50 Bible Verses about Legalism

and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive; wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.

for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;'

having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh.'

'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter.

wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin. And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference,read more.
for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God -- being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him, not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through faith of Christ -- the righteousness that is of God by the faith,

though I also have cause of trust in flesh. If any other one doth think to have trust in flesh, I more; circumcision on the eighth day! of the race of Israel! of the tribe of Benjamin! a Hebrew of Hebrews! according to law a Pharisee! according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in mine own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers' deliverances,

Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect.

For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath declared to thee, O man, what is good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except -- to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment.

'And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side; and in like manner also, a Levite, having been about the place, having come and seen, passed over on the opposite side.

but this multitude, that is not knowing the law, is accursed.'

the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things -- as many as I possess.

Take heed your kindness not to do before men, to be seen by them, and if not -- reward ye have not from your Father who is in the heavens; whenever, therefore, thou mayest do kindness, thou mayest not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory from men; verily I say to you -- they have their reward!

'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

and he said to them, 'Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, is abomination before God;

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

And the Lord saith: Because drawn near hath this people, with its mouth, And with its lips they have honoured Me, And its heart it hath put far off from Me, And their fear of Me is -- A precept of men is taught!

and he answering said to them -- 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honour Me, and their heart is far from Me;

and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.'

'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah -- and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?' And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'Because -- I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted; and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'read more.
And Samuel saith, 'Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams;

And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- read more.
and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.'

And he said to them, 'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep; for Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; and ye say, If a man may say to father or to mother, Korban (that is, a gift), is whatever thou mayest be profited out of mine,read more.
and no more do ye suffer him to do anything for his father or for his mother, setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.'

'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean.

hath not Moses given you the law? and none of you doth the law; why me do ye seek to kill?'

Of the Pharisees, therefore, certain said, 'This man is not from God, because the sabbath he doth not keep;' others said, 'How is a man -- a sinful one -- able to do such signs?' and there was a division among them.

and Jesus said to them, 'Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;'

and he was charging them, saying, 'Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod,'

Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

days ye observe, and months, and times, and years! I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.

lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law; ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away;

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

If iniquities Thou dost observe, O Lord, who doth stand?

for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one point, he hath become guilty of all;

but, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they.'

Do not suppose that I came to throw down the law or the prophets -- I did not come to throw down, but to fulfil;

Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,'

Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear? for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman, but he who is of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who is of the free-woman, through the promise;read more.
which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children, and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all, for it hath been written, 'Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many are the children of the desolate -- more than of her having the husband.' And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise, but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now; but what saith the Writing? 'Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;' then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.

for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift, not of works, that no one may boast;

and the Pharisees said to him, 'Lo, why do they on the sabbaths that which is not lawful?'

and certain of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?'

And the chief of the synagogue answering -- much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed -- said to the multitude, 'Six days there are in which it behoveth us to be working; in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.'

who also made us sufficient to be ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.

I have known, and am persuaded, in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself, except to him who is reckoning anything to be unclean -- to that one it is unclean;

'I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;'