38 Bible Verses about Law, Letter And Spirit Of

Then the Pharisees, with certain Scribes who had come from Jerusalem, came to Him in a body. They had noticed that some of His disciples were eating their food with 'unclean' (that is to say, unwashed) (For the Pharisees and all the Jews--being, as they are, zealous for the traditions of the Elders--never eat without first carefully washing their hands,read more.
and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.) So the Pharisees and Scribes put the question to Him: "Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders, and eat their food with unclean hands?" "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites," He replied; "as it is written, "'This People honour Me with their lips, while their hearts are far away from Me: But idle is their devotion while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.' "You neglect God's Commandment: you hold fast to men's traditions."

Then there came to Jesus a party of Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem, who inquired, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?"

And while He was reclining at table, a large number of tax-gathers and notorious sinners were of the party with Jesus and His disciples. The Pharisees noticed this, and they inquired of His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?" He heard the question and replied, "It is not men in good health who require a doctor, but the sick.read more.
But go and learn what this means, 'It is mercy that I desire, not sacrifice'; for I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

When He was sitting at table in Levi's house, a large number of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were at table with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many such who habitually followed Him. But when the Scribes of the Pharisee sect saw Him eating with the sinners and the tax-gatherers, they said to His disciples, "He is eating and drinking with the tax-gatherers and sinners!" Jesus heard the words, and He said, "It is not the healthy who require a doctor, but the sick: I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

Levi also gave a great entertainment at his house in honour of Jesus, and there was a large party of tax-gatherers and others at table with them. This led the Pharisees and Scribes of their party to expostulate with His disciples and ask, "Why are you eating and drinking with these tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?" But Jesus replied to them, "It is not men in good health who require a physician, but the sick.read more.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners."

"Praiseworthy indeed!" He added, "to set at nought God's Commandment in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother' and again, 'He who curses father or mother, let him die the death.' But *you* say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, It is a Korban (that is, a thing devoted to God)read more.
And so you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother, thus nullifying God's precept by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things of that kind you do."

"Why do you, too," He retorted, "transgress God's commands for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother'; and 'Let him who reviles father or mother be certainly put to death'; but you--this is what you say: 'If a man says to his father or mother, That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me--read more.
he shall be absolved from honouring his father'; and so you have abrogated God's Word for the sake of your tradition.

Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples. "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.read more.
Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them. And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large, and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues, and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.' "As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father. And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ. He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant; and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall be exalted. "But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so. No translation "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.' "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy? And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.' "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it; he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it; and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone. You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel! "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also. "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean. The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law. "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs of the righteous, and your boast is, "'If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.' "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets. Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt. O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna?

When He had thus spoken, a Pharisee invited Him to breakfast at his house; so He entered and took His place at table. Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting. The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness.read more.
Foolish men! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But as to what is within, give alms, and instantly all is clean in you. "But alas for you Pharisees! for you pay tithes on your mint and rue and every kind of garden vegetable, and are indifferent to justice and the love of God. These are the things you ought to have attended to, while not neglecting the others. Alas for you Pharisees! for you love the best seats in the synagogues, and you like to be bowed to in places of public resort. Alas for you! for you are like the tombs which lie hidden, and the people who walk over them are not aware of their existence." Hereupon one of the expounders of the Law exclaimed, "Rabbi, in saying such things you reproach us also." "Alas too for you expounders of the Law!" replied Jesus, "for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers. Alas for you! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets, whom your forefathers killed. It follows that you bear testimony to the actions of your forefathers and that you fully approve thereof. They slew, you build. "For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,' so that the blood of all the Prophets, that is being shed from the creation of the world onwards, may be required from the present generation. Yes, I tell you that, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the House, it shall all be required from the present generation. "Alas for you expounders of the Law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered, and those who wanted to enter you have hindered."

And to some who relied on themselves as being righteous men, and looked down upon all others, He addressed this parable. "Two men went up to the Temple to pray," He said; "one being a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee, standing erect, prayed as follows by himself: "'O God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people--I am not a thief nor a cheat nor an adulterer, nor do I even resemble this tax-gatherer.read more.
I fast twice a week. I pay the tithe on all my gains.' "But the tax-gatherer, standing far back, would not so much as lift his eyes to Heaven, but kept beating his breast and saying, "'O God, be reconciled to me, sinner that I am.' "I tell you that this man went home more thoroughly absolved from guilt than the other; for every one who uplifts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be uplifted."

As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from his birth. So His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned--this man or his parents--that he was born blind?" "Neither he nor his parents sinned," answered Jesus, "but he was born blind in order that God's mercy might be openly shown in him.read more.
We must do the works of Him who sent me while there is daylight. Night is coming on, when no one can work. When I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." After thus speaking, He spat on the ground, and then, kneading the dust and spittle into clay, He smeared the clay over the man's eyes and said to him, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam" --the name means 'Sent.' So he went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see. His neighbours, therefore, and the other people to whom he had been a familiar object because he was a beggar, began asking, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" "Yes it is," replied some of them. "No it is not," said others, "but he is like him." His own statement was, "I am the man." "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked. "He whose name is Jesus," he answered, "made clay and smeared my eyes with it, and then told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and obtained sight." "Where is he?" they inquired, but the man did not know. They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath. So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see." This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others.

And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God, and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ--being a man who receives instruction from the Law-- and have persuaded yourself that, as for you, you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,read more.
a schoolmaster for the dull and ignorant, a teacher of the young, because in the Law you possess an outline of real knowledge and an outline of the truth: you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief? You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you plunder their temples? You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentile nations because of you, as Holy Writ declares.

"Teacher," said one man, coming up to Him, "what that is good shall I do in order to win the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you ask me," He replied, "about what is good? There is only One who is truly good. But if you desire to enter into Life, keep the Commandments." "Which Commandments?" he asked. Jesus answered, "'Thou shalt not kill;' 'Thou shalt not commit adultery;' 'Thou shalt not steal;' 'Thou shalt not lie in giving evidence;'read more.
Honour thy father and thy mother'; and 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'" "All of these," said the young man, "I have carefully kept. What do I still lack?" "If you desire to be perfect," replied Jesus, "go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and come, follow me." On hearing those words the young man went away much cast down; for he had much property. So Jesus said to His disciples, "I solemnly tell you that it is with difficulty that a rich man will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens. Yes, 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." These words utterly amazed the disciples, and they asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God everything is possible." Then Peter said to Jesus, "See, *we* have forsaken everything and followed you; what then will be *our* reward?" "I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that in the New Creation, when the Son of Man has taken His seat on His glorious throne, all of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And whoever has forsaken houses, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children or lands, for my sake, shall receive many times as much and shall have as his inheritance the Life of the Ages. "But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, "Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you call me good?" asked Jesus in reply; "there is no one truly good except One--that is, God. You know the Commandments--'Do not murder;' 'Do not commit adultery;' 'Do not steal;' 'Do not lie in giving evidence;' 'Do not defraud;' 'Honour thy father and thy mother.'"read more.
"Rabbi," he replied, "all these Commandments I have carefully obeyed from my youth." Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said, "One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine." At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth. Then looking round on His disciples Jesus said, "With how hard a struggle will the possessors of riches enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at His words. Jesus, however, said again, "Children, how hard a struggle is it for those who trust in riches 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." They were astonished beyond measure, and said to one another, "Who then *can* be saved?" Jesus looking on them said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God." "Remember," said Peter to Him, "that we forsook everything and have become your followers." "In solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has forsaken house or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, but will receive a hundred times as much now in this present life--houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands--and persecution with them--and in the coming age the Life of the Ages.

The question was put to Him by a Ruler: "Good Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you call me good?" replied Jesus; "there is no one good but One, namely God. You know the Commandments: 'Do not commit adultery;' 'Do not murder;' 'Do not steal;' 'Do not lie in giving evidence;' 'Honour thy father and thy mother.'"read more.
"All of those," he replied, "I have kept from my youth." On receiving this answer Jesus said to him, "There is still one thing wanting in you. Sell everything you possess and give the money to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and then come, follow me." But on hearing these words he was deeply sorrowful, for he was exceedingly rich. Jesus saw his sorrow, and said, "With how hard a struggle do the possessors of riches ever enter the Kingdom of God! Why, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." "Who then can be saved?" exclaimed the hearers. "Things impossible with man," He replied, "are possible with God." Then Peter said, "See, we have given up our homes and have followed you." "I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that there is no one who has left house or wife, or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of God's Kingdom, who shall not certainly receive many times as much in this life, and in the age that is coming the Life of the Ages."

About that time Jesus passed on the Sabbath through the wheatfields; and His disciples became hungry, and began to gather ears of wheat and eat them. But the Pharisees saw it and said to Him, "Look! your disciples are doing what the Law forbids them to do on the Sabbath." "Have you never read," He replied, "what David did when he and his men were hungry?read more.
how he entered the House of God and ate the Presented Loaves, which it was not lawful for him or his men to eat, nor for any except the priests? And have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath without incurring guilt? But I tell you that there is here that which is greater than the Temple. And if you knew what this means, 'It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are without guilt. For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath." Departing thence He went to their synagogue, where there was a man with a shrivelled arm. And they questioned Him, "Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath?" Their intention was to bring a charge against Him. "Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath." Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." And he stretched it out, and it was restored quite sound like the other. But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Now on the second-first Sabbath while He was passing through the wheatfields, His disciples were plucking the ears and rubbing them with their hands to eat the grain. And some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what the Law forbids on the Sabbath?" "Have you never read so much as this," answered Jesus--"what David did when he and his followers were hungry;read more.
how he entered the house of God and took and ate the Presented Loaves and gave some to his followers--loaves which none but the Priests are allowed to eat?" "The Son of Man," He added, "is Lord of the Sabbath also." On another Sabbath He had gone to the synagogue and was teaching there; and in the congregation was a man whose right arm was withered. The Scribes and the Pharisees were on the watch to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath that they might be able to bring an accusation against Him. He knew their thoughts, and said to the man with the withered arm, "Rise, and stand there in the middle." And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I put it to you all whether we are allowed to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil; to save a life, or to destroy it." And looking round upon them all He said to the man, "Stretch out your arm." He did so, and the arm was restored. But they were filled with madness, and began to discuss with one another what they should do to Jesus.

So they came to Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath He went to the synagogue and began to teach. The people listened with amazement to His teaching--for there was authority about it: it was very different from that of the Scribes-- when all at once, there in their synagogue, a man under the power of a foul spirit screamed out:read more.
"What have you to do with us, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One." But Jesus reprimanded him, saying, "Silence! come out of him." So the foul spirit, after throwing the man into convulsions, came out of him with a loud cry. And all were amazed and awe-struck, so they began to ask one another, "What does this mean? Here is a new sort of teaching--and a tone of authority! And even to foul spirits he issues orders and they obey him!" And His fame spread at once everywhere in all that part of Galilee.

So He came down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, where He frequently taught the people on the Sabbath days. And they were greatly impressed by His teaching, because He spoke with the language of authority. But in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of a foul demon. In a loud voice he cried out,read more.
"Ha! Jesus the Nazarene, what have you to do with us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!" But Jesus rebuked the demon. "Silence!" He exclaimed; "come out of him." Upon this, the demon hurled the man into the midst of them, and came out of him without doing him any harm. All were astonished and awe-struck; and they asked one another, "What sort of language is this? For with authority and real power He gives orders to the foul spirits and they come out." And the talk about Him spread into every part of the neighbouring country.

Once He was teaching on the Sabbath in one of the synagogues where a woman was present who for eighteen years had been a confirmed invalid: she was bent double, and was unable to lift herself to her full height. But Jesus saw her, and calling to her, He said to her, "Woman, you are free from your weakness."read more.
And He put His hands on her, and she immediately stood upright and began to give glory to God. Then the Warden of the Synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured her on a Sabbath, said to the crowd, "There are six days in the week on which people ought to work. On those days therefore come and get yourselves cured, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord's reply to him was, "Hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his bullock or his ass from the stall and lead him to water? And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan had bound for no less than eighteen years, was she not to be loosed from this chain because it is the Sabbath day?" When He had said this, all His opponents were ashamed, while the whole multitude was delighted at the many glorious things continually done by Him.

One day--it was a Sabbath--He was taking a meal at the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisee party, while they were closely watching Him. In front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. This led Jesus to ask the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it allowable to cure people on the Sabbath?"read more.
They gave Him no answer; so He took hold of the man, cured him, and sent him away. Then He turned to them and said, "Which of you shall have a child or an ox fall into a well on the Sabbath day, and will not immediately lift him out?" To this they could make no reply.

After this there was a Festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, called in Hebrew 'Bethesda.' It has five arcades. In these there used to lie a great number of sick persons, and of people who were blind or lame or paralyzed.read more.
No translation And there was one man there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there, and knowing that he had been a long time in that condition, He asked him, "Do you wish to have health and strength?" "Sir," replied the sufferer, "I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is moved; but while I am coming some one else steps down before me." "Rise," said Jesus, "take up your mat and walk." Instantly the man was restored to perfect health, and he took up his mat and began to walk. That day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the Sabbath: you must not carry your mat." "He who cured me," he replied, "said to me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'" "Who is it," they asked, "that said to you, 'Take up your mat and walk'?" But the man who had been cured did not know who it was; for Jesus had passed out unnoticed, there being a crowd in the place. Afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and said to him, "You are now restored to health. Do not sin any more, or a worse thing may befall you." The man went and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had restored him to health; and on this account the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because He did these things on the Sabbath.

"One deed I have done," replied Jesus, "and you are all full of wonder. Consider therefore. Moses gave you the rite of circumcision (not that it began with Moses, but with your earlier forefathers) If a child is circumcised even on a Sabbath day, are you bitter against me because I have restored a man to perfect health on a Sabbath day?read more.
Do not form superficial judgements, but form the judgements that are just."

At break of day however He returned to the Temple, and there the people came to Him in crowds. He seated Himself; and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "this woman has been found in the very act of committing adultery.read more.
Now, in the Law, Moses has ordered us to stone such women to death. But what do you say?" They asked this in order to put Him to the test, so that they might have some charge to bring against Him. But Jesus leant forward and began to write with His finger on the ground. When however they persisted with their question, He raised His head and said to them, "Let the sinless man among you be the first to throw a stone at her." Then He leant forward again, and again began to write on the ground. They listened to Him, and then, beginning with the eldest, took their departure, one by one, till all were gone. And Jesus was left behind alone--and the woman in the centre of the court. Then, raising His head, Jesus said to her, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, Sir," she replied. "And *I* do not condemn you either," said Jesus; "go, and from this time do not sin any more."

Now the Pharisees came up when they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, and one of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question, "Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"read more.
"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" He answered, "'with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and foremost Commandment. And the second is similar to it: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.' The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments."

Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?" "The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'read more.
"The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none." So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you said that He stands alone, and there is none but He; and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices." Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne, and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.read more.
"Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world. For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome; when I was ill-clad, you clothed me; when I was sick, you visited me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.' "'When, Lord,' the righteous will reply, 'did we see Thee hungry, and feed Thee; or thirsty, and give Thee drink? When did we see Thee homeless, and give Thee a welcome? or ill-clad, and clothe Thee? When did we see Thee sick or in prison, and come to see Thee?' "But the King will answer them, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren, you rendered them to myself.' "Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels. For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat; when thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink; when homeless, you gave me no welcome; ill-clad, you clothed me not; sick or in prison, you visited me not.' "Then will they also answer, "'Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or homeless or ill-clad or sick or in prison, and not come to serve Thee?' "But he will reply, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.' "And these shall go away into the Punishment of the Ages, but the righteous into the Life of the Ages."

Circumcision does indeed profit, if you obey the Law; but if you are a Law-breaker, the fact that you have been circumcised counts for nothing. In the same way if an uncircumcised man pays attention to the just requirements of the Law, shall not his lack of circumcision be overlooked, and, although he is a Gentile by birth, if he scrupulously obeys the Law, shall he not sit in judgement upon you who, possessing, as you do, a written Law and circumcision, are yet a Law-breaker?read more.
For the true Jew is not the man who is simply a Jew outwardly, and true circumcision is not that which is outward and bodily. But the true Jew is one inwardly, and true circumcision is heart-circumcision--not literal, but spiritual; and such people receive praise not from men, but from God.

You foolish Galatians! Whose sophistry has bewitched you--you to whom Jesus Christ has been vividly portrayed as on the Cross? Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?" Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to reach perfection through what is external?read more.
Have you endured such sufferings to no purpose--if indeed it has been to no purpose? He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you--does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of your having heard and believed:

For all can see that you are a letter of Christ entrusted to our care, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the ever-living God--and not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets. Such is the confidence which we have through Christ in the presence of God; not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God.read more.
It is He also who has made us competent to serve Him in connexion with a new Covenant, which is not a written code but a Spirit; for the written code inflicts death, but the Spirit gives Life.

"Sir," replied the woman, "I see that you are a Prophet. Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." "Believe me," said Jesus, "the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.read more.
You worship One of whom you know nothing. We worship One whom we know; for salvation comes from the Jews. But a time is coming--nay, has already come--when the true worshippers will worship the Father with true spiritual worship; for indeed the Father desires such worshippers. God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must bring Him true spiritual worship."

So, my brethren, to you also the Law died through the incarnation of Christ, that you might be wedded to Another, namely to Him who rose from the dead in order that we might yield fruit to God. For whilst we were under the thraldom of our earthly natures, sinful passions-- made sinful by the Law--were always being aroused to action in our bodily faculties that they might yield fruit to death. But seeing that we have died to that which once held us in bondage, the Law has now no hold over us, so that we render a service which, instead of being old and formal, is new and spiritual.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus; for the Spirit's Law-- telling of Life in Christ Jesus--has set me free from the Law that deals only with sin and death. For what was impossible to the Law--powerless as it was because it acted through frail humanity--God effected. Sending His own Son in a body like that of sinful human nature and as a sacrifice for sin, He pronounced sentence upon sin in human nature;read more.
in order that in our case the requirements of the Law might be fully met. For our lives are regulated not by our earthly, but by our spiritual natures. For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give their minds to earthly things. If they are controlled by their spiritual natures, they give their minds to spiritual things. Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace. Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so. And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things cannot please God. You, however, are not devoted to earthly, but to spiritual things, if the Spirit of God is really dwelling in you; whereas if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, such a one does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, though your body must die because of sin, yet your spirit has Life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead is dwelling in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead will give Life also to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.

In the same way also it is written, "The first man Adam became a living animal"; the last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. Nevertheless, it is not what is spiritual that came first, but what is animal; what is spiritual came afterwards.

who used to throw a veil over his face to hide from the gaze of the children of Israel the passing away of what was but transitory. Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day during the reading of the book of the ancient Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is to be abolished. Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts.read more.
But whenever the heart of the nation shall have returned to the Lord, the veil will be withdrawn. Now by "the Lord" is meant the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is enjoyed. And all of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit.

But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not subject to Law.

On the one hand we have here the abrogation of an earlier code because it was weak and ineffective-- for the Law brought no perfect blessing--but on the other hand we have the bringing in of a new and better hope by means of which we draw near to God. And since it was not without an oath being taken--read more.
for these men hold office without any oath having been taken, but He holds it attested by an oath from Him who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn and will not recall His words, Thou art a Priest for ever" -- so much the more also is the Covenant of which Jesus has become the guarantor, a better covenant.

Now in connexion with what we have been saying the chief point is that we have a High Priest who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God's Majesty in the heavens, and ministers in the Holy place and in the true tabernacle which not man, but the Lord pitched. Every High Priest, however, is appointed to offer both bloodless gifts and sacrifices. Therefore this High Priest also must have some offering to present.read more.
If then He were still on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since here there are already those who present the offerings in obedience to the Law, and serve a copy and type of the heavenly things, just as Moses was divinely instructed when about to build the tabernacle. For God said, "See that you make everything in imitation of the pattern shown you on the mountain." But, as a matter of fact, the ministry which Christ has obtained is all the nobler a ministry, in that He is at the same time the negotiator of a sublimer covenant, based upon sublimer promises. For if that first Covenant had been free from imperfection, there would have been no attempt to introduce another. For, being dissatisfied with His people, God says, "'There are days coming,' says the Lord, 'When I will establish with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new Covenant-- a Covenant unlike the one which I made with their forefathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt; for they would not remain faithful to that.' 'So I turned from them,' says the Lord. But this is the Covenant that I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days,' says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds and will write them upon their hearts. And I will indeed be their God and they shall be My People. And there shall be no need for them to teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For all will know Me from the least of them to the greatest; Because I will be merciful to their wrongdoings, and their sins I will remember no longer.'" By using the words, "a new Covenant," He has made the first one obsolete; but whatever is decaying and showing signs of old age is not far from disappearing altogether.