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One way of looking at legalism is caring more for rules than loving people.

Legalism, as I see it, is one's pride focusing on an outward level that is dependent on limited perception of circumstances, being blind to the direction of travel of self and therefore an inability to seeing the grace and Spirit of God working.

I hope it is okay if I post one more as I thought of this a bit more down to a personal level:

Legalism, is when I try to obey the scriptures because I have to, rather than faithful loving obedience in following Christ because I want to.

Is legalism a term from the Bible?

Or is it a man-made doctrine used to attack obedience to scripture?

le·gal·ism
ˈlēɡəˌlizəm/Submit
noun
excessive adherence to law or formula.
THEOLOGY
dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith.

I don't think it is a word found in scripture but Jesus had this to say:

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

and

King James Bible
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

I would think one of the key words is "excessive". There is no such thing as excessive obedience of course, but when we demand, without love, excessive adherence to law, it is legalism.

Okay some good answers.

If the perspective of a rule of the church is that its legalistic, is it wrong to obey it?

Soloist wrote:Okay some good answers.

If the perspective of a rule of the church is that its legalistic, is it wrong to obey it?

Every rule good or bad can be legalistic, and every rule can be obeyed without the person being legalistic.
1 Corinthians 10:23 says "All things are lawful for me". As long as we are not asked to do sin, we have freedom - freedom to eat meat, freedom to wear a plain suit.

No one can make your obedience legalism, because no one can control your motives and intentions for obeying. It is up to you to decide and choose whether and how you are going to obey it. And it is up to you whether you obey it because you want to live in peace with your brother, or because you understand the intent behind it (presumably good), or whether you obey it because you selfishly believe that this will earn you favor with man or God.

Follow up question as well.

Is it wrong for a church to mandate circumcision? or wrong for a person to submit to that?

This isn't a salvation issue

Soloist wrote:Follow up question as well.

Is it wrong for a church to mandate circumcision? or wrong for a person to submit to that?

This isn't a salvation issue

It would be incorrect for a church to say that circumcision is a mark of Gods people.

Josh wrote:Is legalism a term from the Bible?

Or is it a man-made doctrine used to attack obedience to scripture?

That's actually the reason I started the Matthew 23 thread. I think there are a handful of biblical teachings that could be considered warnings against legalism, depending on how you define the term. And I think it's helpful to look at what exactly the Bible does talk about when it warns about the wrong kind of religion.