50 Bible Verses about Legalism

But Israel, pursuing after a law of righteousness, has not attained to that law. Why? It is because it was not based on the principle of faith, but on that of works. They have stumbled at the stumbling stone.

No flesh will be justified before God by works of the law. Knowledge of sin comes from the law.

Those who are of the works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, by obeying them. The fact that the Law justifies no man before God is evident. The righteous will live by faith.

Yet we know that a man is not righteous by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. We believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law. The works of the law justify no one.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You close the kingdom of heaven to people. You do not invite others to enter nor do you enter.

No flesh will be justified before God by works of the law. Knowledge of sin comes from the law. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets. God makes people righteous through their active faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all.read more.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace (as a gift) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

I count all things to be loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I suffered the loss of all things. Yet I count them as refuse (garbage) (dung) that I may gain Christ. I want to be united with him. I no longer want a righteousness of my own that is gained by obeying the law. The righteousness from God is by faith in Christ.

I might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks to have confidence in the flesh, I have more! I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

I advanced as a Jew beyond many of my own age among my countrymen. I was more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith. You should do both and leave nothing undone.

I desire loving-kindness (mercy), not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for my sin? He told you, O lowly man, what is good and what Jehovah requires of you. You should display justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God!

[Verse not found in oldest manuscripts.]

A priest traveled on that road. When he saw him he passed by on the other side. When a Levite came to the place he saw the man and passed by on the other side.

This crowd does not know the law. It is contemptible

The Pharisee stood and prayed like this: God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice per week. I give tithes of all that I get.

Be careful! Do not display your righteousness (good works) before men to be noticed by them. If you do, you will have no reward with your heavenly Father. Do not loudly announce it when you give to the poor. The hypocrites do this in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do this to be praised by men. Believe me, they have already been paid in full.

They do everything to be seen by men. For example: they enlarge their scripture cases for their foreheads and lengthen the tassels on their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the prominent seats in the synagogues. They require recognition in public places and insist on being called Rabbi by men.

Jesus said: You make yourselves look righteous to other people. God knows your hearts. The things considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.

They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

These people praise me with their words, said Jehovah, but they never draw near to me in their hearts (deepest thoughts). Their reverence for me comes from the repetitious tradition of men.

He told them: Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites. It is written: 'This people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.

They worship me in vain teaching as doctrines the commands of men.' Speaking to the Pharisees and scribes He said: You abandon the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside. They are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness on the inside. You appear righteous to men. However, inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Why did you pounce on the plunder? Why did you do evil in the sight of Jehovah? Then Saul said to Samuel: I did obey the voice of Jehovah. I went on the mission Jehovah sent me. I brought back Agag the king of Amalek. I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. The people took from the plunder of the flock the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal.read more.
Samuel said: What is more pleasing to Jehovah, burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obeying is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

His answer to them was in the form of a question: Why do you go against the word of God in favor of your tradition? God said, 'Honor your father and mother.' 'He who says evil of father or mother will be put to death.' You teach that a man should tell his father or mother that what he has that could help them, is given to God.read more.
You say there is no need for him to give honor to his father. You have invalidated the word of God because of your tradition! You hypocrites (liars)! Isaiah's prophecy was right about you. These people honor me with their lips, but their heart (innermost thoughts) is far from me. But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules (commands) of men.'

You totally reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition. Moses said: 'Honor your father and your mother. He also said: 'He that speaks evil of father or mother must die.' But you say: 'If a man says to his father or his mother that which would benefit you is a gift to God,read more.
he no longer has to do anything for his father or mother.' You make the word of God invalid by your tradition.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, yet the inside is full of extortion and excess. You are blind. Clean the inside of the cup and platter first. Then clean the outside.

Did Moses give you the law? Yet none of you obey the law! Why do you seek to kill me?

Some of the Pharisees said: This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath. Others said: How could a man that is a sinner perform such signs? There was division among them.

Jesus said: Take care to have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

He ordered them to be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

Then they realized it was not the leaven of bread he had in mind. It was the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

You observe days and months, seasons and years. I fear for you, that I have labored for you to no purpose (and failed).

Behold, I Paul say to you, that, if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision. He is under obligation to obey the whole Law. You who seek to be righteous by Law are separated from Christ. You have fallen away from grace.

Why do you test God by placing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, one that our fathers were not able to bear?

If You, Jehovah, should record our sins, O Jehovah, who could stand?

Whoever obeys the whole law and yet stumbles in one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

We believe we are saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as they also are.

Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill (perfect) (execute) (accomplish).

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is written; Cursed is everyone who is hung on a stake.

Tell me, you that desire to be under the Law; do you not hear the Law? It is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman, and one by the freewoman. How is it that the son by the slave woman is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise?read more.
This contains an allegory (symbolic drama). These women symbolize two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She corresponds to the Jerusalem that now is. She is in bondage with her children. The Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother. It is written, Rejoice, barren woman who does not give birth. Break forth and cry, you who do not labor; for there are more children of the desolate than of the one who has the husband. Brothers, we are children who belong to the promise, the same as Isaac was. Just like then, the son who was conceived in a natural way according to the flesh persecuted the son conceived in a spiritual way. That is exactly what is happening now! What do the scriptures say? Throw out the slave woman and her son. For the son of the slave woman must not share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. (Genesis 21:10) Brothers, we are not children of a slave woman but of the free woman.

By grace (Greek: charis, divine favor, loving-kindness) you have been saved through faith. It is not from you. It is the gift from God! It is not the result of works. So no man should boast.

The Pharisees said: Why are they doing what it is not right to do on the Sabbath?

Some of the Pharisees asked: Why do you do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?

The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. He told the people: There are six days in which we should work. Come during those days and be healed, not on the Sabbath!

He also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant. This is a covenant not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean in itself. If someone thinks something is unclean it is unclean to him.

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as zealous for God as are all of you.

One of the lawyers said to him: Teacher, you also insult us by saying this.