45 Bible Verses about Legalism

But Israel following after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it, not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law: for they stumbled at that stumbling stone;

Therefore no flesh shall be justified in his sight by the works of the law; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all the things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. But that none is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident; for the just shall live by faith.

and not sinners of the Gentiles, Even we (knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ) have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

But wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: ye go not in, neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in.

Therefore no flesh shall be justified in his sight by the works of the law; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But the righteousness of God without the law is now manifested, being attested by the law and the prophets, Even the righteousness of God, by the faith of Jesus Christ, to all and upon all that believe; for there is no difference:read more.
For all have sinned, and are fallen short of the glory of God, And are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus:

Yea doubtless, and I account all things to be loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do account them but dung, that I may gain Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith:

Though I might have confidence: if any man think that he may have confidence in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching the law, a Pharisee; Touching zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness, which is by the law, blameless.

And I profited in the Jewish religion above many of my years among my countrymen, being more abundantly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have neglected the others.

Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye devour widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

And it came to pass that a certain priest came down that way, and seeing him, passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

But this populace, who know not the law, are accursed.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed thus, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week: I give tythes of all that I possess.

Take heed that ye practise not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou dost alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But all their works they do, to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and inlarge the fringes of their garments. And love the uppermost places at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

And he said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men: but God knoweth your hearts: And that which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination before God.

For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

He answering said to them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For leaving the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like whited sepulchres, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. So ye likewise outwardly appear righteous to men; but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answering said, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God thro' your tradition? For God commanded, Honour thy father and mother: and He that revileth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest have been profited by me:read more.
Let him not honour his father or his mother. Thus have ye made void the command of God thro' your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophecy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And he said to them, Full well ye abolish the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother, and, Whoso revileth father or mother, he shall surely die. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest have been profited by me: he shall be free.read more.
And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Abrogating the word of God by your traditions which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish; but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first, the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Did not Moses give you the law?

Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner, do such miracles?

And Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees.

And he charged them, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.

Then they understood, that he did not bid them beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Saducees.

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have laboured upon you in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be ye as I am; for I also am as ye were: ye have not injured me at all.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Now therefore why endeavour ye to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is guilty of all.

But we believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved, even as they.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: (for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Tell me, ye that would be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, Abraham had two sons, one by the bond-woman, another by the free-woman. And he of the bond-woman was born after the flesh, but he of the free-woman by promise.read more.
Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she that hath an husband. Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now also. But what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.

For by grace ye are saved through faith; and this not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath that which is not lawful?

And certain of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?

And the ruler of the synagogue, being much displeased, because Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, answered and said, There are six days, in which man ought to work: on these therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath.

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

I know and am assured by the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: but to him that accounteth any thing to be unclean, it is unclean.

and he saith) I am verily a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and accurately instructed in the law of our fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

And one of the lawyers answering said to him, Master, thus saying, thou reproachest us also.