45 Bible Verses about Legalism

while Israel, which strove after a law of righteousness, did not attain to a law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not strive for it by faith, but as being by works. For they stumbled against the stone of stumbling;

Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.

For as many as rely on the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law, to do them." But further, that through the observance of the Law no one is accepted as righteous with God is evident; for "the righteous shall live by faith."

but knowing that a man is not accepted as righteous by the works of the Law, but by faith in Christ Jesus, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted as righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be accepted as righteous.

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites I because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye go not in yourselves, nor suffer those who are entering to go in.

Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness which is of God, to which the Law and the Prophets bear testimony, even the righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ, hath been made manifest to all and for all believers. For there is no distinction.read more.
For all have sinned, and fail of obtaining the glory which cometh from God; being accepted as righteous freely, by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Nay more, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, 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 upon faith;

though I myself have reason for confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath reason for confidence in the flesh, I more; circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless.

and made progress in Judaism beyond many of the same age with me in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithes of the mint, and the dill, and the cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, justice, and mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave those undone.

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And by chance a certain priest was going down on that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And in like manner also a Levite, having arrived at the place, came and saw, and passed by on the other side.

but this multitude that know not the Law are accursed.

The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself thus: O God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I gain.

But take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest 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. Truly do I say to you, They have received their reward.

And all their works they do to be observed by men. They make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge their fringes, and love the first place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi.

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

For being ignorant of the righteousness which is of God, and endeavoring to establish a righteousness of their own, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness which is of God.

And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Laying aside, the commandment of God, ye hold fast the tradition of men.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whited sepulchres, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead mens bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

But he answered and said to them, Why do ye too transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, "Honor thy father and thy mother;" and, "He that curseth father or mother, let him surely die." But ye say, Whoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever thou mightst receive in aid from me is a gift [to God],read more.
he shall not honor his father or his mother. Thus have ye made void the law of God for the sake of your tradition. Hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying, "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

And he said to them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition! For Moses said, "Honor thy father and thy mother;" and, "He that curseth father or mother, let him surely die." But ye say, If a man say to his father or mother, Whatever thou mightst receive in aid from me is Corban, that is, a gift to God, [he is not bound by the command. Thus]read more.
ye suffer him no longer to do anything for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have handed down; and many such things ye do.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of robbery and licentiousness. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup, that its outside side also may become clean.

Hath not Moses given you the Law? and none of you keepeth the Law! Why do ye seek to kill me?

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such signs. And there was a division among them.

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

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

Then they understood, that he did not bid them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Do ye observe days, and months, and times, and years? I fear for you, lest I may have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Behold, I Paul say to you, that if ye are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing; yea, I testify again to every one who becometh circumcised, that he is bound to keep the whole Law. Ye are entirely separated from Christ, who seek to obtain righteousness through the Law; ye have fallen away from grace.

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

For whoever hath kept the whole law, and yet hath offended in one point, hath become guilty of all.

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

Think not that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets: I came not to destroy, 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 one that is hanged on a beam of wood,"

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by the bondwoman, the other by the freewoman. But the one by the bondwoman was born after the flesh; while the one by the freewoman was through the promise.read more.
Which things are written allegorically; for these women are two covenants; the one from Mount Sinai, who beareth children into bondage, which is Hagar; for the word Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and she corresponds to the Jerusalem now existing, for she is in bondage with her children; but the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate one, rather than of her who hath the husband." But ye, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of a promise. But as at that time he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born through the Spirit, so it is now. But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the freewoman.

For by grace ye have been saved, through faith; and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any one should boast.

And the Pharisees said to him, See, why are they doing on the sabbath that which is not lawful?

And some of the Pharisees said, Why are ye doing that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath?

But the ruler of the synagogue answering, being filled with indignation because Jesus had performed a cure on the sabbath, said to the multitude, There are six days in which it is proper to work; on those therefore come and be cured, and not on the sabbathday.

who also gave us ability to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him that accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, hut brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel in the strictness of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day.

And one of the lawyers answering saith to him, Teacher, in saying these things, thou revilest us also.