When God chose Saul, he​ ​knew​ ​the​ ​role​ ​his Jewish apostle to the Gentiles would play, even if Paul did not see it in his lifetime. Because of his zeal for the sake of Christ, he removed a stumbling block by setting in motion a principle that enabled the Gospel to flourish from Judea to Samaria and to the outermost parts of the earth. ​In so doing, you and I are here today.​

If Paul had not adequately addressed the “works of the Law” mentality, Christianity might very well have remained a small Jewish sect within the various expressions of Judaism in the 1st century.

Which leads us to our fifth principle. It is important to learn how Paul uses the concept of “righteousness” as he takes the Gospel of God and of his Son, Jesus the Messiah, to the Gentile world.

Let me take you back to a text in Matthew 5: For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law [Torah] until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (18-20).

What does Jesus mean by “unless your righteousness exceeds?” Is he telling his disciples to be more zealous for keeping all the commandments than the Pharisees?​ I do not believe so. I think he is still expounding on his statement about the jot and tittle (KJV), the iota and dot (ESV), not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (NIV).

The​ ​Pharisees had a​ ​commendable​ ​desire​ ​to​ ​do​ ​everything that​ ​God​ ​commanded. To protect the Torah and extend its authority, they built fences around it, based on oral tradition. What developed​ ​was an​ ​attitude​ ​in​ ​which​ ​a​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​legalism​ ​arose. This problem still plagues churches today. It is possible to get overly fixated on how to keep commandments​ (or traditions) ​and lose the spirit in which to observe them.​ Sound familiar? The issue is not the command; it is the posture of the heart.

To the faithful, God’s commandments should evoke gratitude and relational obedience in response to his gracious covenant love.

One clear example of this is how the​ word righteousness (tzědäkäh) is employed.​ ​​​Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures,​ in​ ​the Psalms​ ​and​ ​other​ ​places,​ ​we find that tzedakah is used in parallel​—even​ ​synonymously​—​with God’s salvation.​ Righteousness,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​broad​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​the word,​ ​speaks​ ​of​ ​God’s​ ​redemptive, saving​ activity.​ For​ ​God’s​ ​righteousness​ ​to prevail​ ​means​ ​that​ ​his salvation ​work​ ​in​ ​the​ ​earth​ ​is succeeding.​ ​​​God saves; he extends his righteousness.​

Under Pharisaic development, the term tzedekah came to be applied primarily to the concept of charity. Interestingly, it is used​ ​that​ ​way​​ ​in​ ​Modern​ ​Hebrew​ ​today​ ​as well as​ ​in rabbinic​ ​Judaism. Righteousness (tzedakah)​ ​equates to​ ​charity.​

To illustrate my larger point, listen to Jesus in Matthew 15: Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.” But you say, “If anyone tells his father or his mother, ‘What you would have gained from me is given to God,’ he need not honor his father.” So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! (Matt 15:3-6).

Jesus says, “If you want to be in my kingdom movement, your view has to exceed that of the technicians of the law,​ ​of​ ​the Scribes and Pharisees.​ ​​​You must realize that righteousness is God’s redemptive activity in the earth. As such, it includes appropriate expressions of almsgiving (Matt 6:2). But it is so much more! Do not, therefore, get hung up on the jots and tittles. Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.”

We see righteousness at work in this sense when Jesus finds John in the wilderness and meets him in the waters of the Jordan, in accordance with Isaiah 40:3. At first, John resists: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented (Matt 3:14-15).

​​​In effect, Jesus was saying, ​”John,​ ​I​ ​want​ ​everyone to know that what you are doing is part of God’s redemptive plan in the earth.​ ​​​It​ ​is​ ​part​ ​of​ ​his​ ​righteous activity, so​ ​I​ ​want to​​ ​affirm and​ ​submit​ ​to​ ​it.”​ And so Jesus was immersed​ and immediately filled with the Spirit. He emerged from the baptismal waters after receiving divine confirmation and began proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Paul came to share Jesus’ expanded view of righteousness after his Damascus Road encounter.

In Romans, as in Galatians, he speaks of righteousness in an argument that includes the phrase “works of the Law. He is addressing Jewish believers:

Are we Jews any better off? […] But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in [or, the faithfulness of] Jesus Christ for all who believe […] Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded […] For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also (Rom 3:9, 21-22, 27-29).

The​ ​point​ ​I​ ​made previously​ ​in​ ​our​ ​continuing​ ​espousal of​ ​principles​ ​for traveling with Paul is to see​ ​”works of the law”​ as a technical phrase.​ ​​​It​ ​does​ ​not​ ​refer​ ​to​ ​earning​ ​salvation​ ​by​ ​works (which Paul addresses in other places).​ ​​​That is not the​ ​issue​ ​in​ ​these​ specific ​texts.​

Remember,​ ​Paul​ ​is​ ​dealing​ ​with​ ​new​ ​communities​ ​of​ ​faith composed​ ​of​ ​believing Jews​ ​and​ ​Gentiles. In both letters, there are certain Jewish believers who, in their zeal,​ ​have​ ​reduced​ ​the​ ​grand​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​God’s​ ​redemptive​ ​activity​ ​down​ ​to​ ​their​ ​own legalistic​ ​righteousness. There is considerable tension when certain Jewish believers—those Paul calls the party of the circumcision—come from Jerusalem to Galatia and later to Rome.

They stirred up trouble and division by saying, “Listen, it’s wonderful that you believe in Jesus and have been filled with​ the Spirit.​ ​It’s wonderful that you have been reconciled to the God of Israel.​ ​​​Now,​ ​to​ ​complete your​ ​faith, you need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​joined​ ​fully​ ​to​ ​the​ ​covenant​ ​community​​ ​called​ ​Israel by taking on the​ ​the​ ​ritual​ ​commandments​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Torah.​ ​​​Specifically, you need to​ ​be circumcised, keep the Sabbath, and observe the food laws.​

​The party of the circumcision is, in effect, fixating on the jot and the tittle and missing out on the greater revelation of God’s righteousness through Messiah Jesus. In​ ​the​ ​grand​ ​redemptive​ ​sense, ​they​ ​have not​ ​submitted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​righteousness​ ​of​ ​God​. Instead,​ ​they are​ ​​preoccupied​ ​with the letter of the law; in performing the righteousness of God in the limited,​ ​human sense.​

In the words of Jesus, Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others (Luke 11:42).

​​​Paul’s radical point is that if you are in Christ,​ ​those​ ​boundary​ ​markers​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​apply​ ​as​ ​they once​ ​did,​ ​because the new covenant in Jesus’ blood is uniting the two peoples into one.​

These boundary markers that have,​ ​by God’s own design,​ ​set Jews apart from Gentiles have now been removed by God in Jesus.​ He is letting all come into his household by virtue of their faith,​ ​their​ ​trust, their commitment to Jesus as Lord.

All of this raises the question, “How are believers in these little communities of faith supposed to behave?” That is the pastoral challenge that leads us to our next principle for traveling with Paul.