Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 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. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The fact that the Pharisee's righteousness could be exceeded would have been news to many... especially the Pharisees. But, in fact, there is a righteous that exceeds the Pharisees' and it is an alien righteousness received by grace through faith in Christ alone.
Philippians 3:8-9
For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.
There is something more righteous than a Pharisee and that is a sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. They are as righteous as Jesus was righteous, which is righteousness with a capital "R," the source of all subsequent rigtheousnesses rightly identified.
How can you eclipse a Pharisee? Trust the Son.
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