45 Bible Verses about Legalism

But that the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law? And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but thought to gain it by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;

For no man will be justified in God's sight by works of the Law; for through the Law comes the consciousness of sin.

but a curse rests on those who have their root in the works of the Law; for it is written. Cursed is every one that continues not in all the things written in the Book of the Law, to do them. And it is manifest that by the Law no man is justified in the sight of God. because The just shall live by faith,

"yet because we know that no man is justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we ourselves also have put our faith in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for "By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

"But woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces; for you do not enter, yourselves, nor do you permit those who are about to come in, to enter.

For no man will be justified in God's sight by works of the Law; for through the Law comes the consciousness of sin. But now, quite apart from any law, a righteousness coming from God has been fully brought to light, continually witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets. I mean a righteousness coming from God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe. For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile,read more.
since all have sinned and lack the glory which comes from God; but they are now being justified by his free grace through the deliverance that is in Christ Jesus.

In very truth I count all things but loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and esteem them but refuse that I may gain Christ, and be found in him; not having my own righteousness of the Law, but that alone which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which comes from God, founded upon faith.

although I myself might have confidence in outward rites. If any one else claims a right to trust in them, far more may I; circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew sprung from the Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which comes through law, blameless.

and how in my zeal for Judaism I outstripped many of my own age and nation, in my special zeal for the traditions of my forefathers.

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and anise and cummin, and neglect the weightier matters of the Law??ustice and mercy and good faith; these latter you ought to have done, and not to have left the former undone.

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"Now a certain priest chanced to be going down that way, but on seeing him he passed on the other side. "In like manner also a Levite who came to the spot, came and looked at him, and passed on the other side.

"As for this mob who do not understand the Law, they are accursed!"

"The Pharisee stood apart and thus began to pray by himself. "'O God, I thank thee that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax gatherer; "'I fast twice a week, I pay tithes of all my possessions.'

"Be careful not to do your good deeds in the sight of men, in order to be observed by them. If you do, you have no reward with your heavenly Father. "And whatever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets, in order that men may praise them. In solemn truth I tell you they already have their reward in full.

"For they do all their good deeds to be gazed on of men. They widen their phylacteries, "and lengthen the tassels, and are fond of the best places at banquets, and the front seats in the synagogues. "They enjoy salutations in the market-places, and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

He said to them. "You are those that justify themselves in the eyes of men; but God knows you hearts; for that which is lofty in the eyes of men is abomination in the eyes of God.

For because they were ignorant of God's righteousness, and sought to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites," he answered. "As it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far from me;

But in vain do they worship me, For their teaching is only human precepts.'" "You neglect the commandment of God, and hold fast the traditions of men."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like white-washed sepulchers. They look beautiful without, but within they are filled with dead men's bones and all rottenness. "Just so you also outwardly appear to men, just, but within you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

"And why do you also keep transgressing the command of God by your tradition?" he asked. "For God said, Honor your father and mother, and, Let him who reviles father or mother be put to death; but you say that whoever tells his father or mother, 'Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is dedicated to God,'read more.
is in no way bound to honor his father. Thus do you make void the word of God by your tradition! Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying. This is a people that honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, While they teach doctrines that are the commands of men."

"It is praiseworthy, is it," he exclaimed, "to reject the command of God that you may keep your tradition! For although Moses said, Honor your father and mother, and Let him who curses father or mother suffer death, you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'This money which otherwise you would have received from me, is Korban' (that is, a thing devoted to God),read more.
you exempt him from doing any service for his father or mother. Thus by your tradition which you have handed down you set at naught the word of God; and you do many other things like that."

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are filled with extortion and excess. "You blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside of it may be clean also.

"Did not Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you is keeping the Law. Why are you seeking to kill me?"

Then some of the Pharisees began to say, "This man in not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?"

Presently Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."

So he gave them this warning. "Look out! Be on the watch against the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod."

Then they realized that he had not told them to beware of the leaven, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

You are scrupulous, are you, in observing "days" and "months" and "seasons" and "years"? I am alarmed about you for fear lest I may have bestowed labor on you to no purpose.

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you. I solemnly testify to every man who submits to circumcision that he obligates himself to keep the whole Law. If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

"Now then, why are you tempting God by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

For if a man keeps the whole of the Law, and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all.

"On the contrary we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we and they shall be saved."

"Do not suppose that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I am come not to destroy, but to fulfil.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed is every one who is hanged upon a tree),

Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman; but while the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the son by the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.read more.
Now all this is an allegory, for these women are the two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar bearing children into bondage (for the word Hagar stands for Mt. Sinai in Arabia and represents the present Jerusalem who with her children is in bondage.) But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren one who dost never bear, Break forth in joy, thou that dost not travail; For the children of the desolate woman are many. Yea, more than hers who has a husband. But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise; but just as in old times the son born by the flesh used to persecute the son born by the power of the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave's son shall not be heir along with the son of the free woman. So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is God's gift. It is not of works, so that any one can boast of it;

"Look," said the Pharisees to him, "Why are they doing on the Sabbath Day what is against the law?"

And some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"

But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant at Jesus for healing her on the Sabbath, and said to the crowd. "There are six days of the week on which men ought to work. Therefore come during those, and get cured, but not on the Sabbath Day."

It is he who has also made me sufficient as a minister of a new covenant; not of a letter but of a spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is in itself unclean; but any food is "unclean" for one who considers it "unclean."

"I am a Jew," he said, "born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strict manner of the Law of our forefathers, ardent for God, even as you all are this day.

Hereupon one of the lawyers exclaimed, "But teacher, in saying such things you are also reproaching us also."