31 Bible Verses about Ritual

At length the time appointed by the law of Moses for the purification of women being accomplish'd, they carried the infant to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, according as his law directs, "every first born male-child shall be consecrated to the Lord." and to offer the sacrifice prescrib'd by the law, which was a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pidgeons.

And there came a leper to him, who fell on his knees, and thus address'd him, "if you will, you can heal me." Jesus then mov'd with compassion, held out his hand, and touching him, said, I will, be thou healed. and while he was speaking, the leprosy left him in an instant, and he was cur'd.read more.
immediately Jesus sent him away, severely charging him, have a care, said he, how you take the least notice of this to any man: but go, show your self to the priest, and offer for your cure what Moses commanded, that this may serve as a testimony against them.

and there came a leper who threw himself at his feet, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. and Jesus held out his hand and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. and immediately he was cured of his leprosy. and Jesus said to him, take care not to tell any man, but go thy way, shew thy self to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, that it may be a testimony against them.

As he was going to one of the cities in that country, a man cover'd all over with leprosy happen'd to meet Jesus, and prostrating himself before him, thus address'd him, Lord, if you will, you can cure me. then Jesus stretch'd out his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou cured. and immediately the leprosy disappear'd: and he charg'd him not to tell any man: but go, said he, present your self to the priest, and offer what the law requires for your purification, that it may be an evidence to them.

that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, from fornication, from animals that are strangled, and from their blood.

the Pharisees seeing that, said to him, see, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath-day.

upon which the Pharisees said to him, pray observe how they trespass on the sabbath-day.

upon which some of the Pharisees said to them, why do you do what is not allowed to be done on the sabbath-day?

Circumcision indeed is an advantage, if you keep the law: but if you violate the law, your being a Jew makes you no better than a heathen.

and Jesus said, are ye also yet without understanding? do not ye yet conceive, that whatever enters at the mouth, passes to the belly, and is discharged downwards? but what proceeds out of the mouth, is deriv'd from the heart, and that defiles the man.read more.
out of the heart proceed evil designs, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimony, slanders. these are the things which defile a man: but to eat without washing one's hands, that does not defile a man.

and he said, are you likewise so void of understanding? don't you perceive that what passes from without into a man cannot defile him? because that does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, whence it is discharg'd, the purest part of the food being left for nutrition. but, said he, that which proceeds from a man, is what defiles him:read more.
for from within, from the heart of man proceed wicked designs, adulteries, fornications, murders; thefts, avarice, malice, fraud, impudence, envy, scandal, pride, vanity. all these vices come from within, and are what defile the man.

wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean the outside of the cup, and of the plate, but within they are full of rapine and impurity.

for it is not the Jew in outward appearance, neither is it the external mark of circumcision: but it is the Jew, who is so inwardly, and it is the circumcision of the heart, according to the spiritual, not the literal sense, which have the approbation, I do not say of men, but of God.

circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, in comparison of obeying the divine commands.

meat does not recommend us to God: if we eat, we are not the better men; if we don't eat, we are not the worse.

for these were only the shadows of future things, prefiguring Christ, who is the substance.

adding this observation, "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." therefore the son of man has a power of dispensing with the law of the sabbath.

by whom also ye have obtain'd the true spiritual circumcision, not effected by men, when you were by a christian circumcision divested of all your carnal affections,

For the law being only an allusion to a future dispensation that was more excellent, and not an exact imitation of such a state, cannot by the anniversary sacrifices, which are offered, entirely purify those that present themselves. for then they would not have been repeated, because they who sacrificed being once purified, would not have been conscious of wanting any further atonement for their sins: whereas their annual sacrifices were accompanied with an anniversary commemoration of their sins.

only in matters relating to meats and drinks, and divers baptisms, meer external rites which were to subsist only till the time of reformation.

because that does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, whence it is discharg'd, the purest part of the food being left for nutrition.

On the morrow as they were on their journey, and drew nigh the city, Peter went upon the leads to pray, about the sixth hour. and being seiz'd with hunger, he would have had something to eat: but while they were making it ready, he fell into a trance, when he saw the heaven open, and something descending in the form of a great sheet, ty'd at the four corners, and let down to the earth:read more.
in it were all sorts of quadrupeds, reptiles, and birds. and a voice said to him, rise, Peter; kill and eat. but Peter said, not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. and the voice spake to him again the second time, don't call that common, which God calls clean.

but now we are delivered by the death of the law, which held us in bondage: that we might serve according to the living spirit, and not in the dead letter of the law.

I know, being fully assured by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: it is only so to him that thinks it is unclean.

for in the christian-dispensation, neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but an active benevolent faith.

for in the dispensation of Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but the new creation.

(which kept us at variance) by abolishing the dogmatical injunctions of the law, that having made the peace, he might incorporate the two into one new body under himself;

Even you, who were in a dying sinful state, and were uncircumcised Gentiles, has God raised to life, as he did Christ, having pardoned all your sins: and cancell'd the obligation of the ceremonial law, which was disadvantageous to us, removing that which divided us, and nailing it to the cross. and having divested principalitys and powers, he made them an example of obedience, and caus'd them to triumph in Christ.read more.
Let no man therefore condemn you for meats or drinks, or in respect of feasts, or new moons, or sabbaths: