"Unless Your Righteousness Surpasses...."

[David Koberstein]

Jesus (Yeshua) said to his followers, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). According to traditional interpretations, those Jesus referred to as "scribes and Pharisees"
represented the holiest of Jews. But was it really so?

First, some scribes were known for making alterations to the texts. In the book of Revelation, Jesus even issued a warning to
future scribes, who would copy the text, to preserve the original words accurately: "If anyone adds to them...and if anyone takes
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of Life" (Rev. 22: 18-19). Even though
people did not view scribes in the same negative light as tax collectors, for example, they may have seemed like a righteous elite
that did not actually have a high level of righteous living.

Second, at least some did not consider Pharisees to be counted among the most righteous of Jews. This view was most notably
expressed by the Essenes, a contemporary Jewish sect whose writings were partly preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls collection.
The Essenes believed that the Pharisees had essentially "sold" Jerusalem to the Greeks and had conspired with God's enemies,
compromising the holiness of the Temple. To emphasize their views, they referred to the Pharisees as "the seekers of smooth things",
as opposed to the preferred name for themselves --- "the seekers of the paths [of God]." In short, these Jews (Essenes) did not
have a high estimation of Pharisaic righteousness (see Dead Sea Scroll text 4Q169).

In the light of these examples, we should conclude that Jesus' words should be taken literally ---the level of righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees was indeed not enough to enter God's Kingdom. God requires much more!

Shalom שלום

 

[Martin Marprelate]

The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was a legal righteousness. The Lord Jesus is especially scathing to them in Matthew 23.
But if we accept the words of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12, we find that he did not extort money, was just and fair, faithful to his wife, fasted twice-weekly, and tithed all his possessions. Our righteousness has to be greater than that!
But we can't do it. 'Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight...' Not you, not me, not anyone! '...For by the law is the knowledge of sin' (Romans 3:20). The more we work in our own strength to keep God's righteous laws, the more we become (or should become) conscious of by how much we fail.

So what hope is there for us? None in ourselves. We are cast utterly upon the justice and the mercy of God. 'But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law (cf. John 5:46) and the prophets (cf. 1 Peter 1:10), even the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus, to all and on all who believe ...... being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus........' (Romans 3:21-24). The Righteousness of God here is not the righteousness that He demands, but the righteousness that He bestows through the Lord Jesus.
And as we look through the next few verses, we see that Both God's justice and His mercy are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. His mercy in sending us a Saviour who was 'holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners;' His justice in making Him the propitiation for our sins (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) to satisfy His righteous anger against sin, 'that He might be just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus' (Romans 3:26).

 

[Van]

How do we, when lost sinners, obtain any sort of righteousness is all our deeds are as filthy rags to God? By being made righteous with the washing of regeneration. In Christ = Holy, Not In Christ = Unholy. In Christ = In Heaven, Not In Christ, Not In Heaven.

Romans 5:19 NASB
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

 

[Rye]

First, some scribes were known for making alterations to the texts.

This point is made null and void by the fact that Jesus held the religious leaders of His day to the very same scriptures that He and others had access to the the synagogues. There were no altered texts being used!

Matthew 21:42 - Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Second, at least some did not consider Pharisees to be counted among the most righteous of Jews. This view was most notably
expressed by the Essenes, a contemporary Jewish sect whose writings were partly preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls collection.

The Essenes were a cult-like Jewish sect so it is a mistake to go them for any kind of scriptural insight on this matter.

In the light of these examples, we should conclude that Jesus' words should be taken literally ---the level of righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees was indeed not enough to enter God's Kingdom. God requires much more!

The conclusion you have come to is salvation by works and have done so by going completely outside of scripture. You claim to be a member of a Southern Baptist church but your ideas are way far to the left of any Southern Baptist I’ve ever spoken to.

 

[MMDAN]

In Matthew 5:20, we read - "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." This statement from Jesus would come as a shock to the multitude of people who had great admiration of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law for their knowledge of the law and seeming righteousness in external observance of the law, yet Jesus points out their righteousness was defective.

We see in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector an example of those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, yet despised others. (Luke 18:9-14) We also see this today with various modern-day Pharisees who promote works righteousness. The righteousness that exceeds the "righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees" (self-righteousness) is the righteousness of God which is from God by faith.

Philippians 3:9 - and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

Romans 4:5 - But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.