"There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10)

The Meaning of "No One Righteous"

When Paul makes this statement, he is defining the universal human condition from God's perspective. It does not mean that every person is equally evil or incapable of good deeds; rather, it means:

1. Failure to Meet a Perfect Standard: No human being has ever perfectly and completely obeyed God's holy Law (the Torah), either written on stone or "written in the heart." All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).

2. Inability to Achieve Righteousness by Effort: The statement demolishes the idea that a person can become justified (made righteous in God's eyes) through their own effort, merit, or performance. No amount of religious work, moral living, or ritual observance can erase the stain of past sin or ensure perfect future obedience.

Righteousness and Reading the KJV

The belief that reading the King James Version (KJV) only makes a person righteous is incorrect because it fundamentally misunderstands the source of righteousness.

• A Translation is a Tool: The KJV is a tool—a highly respected English translation of the Scriptures—used to learn about God and His plan. It is a means to an end, not the end itself.

• Righteousness is Spiritual: To believe that using a specific book or translation makes you righteous is to treat it as a religious work. This directly contradicts Paul's message that righteousness comes through faith, not through works or the Law (Romans 3:28).

A person becomes righteous before God through a spiritual transformation and relationship, regardless of which reliable language or translation they use to study the Bible.

The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) and Righteousness

The Dead Sea Scrolls, penned primarily by a strict Jewish sect (often identified as the Essenes) around the time of Jesus, show a community intensely focused on righteousness. They teach us that:

• Righteousness is Found in Strict Adherence: The Qumran community believed true righteousness lay in perfect and absolute obedience to the Law, as they uniquely interpreted it. Their intense focus on purity, ritual, and a specific religious calendar was their attempt to be the only truly righteous people of Israel.

• The Inadequacy of Human Effort: Despite their incredible discipline, their writings still reflect the underlying Jewish belief that ultimate righteousness is a gift from God. Their efforts highlight just how high the required standard was—a standard that even their rigorous lifestyle could not perfectly meet.

The DSS, therefore, confirm the spirit of the Law: it demands perfection. This historical context makes Paul's argument even stronger: if even the most devoted legalists failed to attain perfect righteousness, then the method itself (works of the law) is flawed.

The Relationship of the Work of the Law and Jesus Christ

Paul's core theological argument hinges on defining the distinct but related roles of the Law and Jesus Christ:

The Work of the Law

The Law (the Torah) was given by God for three main purposes:

1. To Define Sin: The primary function is to show humanity what sin is and to make people aware of their own unrighteousness. "The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24).

2. To Condemn/Guide: The Law acts as a mirror, reflecting our spiritual failure. It shows what a righteous life looks like and thus condemns us for failing to live it.

3. It Cannot Give Life: Paul asserts that the Law is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), but it is incapable of giving life or making a person righteous, because it merely demands perfection without providing the power to achieve it.

The Work of Jesus Christ

Christ accomplished what the Law could only demand:

1. Perfect Obedience: Jesus lived the perfectly righteous life that the Law required but which no human could achieve.

2. Atoning Sacrifice: He died as a substitute, taking the condemnation (the just penalty) for human sin that the Law demanded.

3. The End of the Law's Reign: Christ is the "end of the law for righteousness" (Romans 10:4). This means He fulfills its purpose, making a new way of becoming righteous available.

The Relationship: The Law points to the need for salvation; Christ provides the salvation. The Law reveals sin; Christ redeems the sinner.

How Someone Can Become Righteous Before God

Paul defines this process using the term Justification, which means being declared righteous or accounted just in God's sight. This is achieved through the spiritual dynamic of faith:

1. Faith in Christ: A person must acknowledge their own sinfulness (as revealed by the Law) and place their complete trust in Jesus Christ—specifically in His atoning death and resurrection—as the only means of salvation.

2. Imputed Righteousness: At the moment of faith, God performs a divine exchange: He imputes (credits or transfers) Christ's perfect righteousness to the believer's account and removes the penalty of their sin.

3. A Gift, Not a Wage: This righteousness is a gift of God's grace, received through faith, and it is entirely apart from any human work (Romans 3:28). This is why Paul's initial statement ("There is none righteous") is so critical—it forces people to abandon self-effort and rely solely on Christ.

The righteous standing is thus an external declaration by God, based not on the person's performance, but on the finished work of Jesus Christ.