45 Bible Verses about Legalism

but Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness: why? because they sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law, for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone;

Wherefore by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed be every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. And that by the law no one is justified before God is evident; for it is written "The just shall live by faith:"

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, nor suffer those that are entering to go in.

Wherefore by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, without the law, righteousness before God is manifested, being attested by the law and the prophets; and this righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all believers; for there is no difference;read more.
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Yea doubtless and I count all but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all, and I 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 by the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him,

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I more: having been circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of Hebrews, with respect to the law a pharisee, as to zeal persecuting the church, as to the righteousness of the law blameless: but those things,

and I made a proficiency in Judaism above many of the same age with me in my own nation, being excessively zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe even your mint, and anise, and cummin, but neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and fidelity: these ye ought undoubtedly to practise, and not to omit the others.

Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows houses, and for a cover make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the heavier judgement.

And by chance a certain priest came down that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place, went and looked at him, and then crossed the way and passed by.

but these people, who know not the law, are cursed.

The pharisee standing by himself prayed thus, O God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, rapacious, unjust, adulterous, or even as this publican. I fast twice a week, and I give tithes of all that I possess.

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be observed by them: otherwise ye will have no reward from your Father, who is in heaven. Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed, do not proclaim it abroad, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may be applauded by men. Verily I tell you, they have their reward.

but they do all their works to be seen by men; they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, and love the uppermost places at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and salutations in public assemblies, and to be called by men Rabbi, Rabbi.

And He said unto them, Ye justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

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

But He answered them, Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me:

and in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the injunctions of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye retain the tradition of men, as the washings of pots and cups, and many other such like things.

Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; who are like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful without, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and all manner of filthiness; so do ye likewise outwardly appear to men to be righteous, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

But He answered and said unto them, And why do ye transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God commanded saying, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He that revileth father or mother, let him be put to death: but ye say, If any man say to his father or mother, "that which thou mightest be profited by from me is a gift to the temple,"read more.
and so honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. And thus have ye made void the commandment of God by your tradition. Well did Esaias prophecy concerning you, saying, This people approach me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me: but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the injunctions of men.

And ye expressly annul the commandment of God, that ye may retain your own tradition; for Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He that revileth father or mother, let him be put to death: but ye say, If a man tell his father or mother, That which thou mightest be profited by from me is Corban, (that is, a gift to the temple) it sufficeth:read more.
and so ye allow him to do nothing more for his father or his mother: making void the word of God by your tradition,. And many such like things ye do.

Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean 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 of the dish, that the outside of them may be also clean.

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you observeth the law? wherefore else do ye seek to kill me?

Then said some of the pharisees, This man is not of God, because He doth not keep the sabbath: but others said, How can a wicked man do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

and therefore when Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of the sadducees,

And therefore as He was giving them a charge, saying, 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 of the sadducees.

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years: so that I am afraid for you, least I have indeed bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law. Christ is become nothing to you, whosoever of you are seeking to be justified by the law: ye are fallen from the grace of the gospel.

Now therefore why do ye tempt God, in imposing 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 besides, but offend in one point, he is under the penalty of all:

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

Think not that I am come to abrogate the law, or the prophets: I am not come to abolish, but to compleat them:

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

Tell me, you that are so desirous to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? where it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant, and one by a free-woman? But he who was of the servant, was born according to the course of nature; whereas the son of the free-woman was by virtue of the promise.read more.
Which things are figurative; for these persons are emblems of the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, bringing forth children unto bondage, which is Hagar: for this name Hagar, a rock, is expressive of mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is represented by the free-woman, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that for a while didst not bear, break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that didst not travail with child; for many more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath an husband." Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman." Now we, my brethren, are not children of the servant, but of the free-woman.

For by grace ye are saved, through faith: and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not by works, that no one may boast: for we are his workmanship,

And the pharisees said to Him, See, why do they what is not lawful to be done on the sabbath-day?

And some of the pharisees said to them, Why do ye do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath-days?

But the ruler of the synagogue, being provoked that Jesus had wrought a cure on the sabbath-day, said to the people, There are six days in which ye ought to work; on these therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.

Who hath also fitted us to be 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 have been taught by the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: only to him that thinketh any thing unclean, to him it is unclean.

---I am indeed a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, accurately instructed in the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day.

And one of the doctors of the law answered and said unto Him, Master, in saying these things thou reproachest us also.