Letter and spirit of the law by God. Not all Pharisees, nor all Jews of that time, were legalistic. Though modern language has used the word Pharisee in the pejorative to describe someone who is legalistic and rigid, it is not an accurate description of all Pharisees. The argument over the "Spirit of the Law" vs. the "Letter of the Law" was part of early Jewish dialogue as well The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is one of the New Testament texts to address this theme. The passage concerns a dialogue between Jesus and an "expert in the law" or "lawyer". As described in
Parable of the Good Samaritan he was one who never could Pass by the other side. An honest man whom men called soft, While laughing in their sleeves — No doubt in business ways he oft Had fallen amongst thieves."</poem> John Gardiner Calkins Brainard also wrote a poem on the theme. Dramatic film adaptations of the Parable of the Good Samaritan include "Samaritan", part of the widely acclaimed "Modern Parables" DVD Bible study series. "Samaritan", which sets the parable in modern times, stars Antonio Albadran in the role of the Good Samaritan. The English composer, Benjamin Britten, was commissioned to write a piece to mark