LEGALISM

There is an idea that is present in some Churches of Christ that is often explained as legalism. It is put forth as the idea that some believe they are earning their salvation by keeping a laws. Now, I don’t believe many people in Churches of Christ believe this. Now you may argue the ramifications of their teaching are that they are saved by keeping laws but I have no desire to focus on that thought today.

You see I don’t think the problem is legalism at all. The selling of indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages probably had more to do with this idea of legalism far more than any first century Pharisee.

Most people in Churches of Christ who might be labeled as legalists take this as a badge of honor. They see that as a statement of dedication and commitment. Truthfully, who doesn’t want to be known as someone who wants to be obedient? Sure I can’t be obedient enough to save myself, I am only saved by faith in what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. That fact doesn’t change my desire to be obedient. In fact it is supposed to motivate us to even greater obedience because we have the Holy Spirit living inside to aid us.

If that is what the issue is, legalism, shouldn’t everyone desire to be obedient as long as we don’t think this obedience saves us?

legalism isn’t the problem. I think a better understanding comes from Jesus and his teaching as recorded in Mark 7:1-23.

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

It wasn’t that they were legalistic. Far from it. The problem was they had added to what God had said and began to bind those additions as if God had commanded them. It was far from legalism or hyper obedience and in fact was the binding of man-made traditions as coming from God.

Did they take these from scripture? Yes. But they couldn’t recognize the fact that they were judging by their interpretation of God’s words.

This is the problem with some in Churches of Christ. They bind their interpretation of scripture. In essence they add to scripture. You see when they believe it is legalism they wear it like a badge of honor. We are more obedient than you. Until they recognize that they are binding where God has not bound and adding to scripture I don’t see much hope in helping them.

In the end Jesus explains to his followers that nothing that comes from outside can defile him and it is what comes out of our heart that matters. If only that was what they believed. Notice how many of their interpretative additions have nothing to do with the heart. Frequency of the Lord’s Supper? Worship styles? All can be done without any love for God and others.

Does this mean I have an issue with their desire to be obedient to their understanding of scripture? Of course not. My concern is the belief that this makes them more obedient or what makes them a follower of Jesus Christ. I am also concerned because they judge other believers like the Pharisees in the passage simply becuase they won’t follow their traditions.

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