These are notes from Arnold Fruchtenbaum's Life of Messiah tape series. This is to be seriously recommended if you are serious about learning more about the Historical and Jewish context of the Life and Times of Yeshua.
Pharisaism and Legalistic Christianity
Legalism was the Pharisaical error that Yeshua corrected. He railed against the additions to the Mosaic Law, and defended and defined the Mosaic Law as sufficient. The Mishnah was the oral law of the Jews, and it was not written at the time of Christ. When He said "You have heard it said love your neighbour and hate your enemies" he was quoting the mishnah. His response was Mosaic Law, "I say to you love your enemies..."
Legalism had become extreem. The disciples were charged with working on the Sabbath when they ate corn they had just picked. They were accused of harvesting, threshing, winnowing, and storing (eating), all forms of work, on the Sabbath. It got so bad it was considered risky to walk on grass on the Sabbath in case you might accidentally "harvest" a wind-sown corn.
Acts of Mercy and Necessity were never against the Mosaic Law. The temple priests worked every day of the week, and twice as hard on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had no difficulties with this inconsistency. In their attempt to "close the wholes in the fence" left by the Mosaic Law burden upon burden had been heaped upon the people. Jesus corrected this, explained how he Law should be interpreted (Sermon on the Mount), and in doing so proclaimed the Mosaic Law AS WRITTEN to be sufficient. Scripture is sufficient with out human additions or interpretation.
Christianity has also its own form of extreem legalism. Don't dance, don't listen to rock music, don't use dice. What is wrong with using dice? Gamblers use dice and we should not give the appearance of doing evil. On his basis we should not drive cars because bank robbers drive cars, we should give the appearance of doing evil.
Yeshua came to free us from bondage, not add burdens to our lives.
