
The author analyzes the practice of referring to the life and teaching of Jesus Christ in Polish legal science. In most cases, Polish legal scholars refer to the Gospels within the framework of broadly understood legal argumentation. In the considerations of legal academics the New Testament reports of Christ perform several functions: they are part of the historical background of the studied subjects; they are an illustration and/or exemplification of particular aspects of the researched issues; they serve to strengthen the social legitimization of the law by showing its substantive convergence with the message of Jesus’ teaching; they give reasons for critical assessment of law and law practice. On the other hand, these references rarely come down to linguistic ornamentation in the Polish legal literature. A qualitative study of over 110 monographs and scientific papers of Polish jurists shows the usefulness of references to Jesus Christ for scientific examination of law. In a culturally Christian state, the Gospel is an extralegal source with clarification (explanatory) and persuasive potential for jurisprudence.