoman. But in fact, the man from the servant girl was born according to flesh, but the man from the freewoman through promise.read more.
Which things are allegorized, for these are two covenants, indeed one from mount Sinai giving birth for bondage, which is Hagar. For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and it corresponds to the present Jerusalem, and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren woman not giving birth. Burst forth and shout, thou not suffering birth pains, because many more are the children of the desolate than of her who has the husband. Now we, brothers, who correspond to Isaac, are children of promise. But just as then, the man who was born according to flesh persecuted the man according to Spirit, so also now. Nevertheless, what does the scripture say? Send away the servant girl and her son, for the son of the servant girl will, no, not inherit with the son of the freewoman. So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant girl, but of the freewoman.

For ye are saved by grace through faith, and this a gift of God, not from you, not from works, so that not any man may boast.

And the Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath day?

But some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what is not permitted to do on the Sabbath day?

And having responded, the synagogue-ruler, being indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, answered and said to the multitude, There are six days in which he ought to work. Therefore coming in these, be healed, and not on the

who also made us qualified helpers of a new covenant, not of a document, but of a spirit, for the document kills but the spirit makes alive.

I know and am persuaded in Lord Jesus, that nothing is profane by itself, except to him who regards anything to be profane. To that man it is profane.

I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but reared in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, reared accurately in the paternal law, being a zealot of God, as ye all are today.

And having answered, a certain man of the lawyers says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou rebuke us also.