A Look At Legalists And Liberals
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesWhen the Greeks tried to impose their customs on the Jews in the time of the Maccabees (see also ISBE), many of them were ready to conform, but others refused, insisting on strict obedience to the law of Moses.
This strict group later came to be known as the Pharisees, or “the separated ones.” They were extremely careful to “separate” themselves from everything forbidden by the law. To enforce the law in detail, they thought it necessary to invent many “special” or additional rules.
For example, they defined what “work” could not be done on the Sabbath day (they couldn‘t go the extra mile – Matthew 5:41). The rules they invented came to form a great body of tradition, handed down from one generation to the next, known as “the tradition of the elders” (Mark 7:1-5; cf. Matthew 15:1-9).
The Pharisees loved to display their religion in contrast with the sinfulness of others (Luke 18:9-12). In their zeal for keeping the law of Moses, they emphasized the external, formal, and visible acts required, but neglected the more important matters of the law, such as justice, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23).
Their religion became merely an outward show, demonstrating their lack of love for God and fellow man (cf. Matthew 23). In their establishment of elaborate rules, and in their zeal for perfection in externals, they felt religiously superior to the common man. They were definitely the legalists of their day.
In contrast to the legalism of the Pharisees, stood a liberal party called the “Gnostics,” or “the knowing ones.” They sought to merge Christianity with mythology and philosophy. They were ready to compromise with the ways of society. They rejected the Old Testament and the God revealed within those pages. They thought there was some good in every religion.
One such Gnostic was Marcion, who made up his own New Testament by taking parts of Luke’s gospel and ten of Paul’s letters (scroll down to heading, “Development of the New Testament Canon). He regarded the gospel as only a “love letter.”
So, we have the two above extremes. One turns religion into an empty form or shell, while the other combines religion with the philosophies of the world. The legalist takes the external commands, but neglects the weightier matters of the heart, which Christ emphasized in His sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7). The liberal boasts of his freedom from the letter of the law, and claims an “inner light” or spiritual relationship with Christ.
Brethren and friends, let us not be guilty of the two above extremes, but let us “wholly” keep the commands of God (Numbers 32:12; cf. Numbers 14:24; Deuteronomy 1:36; Joshua 14:6-8), not adding to or taking away from (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6). And let us keep those commands because we want to, i.e., “from the heart” (Romans 6:17; Ephesians 6:5-6 KJV).
God wants “willing” servants to serve Him in His kingdom — not unwilling ones (2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 1 Peter 5:2), and His commands are not burdensome, but beneficial (1 John 5:3; Deuteronomy 6:24-25; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; cf. Psalm 119:7; Psalm 119:172-176).