Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 01:40:34 GMT From: (Nigel B. Mitchell) Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Ah, Chris, I had forgotten what a joy it is to read your posts. As usual, you have misunderstood the scriptures, and built a teaching on a false premise.

* Christian Graus) wrote:

* I believe that legalism is best explained by reading about the Pharisees – they sought to obey the letter of the law and considered themselves righteous by their actions.

Some study is in order here. The problem with the Pharisees was that they took the ‘spirit of the law’ too far. They believed that the key to doing God’s will was to be found in understanding and fully obeying God’s commands. This is the easiest way to tell a Pharisee – someone who emphasises obedience. The easiest way to identify a Christian is – someone who emphasises faith.

The Pharisees agreed on the full and exact detail of how the law should be kept. They ‘tithed mint and cumin, and neglected weightier matters like mercy and justice and faith’ (Matthew 23:23). In other words, they worried more about what a person did, than what they believed in their hearts.

This was Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees, and it is the criticism today of Jesus’ followers against those who say “You are not a Christian if you …” or “You are not a Christian if you don’t…”

When a person reduces Christianity to telling people what they must do, or must not do, and criticising the way other Christians put their faith into practice, especially if they claim that their interpretation of the scriptures which justifies their actions is both infallible and universally binding, that person is lining up with the Pharisees against Jesus.

It seems likely that until the end of time Jesus’ followers will be continuing the debates he started. Welcome back to the fray.

Cheers

N+

Nigel Mitchell

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