RIGHTLY UNDERSTANDING: JUSTICE, JUDGMENT, RIGHTEOUSNESS, LAW

The biblical word groups involving justice, judgment, righteousness, law, etc. are frequently misunderstood.*  Pop-Christianity influenced by Reformed theology and Western individualism have led readers, including NT theologians, to view these word groups from a limited forensic and individualized perspective.  What is typically lost is the broader context of relational order.  Examples:

The Hebrew word mishpat, “justice,” can be used narrowly in the sense of criminal justice, but more broadly, it is about equitable and harmonious social order.  Justice is ultimately about creating an orderly societal relationships.

The Greek word krino, “to judge” is broadly about distinguishing between order and chaos, right and wrong, etc. although it can be used specifically about a court-setting decision.  A person must understand the context in order to understand when one not to judge (condemn) (Matt 7:1) and when one is to judge (discern/distinguish) (1Cor 2:15; Luke 12:57).

The Hebrew word tzedakah and the Greek word dikaiosune, both usually translated “righteousness” (or poorly, “justified”) are not foremost a forensic evaluation of a person’s abstract legal status.  These are relational, behavioral terms.  The “righteousness of God” refers to the integrity of God in God’s dealings with people.  When Abraham entrusts himself to God, and God considers/reckons his commitment as “righteousness,” the point is that Abraham’s faith (entrustment) is judged by God as establishing a “right” relationship (Gen 15:6).  Paul relies heavily on this model in Romans 4 to explain the nature of faith and being declared righteous by the righteous God (see, too 3:26).

The Hebrew torah, “law,” (translated in Greek by nomos), again, is not narrowly forensic.  “Torah” (etymologically having the sense of propelling something in a direction) is used throughout the OT wisdom literature for directional guidance, teaching, but it also can be applied to genres of history, regulations, and exhortations.
When the people of Israel entrusted themselves to God in a covenant relationship, the Torah/Law that was given to them was primarily to guide them to righteous behavior.#  It is vital to note that covenant (relational commitment) precedes law!  For Paul, the Torah/Law was never bad.  However, by pointing to righteous practices, Torah also reveals what is sin (Rom 3:20).  For example, Jesus’ parable-like story of the sheep and the goats (Matt 25:31-46; see Isaiah 58:6-10) makes it clear that the failure to practice righteous behavior is a sinful rejection of the Lord.  Still, true righteous behavior is a reflection of the heart.  Even Gentiles, who do not have the Law, may have it on their hearts (Rom 2:14-15; see, too 28-29).  Obviously, of course, simply outwardly doing right things (works of the Law) does not mean that a person has entrusted themselves to God.  No, covenantal commitment/entrusting/faith comes before law! Moreover, for Paul, “believing into” (pisteo eis) Christ" establishes a relationship that empowers a person by the Spirit to desire and practice righteousness.  The Law itself cannot so empower a person.  First, is the restored relationship by the grace of God through faith/entrustment.

(I would encourage people to read passages such as Roman 1-4 with these broader definitions in mind.)

Application: Good Israelite/Jewish religion starts with a heart that entrusts itself to God and desires to walk in righteousness, to which the Law in part guided them.  “Fruits of righteous” were/are expected from such a person.  A person was not “declared righteous” (in right relationship with God) by going through the motions of the Law.  This relational understanding of justice, righteousness, and law applies to the extension of the divine promises to Gentiles, to all those “believing into” Christ.  Popular Bible interpretations of “getting saved” by some outward act (coming to the altar, saying “the” prayer, being baptized, etc.) so that forensically one’s sins are “imputed” onto Jesus and Jesus’ righteousness is “imputed” onto the person, resulting in a “get-out-of-jail/hell card” are terribly shallow and misleading.  Through Christ, we are called into a restored, right, relationship with our Creator.

Lord, as I seek to entrust myself to you, purify my heart and lead me in righteousness for your glory.  Amen.

*My devotional studies got me sidetracked from Psalm 24.  I will come back to it sometime as well as with follow-up posts to this one.
#Of course the Law does much more.  For example, the dress and eating codes were primarily ways of reminding Israelites of their call to by holy (set apart) as God’s people.  Much of the symbolism behind those laws involved cultural symbols of chaos vs. order.  They had many daily reminders that they were called to align themselves with order, God’s order.