© Copyright Double Portion Inheritance Ministry
September 2002
http://www.DoublePortionInheritance.com
Properly Defining Legalism
By Maria Merola
There are many Christians who are just like I was a few years ago, who incorrectly define “legalism” as obeying God's Commandments from the Old Testament. But a careful study of the words of our Master Yehoshua (Jesus) will reveal that just the opposite is true.
Legalism my friends is when we replace the commandments of YHWH with man made traditions. The Scribes and Pharisees of Yehoshua's time had replaced all 613 commandments in the Torah (instructions of YHWH) with another set of 613 "oral laws" called "Talmud." Many of these man made laws (called takanot) were in direct rebellion against the commandments of YHWH.
We are instructed not to add to nor subtract from the word of Elohim (God), yet the Scribes & Pharisees in Yehoshua's day did exactly that.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim (God) which I command you.
What made them so presumptuous as to think that they could do such a thing?
In order to understand the difference between the 613 commandments of YHWH versus the 613 man made laws of the Pharisees, it is important to watch this video by Nehemia Gordon entitled "The Hebrew Yeshua vs The Greek Jesus."
video.google.com/googleplayer.swf
In this video, Nehemia uncovers the mis-translation of the Greek text in Matthew 23:
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
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.
*Note: In the original Hebrew Matthew, the word is not "they" (referring to the Pharisees), but the word is actually "he" (referring to Moses). The translators missed one small punctuation mark which rendered the word "they" inaccurately and so they mistranslated the word.
The words of Yehoshua/Jesus in Matthew 23 originally should read as follows:
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever HE bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Now, with that understanding, we can differentiate between the commandments that Yehoshua/Jesus wants us to obey versus the traditions that man made institutions want us to obey in order to keep the people under their control. Any institution that enforces man made commandments which add to or subtract from the commandments of YHWH are promoting "legalism."
You will notice that Yehoshua/Jesus never rebuked the Pharisees for obeying the commandments of Elohim (God). What did he rebuke them for?
Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
And today in modern day Christianity, there are what I call "Pharisees of Grace" who replace the commandments of YHWH with man made ones, all under the guise of "grace" but in reality, they are promoting "legalism" because they want church members to be under their control instead of under the leading of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures.
When we reject the Holy Feast days of YHWH and instead we keep our own traditions of Easter, Christmas, Halloween, etc. and every other form of man made tradition, this is exactly what "legalism" is my friends!
Celebrating the traditions of men such as Easter, and Christmas are actually "legalism" because these were invented by the Roman Emporer Constantine in the 3rd Century and they were enforced under penalty of death. But Constantine outlawed the Holy days which our creator commanded us to keep in Levticus 23 and he put to death the followers of Messiah who wanted to obey the commandments of YHWH.
We have plummeted so low in the modern day Christian Church that the Torah (Law) of YHWH (transcribed through Moses) is thought of as "done away with" and we have been taught lies based on gross misinterpretations of Paul's epistles.
If Yehoshua/Jesus were here today "in the flesh", he would be thought of by most Christians as a legalist!
Listen to what our Messiah says about the Law of Moses:
Matthew 5:
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Most people think that Yehoshua/Jesus already fulfilled all of the law/Torah, but he only fulfilled the penalty for breaking it. There are more things in the law/Torah that he must fulfill at his second coming and during the Millennial Kingdom.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
HAVE HEAVEN AND EARTH PASSED AWAY YET? NO!
Therefore not one punctuation mark is passed away from the law/Torah until all is fulfilled, and this will not happen after the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Messiah is over (see Revelation 21:1).
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Those who teach that the Law of Moses does not apply to us today, and they erroneously teach that God's law has been "nailed the cross" shall be called "least" in the Kingdom of heaven! But those who are persecuted for wanting to obey the commandments of YHWH and they are falsely accused as being "legalists" shall be called "great" in God's kingdom!
*Note: In Colossians 2:14 what was "nailed to the cross" were the "ordinances" (the Greek word is dogma). These were the additions and subtractions of the Rabbis who added to God's Torah with the "doctrines and commandments of men."
This gives more clarity to what it means to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It means that we do not add to nor subtract from Torah!
Matthew 5:
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
What does Yehoshua mean here? What does it mean to "exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees"?
He continues to expound using some examples of what he means:
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Yehoshua just made things “stricter" by showing us what the original intent of the Law of Moses was all along. Keeping the law outwardly was never acceptable even under the Old Covenant. Yehoshua is telling us that even if we call our brother a "fool" we are in danger of "Hell fire." Now, that sounds like what most Christians today would call "legalism."
You see the true essence of "legalism" is trying to adhere to the "bare minimum requirement" of the law and looking for "loopholes" to see how much you can get away with and still be saved. This is what Yehoshua meant in the parable where the man attempted to go into the wedding without his wedding garment:
Matthew 22:
8....The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Why were those who were called to the wedding not ready? They were called to the wedding but they were pre-occupied with the things of this world. They did not "keep" their garments as described by Yehoshua:
Revelation 16:15: Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
What does it mean to "keep" one's garments? It means that we do not allow ourselves to be stained by the world and we keep our garments clean by living a life crucified to the flesh and sin. We obey the commandments! This is not "legalism." This is what it means to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. We must obey the commandments from our hearts as well as outwardly. Not merely according to the appearance of men!
And so this is what the "bare minimum" looks like:
1.) Say the sinners prayer, and you are saved by grace.
2.) Go to church on Sunday.
3.) Pay your 10 percent to the paid professional that teaches traditions of men (Pharisees).
4.) Try to keep only 9 of the commandments (except the Sabbath).
5.) See how much you can get away with and still be under “grace.”
6.) Believe that you are saved no matter what you do or fail to do.
7.) Find out on judgment day that Messiah "never knew you."
Why will he not know you?
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
What does the word "iniquity" mean in Greek?
#458. anomia an-om-ee'-ah from 459; illegality, i.e. violation of law or (genitive case) wickedness:--iniquity, X transgress(-ion of) the law, unrighteousness.
#459. anomos an'-om-os from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3551; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked:--without law, lawless, transgressor, unlawful, wicked.
#460. anomos an-om'-oce adverb from 459; lawlessly, i.e. (specially) not amenable to (the Jewish) law:--without law.
INIQUITY = NOT SUBJECT TO JEWISH LAW!
Those Christians who misunderstand the Apostle Paul's writings and think that we are no longer "under God's laws" will be counted as "goats" on the day of judgement!
What did Paul mean by “we are not under the law?”
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
He meant that if we have the Holy Spirit in us, we are not under a rabbinic man made law. He was also teaching that we are not under a heavy burden to obey man's interpretations of how the laws of God should be kept. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and he is the one who teaches us "how" to obey the law because it is the Holy Spirit who now "writes" God's laws in our hearts and minds under the New Covenant!
Hebrews 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith YHWH, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
This was the whole purpose for the day of Pentecost---so that the Holy Spirit could deposit God's Laws inside of us!
So what does this mean? Does this mean that since it is in our hearts we don't have to keep God's law anymore?
No! Just the opposite! If we truly love YHWH with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, we will enjoy doing his commandments, for love knows no sacrifice.
Keeping Torah (instructions) is not a heavy burden when we are under the Messiah, for his yoke is easy and light. But the yoke of the traditions of men, are heavy and unbearable.
1st John 5:
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
We don’t keep God's commandments in order to "earn salvation," we keep his commandments because it is in our new nature (once we are born again) to do the commandments.
To those who think that hanging on to paganism, and the traditions of men gives you more "freedom in Christ," you are deceived! For Messiah says:
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
How is it that practicing lies and pagan customs makes one free? Only the “truth” of the word of Yah, can set us free! But so many in the Christian Church today have it backwards, as Isaiah spoke well of these people when he said this:
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
I hear the rationale of many Christians today and they call lawlessness “freedom” but they call keeping the commandment of YHWH “bondage.” Beloved, it is sin and lawlessness that puts us into bondage---not the commandments of our creator! James 1:25 accurately refers to the Torah (law of YHWH) as “the perfect law of liberty.” Truly obeying Torah from the heart under inspiration of the Holy Spirit (and not merely in the letter) is absolute FREEDOM!
Yehoshua tells us that we must keep his commandments if we want to enter into life:
Matthew 19:
17......but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Yehoshua is listing the 10 commandments here----not just 2 commandments! Many people that I talk to in the church erroneosly believe that our Messiah did away with all the other commandments and instead, he gave us only two commandments to keep. They cite this verse without paying attention to what he is really saying:
Matthew 22:
37 Yehoshua said unto him, Thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim (God) with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
What they fail to see, is that Yehoshua was quoting the "two great commandments" in the Torah. These were not brand new commandments that he was giving us:
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim (God) with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth YHWH thy Elohim (God) require of thee, but to fear YHWH thy Elohim (God), to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve YHWH thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am YHWH.
You will also notice that Yehoshua is telling us that these "two greatest commandments" are like the "umbrella" upon which all the other commandments in the Torah (5 books of Moses) hang on. This means that the other commandments (the least ones) are not done away with. They depend on us obeying the two greatest ones! For if we are not able to obey the two greatest commandments in the Torah, then we will not be able to obey even the least of the commandments!
Yehoshua tells that we must live by "every word of God" not merely the New Testament scriptures. When Yehoshua said these words, the New Testament had not even gone into print yet:
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luke 4:4 And Yehoshua answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Our Messiah, Yehoshua does not change, and neither does his word or his commandments change.
1st Peter 1:25 But the word of YHWH endureth for ever.
Malachi 3:6 For I am YHWH, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 Yeshua Messiah the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
And so now we get a better understanding of what "legalism" is. It is just the opposite of what many of you thought it was. Legalism is trying to find loopholes to disobey commandments by doing just the bare minimum and not from the heart!
