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Paul’s concept of the “righteousness of God” in Romans in relation to God’s righteousness which Jesus refers to in the Sermon on the Mount? In the book of Romans, the phrase “righteousness of God” is both vigorously disputed as to its precise

meaning and crucially important for understanding the book. Throughout the history of interpretation many perilous

courses have been charted through Romans. The peril is compounded by scholars who have “imputed” their

understanding of ‘righteousness of God’ in Romans (whether right or wrong) onto Jesus’ use of ‘righteousness’ in

the Sermon on the Mount. In this essay, we will (1) discuss Paul’s use of the ‘righteousness of God’ in Romans; (2)

discuss Jesus’ uses of righteousness on the Sermon on the Mount; and (3) briefly note that the two uses of

righteousness are distinct and separate within their own contexts without being unrelated or contradictory.

First, we will begin by discussing Paul’s use of ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ in Romans. The first difficulty that

arises is the question of the genitive ‘θεοῦ’. There are at least four options: possessive, subjective, origin or

objective.1 Without immediately resolving the difficulty, it is important to recognize that the background for the

phrase comes from the Old Testament’s use of ‘qdx’ and ‘hqdx’ in connection with ‘hwhy’ or a personal pronoun

referring to God. It refers to character traits in YHWH and his salvific activity. YHWH is shown to be righteous by

his saving activity.2 It is sometimes a near synonym to YHWH’s ‘dsh’.3 This suggests that while Paul can clearly

speak of ‘τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην’ (Phil. 3:9), in Romans the genitive in the phrase ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ is not

primarily a genitive of origin.4 Only exegesis can vindicate such claims.

The most crucial passage for understanding ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ is Romans 3:21-26. This is important not

only because it describes the eschatological atonement made by Christ but also because Paul unfolds what he means

by ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ and its relationship to the justifying verdict that is given to believers as Christ’s righteousness

is imputed to them. In verse 21, we see that apart from the Law the ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ has been manifest, although

1 N.T. Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), 100-3. 2 This summarizes a whole lot of recent debate and I am dependent primarily on the following: Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, (Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans, 1996), esp 79-89; K.L. Onesti and M.T. Branch, “Righteousness, Righteousness of God”, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, (ed. G.F. Hawthorne, R.P Martin and D.G. Reid; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1993), 827-37; Thomas Schreiner, Paul: Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ, (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2001), 192-209; Peter Stuhlmacher, Revisting Paul’s Doctrine of Justification, (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 13-31; Stephen Westerholm, Perspectives Old and New on Paul, (Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans, 2004), 261-96. 3 Onesti and Branch, “Righteousness”, 828. I realize this also steps into a firestorm of debate about whether or not ‘righteousness of God’ means covenant faithfulness. It is probably best to see the phrase ‘righteousness of God’ in Romans as conveying overtones of God’s covenant faithfulness without restricting and limiting its definition to ‘covenant faithfulness’. See Schreiner, Paul, 199-200 and Westerholm, Perspectives, 288, 292. 4 Contra NIV.

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the Law and the prophets testify to it. This ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ comes through faith in Jesus Christ5 (v.22) as God

justifies the sinner by his free grace (v.23-4). God is able to do this because he has set Christ as the ‘ἱλαστήριον’.6

Paul’s conclusion (εἰς-v.25) is that this displays His (God’s) righteousness, the ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ of 21 and 22. His

righteousness is displayed by postponing punishment under the Old Covenant. Here the question of God’s justice

comes into play because God did not rain down his full wrath under the Old Covenant the moment someone sinned

but postponed that wrath until is could be borne by Christ.7 And ‘ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ’ 8 God has displayed his

righteousness with Christ’s atonement so that he [God] is both just9 and the justifier of those who have faith in

Christ.10 Thus, we see God’s righteousness displayed as his character of justice is maintained, his saving activity is

manifest and he justifies believers. The ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ is “ that salvific activity by which God’s commitment to

uphold the right is vindicated at the same time as sinners…who believe the gospel become dikaios…”11

In light of Romans 3:21-26, we can better understand ‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ in Romans 1:16-17, 3:5 and 10:3.

We see in Romans 1:16-17 the same elements of God’s eschatological saving activity being revealed and God

declaring men righteous through faith.12 In Romans 3:5, ‘‘δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ’ refers not primarily to saving

righteousness but God’s being true and faithful to his character.13 In 10:3, Paul argues that the Jews have not

embraced God’s righteousness that comes through faith. Here, again, forensic categories are in view but also ‘οὐχ

ὑπετάγησαν’ “shows that the righteousness of God is an active force to which one must humbly and obediently

subordinate oneself”.14 Thus, in Paul ‘the righteousness of God’ refers to the eschatological saving activity of God

whereby God judicially declares men righteous. It is forensic and eschatological based on the work of Christ who is

5 An objective genitive ‘διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ’, although not without debate. 6 The background for this term is the Old Testament mercy seat. Paul is clearly teaching that an eschatological atonement has taken in Christ (Stuhlmacher, Revisting, 22, 42, 51). Christ clearly is set forth as a propitiation for our sins (Moo, Romans, 230-40; Stuhlmacher, Revisting, 42, 51; et al). 7 Moo, Romans, 238. 8 A phrase with clear eschatological overtones. 9 Because he poured out the wrath due for sin onto Christ. 10 This justification is clearly an imputed righteousness for those in union with Christ as Romans 4 goes on to show. 11 Westerholm, Perspectives, 285, italic original. He concludes on 286 that both the gift of acquittal and the salvific act are in view by the phrase. Similarly, Moo ties it to the act of God to bring people into a right relationship (Romans, 74-5, 81-9); Stuhlmacher highlights the forensic elements tied to God’s saving activity (Revisting, 19); and Ridderbos notes the forensic elements and the vindicatory righteousness of God present in the phrase (Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology, [Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans, 1975], 167). 12 Here the revelation of God’s righteousness is contrasted by the revelation of God’s wrath. 13 Moo, Romans, 190. 14 Moo, Romans, 633.

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the propitiation for the sin of those who have faith in Christ. So also, the justification men receive is an imputed

righteousness to those ‘in Christ’.

Second, however, the ‘righteousness’ described in the Sermon on the Mount is not imputed righteousness.

In Matthew, Jesus does not have in view a forensic righteousness and we should not interpret ‘righteousness’ in

Matthew through the grid of Pauline theology. Even the best Reformed writers have recognized this. Vos says, “It

would be historically unwarranted to read into these utterances the whole doctrine of imputed righteousness of

Christ.”15 More expansively, Ridderbos argues, “It [divine righteousness in Matthew 5:6] must not be understood in

the Pauline sense of imputed forensic righteousness, but as kingly justice which will be brought to light one day for

the salvation of the oppressed and the outcasts, and which will be executed by the Messiah.”16 It is important then to

understand what Jesus refers to in the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount must be seen within the context arrival of the kingdom of God in the ministry of

Jesus. Jesus has been ‘κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας’ (4:23) in conjunction with a healing ministry that

demonstrates the power of the kingdom of God (4:23-5). Thus, the Sermon of the Mount confronts God’s people

with the character and demands of the kingdom of God. Concerning the use of righteousness in the Sermon,

Ridderbos writes, “righteousness means the sum total of God’s demand imposed upon all who would enter the

kingdom.”17 It concerns God’s will for the pattern of behavior to be manifest in the kingdom disciple.

In Matthew 5:6, a blessing in declared for those who would ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness’. Likewise,

a blessing is pronounced upon those who are persecuted for righteousness in Matthew 5:10. The series of blessings

pronounced in Matthew 5:3-11 are not exhortation toward moral meritorious achievements. Rather, they are

pronouncements of eschatological blessing for those who have received the kingdom of God/heaven. For example,

in 5:3 it is the poor in spirit who submit to the kingly rule of the Messiah and “participate in the life of the

kingdom.”18 In 5:6, ‘δικαιοσύνην’ refers to justice and conveys the notion of right conduct.19 The presence of the

article preceding ‘righteousness’ suggests that God’s righteousness is in view but not in the Pauline sense rather

15 Geerhardus Vos, The Teaching of the Kingdom, (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 1998), 116. 16 Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1972), 190. 17 Ibid, 286. 18 D.A. Carson, Matthew 1-12, (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 1995) 132. 19 Carson, Matthew 1-12, 134, W.D. Davies and Dale Allison Jr., Matthew I-VII, (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1988), 452; Donald Hagner, Matthew 1-13, (Dallas, Tx.: Word, 1993), 93. Scott McKnight, “Justice, Righteousness,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, (ed. Joel Green, Scot McKnight and I. Howard Marshall; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1992), 414.

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God’s kingly justice as “executed by the Messiah”.20 Those who manifest this righteousness will be persecuted and

their reward is the kingdom of heaven (5:10).

In the Sermon, Jesus asserts that one’s righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees (5:20). The whole

section describes how this should look21 and concludes that one must be perfect as “your heavenly Father is perfect”

(5:48). This describes the character of those who are in the kingdom and thus enjoy a relationship with God as their

Father. Jesus’ disciples are to pursue “the perfection of the Father, the true eschatological goal of the law”.22 In 6:1,

the warning is given that kingdom righteousness is not to be done before men to gain their approval. Finally, the

disciple of the kingdom is called in 6:33 to “Seek first his [God the Father’s] kingdom and his righteousness.” Here

kingdom and righteousness form a hendiadys so that “they are synonymous concepts in Jesus’ preaching.”23 While

the quality of gift is implied in this text, the righteous in view is not imputed righteousness as in Paul but that

character which is in conformity to the will of God.24 The righteousness in view is submission to the kingdom.25

Finally, this essay has argued ‘the righteousness of God’ in Paul refers to God’s saving activity which he

manifests through the justification of the sinner who has faith in Christ. Righteousness, in the Sermon on the Mount

refers to the ethical quality of those who are within the kingdom and their conformity to the will of God as kingdom

living. Jesus teaches his disciples to submit to the kingdom and God’s righteousness as a way of life. “Our Lord

speaks of a state of righteousness before God to be conferred as a part of the coming kingdom.”26 Thus, Jesus

preaches the kingdom. So to, “Paul does nothing but explain the eschatological reality which in Christ’s teaching is

called Kingdom.”27 Paul’s concern with the phrase ‘righteousness of God’ is distinct from Jesus’ use but it is not

unrelated to Jesus’ concern. Paul is concerned with “eschatological reality of the divine judgment and the divine

acquittal” revealed in Christ’s death and resurrection.28 This is nothing other than the climactic event in the gospels

that ushers in the kingdom of God. So Jesus’ concern is to teach the disciples the ethics of the kingdom of God for

those who participate in the saving reality of the kingdom and serve as fellow vice-regents in the kingdom. For Paul

and Jesus, these savings realities are manifest by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the members of the kingdom.

20 Ridderbos, Coming, 190. 21 Ibid, 285. 22 Carson, Matthew 1-12, 161. 23 Ridderbos, Coming, 286. 24 Carson, Matthew 1-12, 182; Hagner, Matthew 1-13, 166. 25 McKnight, “Justice, Righteousness,” 414. 26 Vos, Teaching, 116. 27 Herman Ridderbos, When the Time Had Fully Come, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1957, repr., Eugene, OR.: Wipf and Stock, 2001), 48-9. 28 Ibid, 50-1.