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Ok so there is a BIG misconception out there about what legalism is.
Definition: "Overly strict or rigid adherence to the law or to a religious or moral code"
Now look at this definition (I'm going to just use part of the definition). Overly strict.
The story I'm going to base the topic off is from Luke 6
Now along with this you can't just read it and go,"Ok, that's that."
You would need to understand that the Pharisees were making the Law "Overly strict", they were adding to it (which is hypocricy, but noone is going to tell their religious leader they're a hypocrit). To the Pharisees, on Sabbath you were no basically suppose to stay indoors besides going to synagouge and you could not do anything else and they were extremely strict on this. So again this is why the Pharisees question Yeshua on what He is doing and try to find fault in Him.
NKJV Luke 6:1-11
Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first[SUP][a][/SUP] that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. [SUP]2 [/SUP]And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” [SUP]3 [/SUP]But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: [SUP]4 [/SUP]how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” [SUP]5 [/SUP]And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. [SUP]7 [/SUP]So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. [SUP]8 [/SUP]But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. [SUP]9 [/SUP]Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”[SUP][b][/SUP] [SUP]10 [/SUP]And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man,[SUP][c][/SUP] “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.[SUP][d][/SUP] [SUP]11 [/SUP]But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
We see here that in the first story Yeshua is teaching that it is not wrong to go get some food for the belly on Sabbath, if you're hungry than eat.
Now in legalism, your food should already be prepared and if not you out of luck and can't eat. Yeshua is teaching against this type of legalism.
The second story the Pharisees again with their legalistic view of how Sabbath should be observed they wanted to try and trap Yeshua. Yeshua sees this clearly. So Yeshua showed that healing on Sabbath is not work, it is not evil, it is doing good.
So in this case, there is nothing "legalistic" about observing the Sabbath on it's appointed day. But it is "legalistic" to add or take away from it.
This is how I would correctly inturpret the term "legalistic".
Again this is just an example of what legalism is. Following Torah is not legalism, adding and take away from it is legalism which is what I believe Yeshua and Paul were teaching against when it comes to legalism.
Definition: "Overly strict or rigid adherence to the law or to a religious or moral code"
Now look at this definition (I'm going to just use part of the definition). Overly strict.
The story I'm going to base the topic off is from Luke 6
Now along with this you can't just read it and go,"Ok, that's that."
You would need to understand that the Pharisees were making the Law "Overly strict", they were adding to it (which is hypocricy, but noone is going to tell their religious leader they're a hypocrit). To the Pharisees, on Sabbath you were no basically suppose to stay indoors besides going to synagouge and you could not do anything else and they were extremely strict on this. So again this is why the Pharisees question Yeshua on what He is doing and try to find fault in Him.
NKJV Luke 6:1-11
Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first[SUP][a][/SUP] that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. [SUP]2 [/SUP]And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” [SUP]3 [/SUP]But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: [SUP]4 [/SUP]how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” [SUP]5 [/SUP]And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. [SUP]7 [/SUP]So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. [SUP]8 [/SUP]But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. [SUP]9 [/SUP]Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”[SUP][b][/SUP] [SUP]10 [/SUP]And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man,[SUP][c][/SUP] “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.[SUP][d][/SUP] [SUP]11 [/SUP]But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
We see here that in the first story Yeshua is teaching that it is not wrong to go get some food for the belly on Sabbath, if you're hungry than eat.
Now in legalism, your food should already be prepared and if not you out of luck and can't eat. Yeshua is teaching against this type of legalism.
The second story the Pharisees again with their legalistic view of how Sabbath should be observed they wanted to try and trap Yeshua. Yeshua sees this clearly. So Yeshua showed that healing on Sabbath is not work, it is not evil, it is doing good.
So in this case, there is nothing "legalistic" about observing the Sabbath on it's appointed day. But it is "legalistic" to add or take away from it.
This is how I would correctly inturpret the term "legalistic".
Again this is just an example of what legalism is. Following Torah is not legalism, adding and take away from it is legalism which is what I believe Yeshua and Paul were teaching against when it comes to legalism.