What do we mean when we use the word[b] righteous [/b]or righteousness. Is there or has there been an examplar of [b]righteousness [/b]in the world?


Is [b]righteousness [/b]is necessary and sufficient requirement for salvation?


Some biblical references would be most welcome.




Enjoy the discussion.

Righteousness is translated from the hebrew word Tsedeq which also means Justice.

More coming . . .

Huxley, hmmm. i remember that guy for asking a dozen questions and running away. He came to pass, upcoming atheists should learn from his sorriness.

Human beings can only afford fleeting moments of righteousness. . . when they consciously strive to do the right things.
Nothing like 100% righteousness.
So NO salvation for hypocrites!

Sooooooooooooo ask YOUR God!

Callotti: Human beings can only afford fleeting moments of righteousness. . . when they consciously strive to do the right things.
Nothing like 100% righteousness.
So NO salvation for hypocrites!

Sooooooooooooo ask YOUR God!

That means you are hopeless!

Callotti: Human beings can only afford fleeting moments of righteousness. . . when they consciously strive to do the right things.
Nothing like 100% righteousness.
So NO salvation for hypocrites!

Sooooooooooooo ask YOUR God!

This is not the question that the OP asked. Please stay on track.

Justice and Righteousness

We tend to think of 'justice' as something public, and often think of it as retribution. When we say "I want justice", we often mean "I want my rights (often from another, or for the legal system to give us redress)". On the other hand, we tend to think of 'righteousness', if we think of it at all, as a property of an individual (e.g. the old singing group 'The Righteous Brothers'), and usually of the private sphere.
But, in the Bible they are the same word, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. One Hebrew and one Greek word is used for both, and seldom translated into any other word.

Hebrew/Greek word Tr. as 'Justice' Tr. as 'Righteousness' Tr. as other
H: tsedeq 102 394 14
Other Hebrew words 5 11
Gk: dikaios 38 135 7
Other Greek words 0 1
What do these figures tell us? First, it implies very strongly that, to both Hebrew and N.T. Greek thinking justice and righteousness are the same thing. Second, it implies that our conception of 'justice' and 'righteousness', by which we give them different meanings, is likely to be wrong.

So what is the real meaning of both words? I like the definition of 'justice' given by Paul Marshall:

[b]Justice is: right relationships among all things in the created order of things.
[/b]Now, that definition is different from both of our conceptions above. Our conventional conception of righteousness is centred on an entity (a human being); Marshall's conception is centred on relationships. Our conventional conception of justice is centred on a legal framework, whereas Marshall's conception is centred on our 'dwelling' amongst all created things. Our conventional conception of justice is of a balancing act; Marshall's conception is of quality of relationship.

http://www.basden.demon.co.uk/xn/tsedeq.html

The above is my position completely and totally. I couldn't have said it better myself.

huxley: What do we mean when we use the word[b] righteous [/b]or righteousness. Is there or has there been an examplar of righteousness [/b]in the world?

Well according to the bible such a person was Job.

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was [b]perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job chapter 1

Of course the difficulty with such a passage is that we are now told by burn agains that there is no righteousness until after the death and resurrection of Jesus since when we can 'put on' the righteousness of Christ like a cloak and continue living our lives as black as sin itself.

Is righteousness is necessary and sufficient requirement for salvation?

This is one of the reasons that I'm cautious about conversations where people talk about salvation etc. What do they mean by salvation? For me Salvation will be the process of being made righteous. However, as Huxley obvious thinks here, and many others too, Righteousness is a stepping stone to getting saved. I would presume the salvation he is talking about here is to go to heaven. So if you are righteous then you get a chance to be 'saved'/to go to heaven.
This is upside down to me.

Righteousness is anything God wants i.e God's standard like we have quality standards, engineering standards. Jesus Christ is righteous.

Image123: Righteousness is anything God wants i.e God's standard like we have quality standards, engineering standards. Jesus Christ is righteous.

Does God want at a whim, or is there a structure to what he wants? How does a man ascertain what it is that God wants?