More than perfection???

The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is the context of the first quote.

This is relevant to a current thread, but I wanted to take a fresh look from a different angle, bringing in the question of what exactly [i]is[/i] true righteousness?

And why did Paul have to "throw away" his religious credentials, including his faultless keeping of the "righteousness which is of the law", in order to "gain Christ".

Obviously, Paul couldn't have been advocating [i][b]un[/b][/i]rightousness!

Matthew 5:
[color=000000]20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven...

...48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.[/color]

Phillipians 3 (my emphasis):
[color=000000]...4 Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee, 6 as to zeal a persecutor of the church, [i][b]as to righteousness under the law blameless[/b][/i]. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.[/color]
(Revised Standard Version)

Blessings

Jeannette

Thank you Phillip, that ws the sort of response I was hoping for! :-D