http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1211
Legalism
One pervasive cultural phenomenon in American society is the
predilection to be averse to law, restriction, and limitation. “Freedom”
gradually has come to be conceptualized as freedom from restraint.
Those who do not embrace a lax, casual, and open attitude toward moral
value and ethical behavior are labeled “intolerant” and “mean-spirited.”
Even within Christian circles, stressing the need to conform strictly
to the will of God in all matters of faith and practice can cause one to
be labeled as a “fundamentalist.” He is set aside as an immature and
pharisaical misfit who simply has never “grown” to the point of grasping
the true spirit of Jesus. He is “negative” and lacks “compassion.” And,
yes, he is a “
legalist.”
Listening carefully to the majority of those who fling about the term
“legalistic,” it is soon apparent that they understand the term to refer
to
too much attention to legal detail. In the 1960s, Joseph Fletcher, the “Father of Situation Ethics,” pinpointed the popular notion of “legalism”:
In this ethical strategy the “situational variables” are taken into
consideration, but the circumstances are always subordinated to
predetermined general “laws” of morality. Legalistic ethics treats many
of it rules idolatrously by making them into absolutes. In this
kind of morality, properly labeled as legalism or law ethics, obedience
to prefabricated “rules of conduct” is more important than freedom to
make responsible decisions (1967, p. 31).
It would be difficult to underestimate the cataclysmic consequences of
this depiction on the moral fiber of human civilization. Typical of the
widespread misconception that “legalism” has to do with giving too much
attention to complete obedience, is the illustration given by a
preacher, college professor, and prominent marriage and family therapist
in a university lecture titled “Getting Ahead: Taking Your Family With
You:”
I found out when you’re dialing numbers...you have to dial about
eighteen numbers to get started, and then you have to dial eighteen
more—you know what I’m talking about? And if you miss, what? If you miss
ONE—just ONE—you say ugly things to yourself, don’t you? Because you know you blew it again. It is amazing how legalistic the telephone company is (Faulkner, 1992, emp. added).
The very idea that
obedience to God’s laws would one day be viewed as
negative by those who profess adherence to Christianity, and then for this obedience to be denounced as “
legalism,”
is utterly incomprehensible. Such a posture should be expected to shake
the very foundations of a nation’s standards of morality, stimulating a
corresponding widespread relaxation of moral behavior. Yet is this not
precisely what has happened to American civilization in the last forty
years?
What exactly is “legalism” according to the Bible? Is “legalism” to be
equated with too much concern for obedience? Is “legalism” equivalent to
ardent determination to keep God’s commandments? One who possesses such
a view would naturally tend to gloss over “details” of New Testament
teaching, relegating to the realm of minimal importance various matters
that he or she deems are not “weightier matters of the law.” In the
words of one rather permissive preacher, “We don’t sweat the small
stuff.”
It may be surprising to some to learn that the term “legalism” does not
actually occur in the Bible. However, numerous extrabiblical words have
been coined to describe biblical concepts (e.g., “providence”). In its
classical, negative usage, “legalism” entails
trusting one’s own goodness. Legalism pertains to one’s
attitude
about his own person (i.e., having an inflated sense of
self-importance—Luke 18:11-12; Proverbs 25:27; Romans 12:3) and practice
(i.e., thinking he or she can
earn or merit salvation on the
basis of performance—Luke 17:10; Romans 3:9-18,23; 11:35; 1 Corinthians
9:16). Legalism does not pertain to the propriety of the practices
themselves. God always has
condemned the person who is proud of his obedient actions, who trusts in his own goodness, and who expects to receive God’s grace
on the basis of those actions (cf. Luke 18:9ff.; Romans 9:31ff.). But He always has
commended
the person who maintains absolute fidelity to the specifics of His
commands (e.g., John 14:15; Romans 2:6-7,13; 6:16; Hebrews 5:9). The
difference between the former and the latter is the
attitude of
the individual—a factor that only God is in a position to perceive (Luke
6:8). How presumptuous it is for one Christian to denounce another
Christian simply on the basis that the latter exhibits meticulous
loyalty to God’s Word—as if the former is able automatically to know his
brother’s motive, and thus somehow read his mind. Purveyors of
religious error often
redefine otherwise good terms, placing
their own spin on the word, and thereby subjecting unsuspecting
listeners to their false doctrine. Those of a liberal persuasion have
redefined “legalism” in such a fashion, shifting the meaning from the
attitude of being self-righteous to the
action of conscientious obedience to all of God’s Word.
As proof of this, consider the classic example of “legalism” in the New
Testament: the Pharisees. Why may the Pharisees be classified as
legalists? To answer that question, one must examine wherein Jesus found
fault with the Pharisees. He reprimanded them for three central
failings. First, they were guilty of
hypocrisy. They
pretended to be devoted, and went to great lengths to
appear
righteous, but they did not actually follow through with genuine,
loving obedience to God (Matthew 23:4-7,25-28). Second, they gave
attention to
some biblical matters, but neglected
others
of greater importance (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). Jesus referred to
this tendency as straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel (Matthew
23:24). (Of course, He was not, thereby, advocating nor endorsing
gnat-swallowing). Third, they
misinterpreted Mosaic law (Matthew
5:17-48), and even went about binding and enforcing their fallacious
interpretations, elevating these human traditions, laws, and doctrines
to the level of scripture (Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13). Jesus
repeatedly upbraided the Pharisees for these three spiritual maladies.
But with these three shortcomings in mind, notice that the “legalism” of
the Pharisees did
not have to do with fervent attention to fulfilling the “letter of the law.” The Pharisees were
not
condemned because they were too zealous about strict obedience to God’s
will. They were condemned because “they say, and do not” (Matthew
23:2).
As a matter of fact, God
always has been vitally concerned that those who wish to be pleasing to Him give great care to
obeying the details and particulars
of His instructions (e.g., Leviticus 10:1-3; 2 Samuel 6:1-7; 1
Chronicles 15:12-13). Jesus even equated this crucial sensitivity to
obedience with
love for Him (John 14:15; 15:14). Many who possess
a flippant, blasé attitude toward rigid obedience, think that they are
avoiding a “legalistic” syndrome, when they actually are demonstrating
lax, weak spirituality and unfaithfulness.
“Faithfulness” is, by definition,
obedient trust or loyal compliance with the stipulations of God’s will (James 2:17-26). “Righteousness” is, by definition,
right doing
(Acts 10:34-35; 1 John 3:7). Abraham understood this (Genesis 26:5;
Hebrews 11:8). Moses understood this (Deuteronomy 4:2; 6:17; 10:12;
11:8,13,22,27-28). Joshua understood this (Joshua 23:6,11; 24:14-15).
John understood this (1 John 5:3). So did Paul (Romans 6:16).
In reality, outcries of “legalism” can serve as a convenient smoke
screen to justify departure from the faith, and to cloak an agenda that
seeks to introduce unbiblical worship innovations into the body of
Christ. Make no mistake: there are hypocrites in the church, as well as
those with critical hearts whose demands for conformity arise out of
self-righteous arrogance. But the
major threat confronting the
people of God today is the perennial problem of humanity: a stubborn,
rebellious propensity for deviation/apostasy—i.e., an unwillingness to
submit humbly to God’s directives (e.g., Genesis 4:7; 1 Samuel 15:22-23;
Ecclesiastes 12:13; Micah 6:8; Matthew 7:13-14; Romans 3:10-12; 6:16;
10:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:8). That is precisely why, after rebuking the
Pharisees for neglecting the “weightier matters of the law” (i.e.,
justice, mercy, faith, and the love of God; cf. John 5:42), Jesus
reiterated: “These (i.e., the weightier matters—DM) you ought to have done,
without leaving the others (i.e., the less weightier matters—DM)
undone” (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42, emp. added). This also is why Jesus declared: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the
least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19-20). He meant that careful
attention to
all of God’s commandments—including those deemed
“least”—demonstrates a conscientious regard for pleasing God. Whether
under Judaism or in the kingdom of Christ, seeking to obey God with an
humble attitude is paramount. Those who relegate some doctrinal matters
to a status of “less importance” (e.g., worshipping God without human
additions—like instrumental music, praise teams, choirs, and baby
dedications), and who teach others to participate in these unscriptural
innovations, thinking that God will not be “nit-picky” over such “minor”
things, will find themselves facing eternal tragedy.
Yes, we must avoid “legalism.” A smug sense of superiority and
spiritual self-sufficiency will cause a person to be lost eternally
(e.g., Luke 18:9-14). But who would have imagined—who could have
anticipated—that the day could come when God’s demand for
obedience would be circumvented, derided, and set aside as “
legalism”? Those who advance this viewpoint are, in actuality, advocating “
illegalism”!
We dare not mistake “legalism” for loving obedience to the will of God
in every facet of our lives. Instead, we must carefully “do all those
things which are commanded” (Luke 17:10), recalling Jesus’ words: “Why
call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
We must stake our lives upon the grace of God, but then we must love
and obey Him, remembering that “this is love for God: that we keep his
commandments” (1 John 5:3).
REFERENCES
Faulkner, Paul (1992), “Getting Ahead: Taking Your Family With You” (Henderson, TN: Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship).
Fletcher, Joseph (1967),
Moral Responsibility (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press.).
