Saturday, October 07, 2006

As a label for adherence to manmade rules

In addition to the primary definition of legalism (in which it refers to works for salvation), the term "legalism" is commonly used to refer the view that adherence to certain manmade rules is necessary for moral or spiritual righteousness and full acceptance and partnership in the Christian community. While many argue that using the term this way is incorrect, the fact remains that it is commonly used this way. Since the term "legalism" does not occur in the Bible, and since what determines the meaning of words is their widespread usage, this usage should be viewed as a valid secondary meaning.
Regardless of the label that one uses (whether you call it "legalism" or something else, such as judaizing), it is clear that the New Testament condemns demanding that people adhere to manmade rules in order to obtain morality or spirituality in the community of believers or before God. In Mark 7:6-7 Jesus quotes Isaiah as saying, "This people honors Me [God] with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." When people teach manmade commands as if they were doctrines from God, and when they insist that others follow those rules for morality or spirituality or acceptance, they are guilty of doing exactly what Jesus condemns here. Most of the debates that Jesus had with the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes did not center around legalism as it relates to salvation (the primary definition of legalism), but around legalism as it relates to daily living (this secondary definition of legalism), and concerned matters such as washing hands before eating, healing on the Sabbath, fasting, or drinking wine. See also Expounding of the Law.
There are three major kinds of legalism commonly found among religious people. First, there is theological legalism in which people separate from others over issues which the Bible does not say to separate over. (There are doctrines over which the Bible says to separate over or censure others for; in all other areas the Biblical approach seems to be to teach and allow for disagreements. As the saying goes, "In major things, unity; in minor things, liberty; in all things, charity.") Second, there is moral legalism in which people demand that certain manmade moral ideas be followed. (What often happens here is that legalists will take a broad Biblical principle, and then insist that it be applied in a certain way, even though the Bible is silent on that particular issue. For example, if someone were to say that, since the Bible says our bodies are the temple of God, then any action which might not be "best" for the body is a desecration of the temple, and that therefore one must exercise, diet, and rest in such a way as to obtain the optimal fitness. That may be good advice, but it is legalistic — a manmade rule — when it becomes a demand.) Third, there is cultural legalism in which people are expected to live up to certain cultural standards to be accepted and not looked down on. (For example, scoffing at people because they live in trailers or haven't finished high school are examples of cultural legalism since the Bible is silent on those matters.)
While a person might indeed be convicted by God to do something or to abstain from something that the Bible is silent on, and while that person should certainly have the liberty to share that conviction with others and to encourage them to adopt that same personal conviction, the line is crossed into legalism when a person insists that others do the same thing, that is, when a person teaches for doctrines the commandments of men. The Bible censures those who cause divisions over issues that the Bible does not tell us to separate over Additionally, the Bible does not give believers the right to allow others to act as their judges in these matters Plus, it warns believers that such legalisms (manmade rules) are utterly useless in achieving morality or spirituality , and that those who make a habit of submitting to such rules have defiled minds and consciences