KING JAMES VERSION
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment,
for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment,
and the rent is made worse.
JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION
Then said the Pharisees unto him,
Why will ye not receive us with our baptism,
seeing we keep the whole law?
But Jesus said unto them,
Ye keep not the law.
If ye had kept the law, ye would have received me:
for I am he that gave the law.
I receive not you with your baptism,
because it profiteth you nothing.
For when that which is new is come,
the old is ready to be put away.
For no man putteth a piece of new cloth on an old garment,
for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment,
and the rent is made worse.
1. The entire reason for CHRIST's statement's about new cloth and new bottles is missing from the Bible! You can look at any other version of the Bible you like, and you will not find the Pharisees' question to JESUS about baptism.
2. Baptism is obviously critical for salvation, even the knucklehead Pharisees knew that. Getting someone to do it with actual authority is the problem. John had authority, but the Jewish church did not. After centuries of denying the Law-giver in favor of the Law, GOD did not accept their baptisms. If you do not have true faith in CHRIST you could have been baptized by John the Baptist and it would not be accepted by GOD. The majority of the Jews did not believe in JESUS, and so their ordinances were a colossal waste of time.
3. The Jewish leaders believed they kept the whole law. JESUS set them straight. No one except CHRIST can keep all of the commandments. If you think you are righteous you are not. The point of the commandments is to show us how weak we really are, so that we turn to JESUS as the only way out of Hell. The rich young ruler had the same problem, and he also failed to follow CHRIST.
4. JESUS gave the Law. The Jews disrespected CHRIST even before He was born by calling the Law, the Law of Moses. That would be like Mormons calling the gospel, the gospel of Joseph Smith (although most modern Mormons follow the false gospel of Brigham Young and the subsequent Presidents of the church). It would be like Christians changing their name to Paulian's or Johnites. It is called the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST for a reason. Try some other method of salvation and see where it gets you.
5. I am not righteous. I do not keep all of the requirements of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST. My only escape is JESUS. To show my obedience to His gospel I have been rebaptized in the Pacific Ocean. It was done by a man having authority from CHRIST using the words of the baptismal prayer found in the Book of Mormon. Modern Pharisees and their foolish followers use the incorrect version found in the Doctrine and Covenants.