Legalism or Bible? Home Links     Everyone agrees that the Pharisees, lawyers and the Scribes in Jesus' day were all legalists. I don't want to do what they did or didn't do!!!!!!   Let us study the Bible and see what a legalist is and what they did, or didn't do.   Jesus tells the people to do what they say but don't do what they do.   They were frequently rebuked by our Lord Matthew 15: 1 ¶ Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.   It seems that they were men that would not do the things God commanded in His word, but rather relied on their own traditions. Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matthew 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. It seems that they had their own doctrine. When they refused to be Baptized. Which Dr. Luke called the counsel of God. Luke 7:29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Matthew 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.   Jesus never rebuke any one for obeying God's commandments, but for not obeying. They want to kill Jesus because they would not yield to the Word of God. Mark wrote Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. If your baptized you are saved or shall be saved? Some say that this verse of Scripture does not exist in the best Greek texts, but the truth is it is only missing on Two versions and is on the rest, it is on 200 and not on 2 that is 100 to 1 that is was removed rather than added.   Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain     They were commanded to be Baptized in the name of he Lord, (we know that there is one Lord and that is Jesus!   1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.   Every one will Pray in the name of Jesus but they will not use His name in Baptism, they see the Book of John but rip out the Book of Acts, where people were shown being saved, being born again of water and Spirit!!!!!! John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 16:23 ¶ And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: We all have two choices! 1) Search the Scriptures and see if they are true like Paul wrote about Berea, then we can be like them Acts 17: 10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 2) Be like the Elders, Priests,Pharisees,and Scribes and stay with the traditions of men. Mark 7: 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Peter who preached repentance and baptism in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and later commanded Cornelius and the ones with him to baptized in the name of the Lord gives a warning. 2Peter 3; 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Obey not the Gospel 2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Romans 2: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. Jesus said if John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. There is only one way to be saved that is to know that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for your, sins and He is the only way to the Father, Jesus spoke to the lawyers and said that they take away the key of knowledge is that the key Jesus gave Peter when he gave the answer in Acts 2:38 Luke 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. They say it is not necessary to be baptized in water or baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost. The gate is narrow to salvation, they say just believe and you are save but what did Peter, Philip, and Paul preach in the Book of Acts, it is repeated over and over again. Don't be a hearer of the Word but a doer, They all preached Water baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Paul wrote: Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; We have a sin problem, how can that be taken care of ? Paul washed away his sins being baptized in water calling on the name of the Lord (Jesus). Paul also wrote to the Romans and that message is the same for you and for me. To be one of His we must be. Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. We must acknowledge that we are sinners and that we need a savior, and Jesus the only begotten Son of the Father is that savior, he is our Lord and savior, And that He died for our sins, and that He was raised on form the dead on the third day, that we may live, is why His name is so important, and that we turn from our sins that is (repent) and turn to God and ask Him to forgive our sins and fill us with His Spirit, remember what Peter answered the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Only you can choose no one can choose for you. Continue Debate Do you really want to be Saved ? If you would like to have a free Home Bible Study, please contact me and I will find someone in your area that will give it to you.