Questions on the two kinds of righteousness.

Comment in response to the following post: 
https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2024/03/two-types-of-righteousness.html

COMMENT:

So, if it’s two types of righteousness what is Paul expressing here Romans 10:3-5 and in Deuteronomy 6:25; Romans 7:7 and in 1 John 3:4

If you say there are two types of righteousness, one by law and the other by faith, then how can Paul say one thing in the above verses and then turn around and say the opposite in those scriptures you put in your answer? 

Oh yes, Paul is also teaching from the Old Testament! So where in the Old Testament does it prophecy TWO types of righteousness?

2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

ANSWER:

Thanks for your comment and subsequent question.

If one looks at your questions through the understanding of prophecy and mystery, rightly dividing between these two programs, as Paul instructed Timothy, then the answers become clear.

Let’s take what you quote in Romans 10 to start with.

First consider the design of the Romans epistle. Chapters 1-4 define God’s righteousness within the grace gospel. Chapters 5-8 define our justification in Christ as a free gift of God’s grace. Thus, having laid out the grace gospel, Paul now changes topic, and in Romans chapters 9-11, Paul writes about why God offers the gospel in this new, and most incredible format. Paul writes concerning Israel’s prophetic program, their unbelief, and how God, through their obstinance, would turn to the Gentiles and save them without the means of Israel, which is completely opposite of what the prophetic scriptures declared; how that Israel will be a light and the salvation of the Gentile nations. Paul eventually ends this topic concerning Israel by writing that Israel would be blinded for a season and they through their fall, salvation would go to the Gentiles,

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

So, the scriptures you quote in Romans 10 cannot be affixed to the grace program. It is not part of our gospel and our righteousness.

Now let’s take Romans 7:7.

Anyone can take one verse out of the Bible and plug it into their argument to make it say what they want. So, if you are trying to prove that righteousness is by the law, it is easy to take Rom 7:7 and fit it into your argument. The verse will then appear to support what you say. But what does the true context of the verse say? As any Bible student should do, we should read the verses surrounding it and ask what the true context is and what was the intent of the writer when he wrote this?

Well, if one starts to read from the first verse of the chapter, the true context begins to reveal itself. From verse 4, Paul tells us that we have died to the law by the body of Christ. When we were in the flesh the law stirred our inward corruption, and thus cause the revival of sin. Is then the law to blame for this? Paul says, “God forbid!”, meaning in simple terms, “Never, let this thought never even enter your mind!”

In this verse you quote, Paul is telling us what the result of the law brings, as opposed to being free from it in order to live in the Spirit. Paul is not promoting the law, but instructing his readers that God has utterly freed them from the chains of the law through their death in Christ.

The scriptures taken from Deuteronomy 6 and 1 John 3 speak for themselves.

This is where we must rightly divide prophecy from mystery. We are not under the prophetic program of Israel. Deuteronomy is under the Mosaic law. We can learn from it to distinguish our program from it, but the doctrine it teaches is not for our application. Concerning, 1 John, it is similar. John is an apostle of the Little Flock of believing Jews under the prophetic Kingdom program. John’s epistles are not addressed to us, but his instructions are for Israel. As a matter of fact, the Jewish epistles were written for the Jews who were living in the “last days”. Since this program is suspended (through the blinding of the Jews) while our grace dispensation is active, the “last days” have been pushed out to the future. Thus, Hebrews to Revelation will actually be applicable for the Jews who will be living through the 7-year Tribulation and into the Millennial Kingdom. The point is that these verses cannot be pinned upon the Body of Christ. Paul is ‘the’ apostle of the Gentiles, Rom 11:13, and it is only his epistles, that make up the mystery doctrine, that are applicable to us today.

The verses in 2 Peter 3 are confirmation that Paul’s doctrine is scripture.

Even Paul tells us the following,

1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Peter never belonged to the mystery program. Although he would have learned of the grace gospel and mystery doctrine, and the liberty it had through Christ from the Mosaic law, Peter found many of its attributes foreign from the faith that he was taught in Christ’s earthly ministry. He testifies that many who were unlearned in the things Paul preaches would typically wrestle with these concepts of faith and even misinterpret these things to their own destruction, and that of their followers.

Concerning your question: So where in the Old Testament does it prophecy TWO types of righteousness?

Well, what about Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. These men all received righteousness BEFORE the law was ever given. They believed in God and did what He said. The Old Testament never mentions righteousness by the faith OF Christ as this was a mystery. Paul writes that God kept things secret from the prophets of old. Read Rom 16:25–26,

Rom 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

The mystery of righteousness through the faith OF Christ was only revealed when Paul came about. It was kept secret from all the prophets of old and given to Paul to reveal to the Body of Christ. The Old Testament is based primarily of righteousness through the law, but before the law, God proclaimed men righteous by their faith in Him and their obedience to His instructions. As for us, we are proclaimed righteous not by our faith or works, but by that of Christ. That is why God tells us it is a FREE GIFT in Christ. Glory be to God!!!

Conclusion

It is of critical importance that we study the Bible so that we can learn to interpret it correctly. Paul tells Timothy in 2Tim.2:15 that study will ultimately, and inevitable, result in having to exercise right division in the scripture. When one discovers that the prophetic program for Israel is so different from that of the mystery program of the Body of Christ, it will lead to the necessity to divide these two programs. Keeping them completely separate will result in clear and easy doctrine. However, if the two programs are mixed, or blended together, then it produces a false narrative, resulting in contradictions and confusion. We study all of scripture so that we can understand the difference between the two programs, but, when it comes to application of faith and principles, we get then from Paul’s epistles only, and never from the Old Testament, the Gospels, nor from Hebrews to Revelation, which is all addressed to Israel and their prophetic program.

I trust the above clarifies my original post and helps to provide answers to the questions in your comment.

Kind regards.