The concept of Righteous in Christianity
In Christianity, the term "righteous" encompasses individuals who live morally upright lives and follow God's commandments, offering them hope for eternal life and rewards after death. These individuals are associated with happiness, contrasting with the wicked's suffering, and are seen as role models who positively influence others. The righteous are also linked to key biblical figures and events, highlighting their potential to be advocates for others in divine judgment and their eventual resurrection and eternal reward in God's kingdom.
Synonyms: Just, Virtuous, Honorable, Moral, Ethical, Blameless, Upright, Noble, Good, Pious, Fair
In Dutch: Rechtvaardig; In Finnish: Vanhurskas; In Spanish: Justo; In German: Gerecht; In Malay: Soleh; In Swedish: ¸éä³Ù³Ù´Úä°ù»å¾±²µ; In French: Vertueux
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Christian concept of 'Righteous'
From: Ante-nicene Fathers
(1) The righteous are the ones who are being referred to in the Scripture, and are the ones who are to reprove and correct, according to the Scripture.[1] (2) The righteous are contrasted with the wicked and are associated with being separated from the wicked by angels before the consummation of the age.[2] (3) The eyes of the Lord are focused on the righteous, and He listens to their prayers, offering them deliverance from all of their troubles.[3] (4) These individuals, the worshippers of God, are feared by demons and are able to drive them away through the power of their faith and adjurations, revealing the demons' true nature.[4] (5) A person who is innocent and should not be unjustly condemned, and who should not have their righteousness taken away from them due to bribery or unjust actions.[5]
From: Gospel of Thomas Commentary
(1) This term is used to contrast with the poor, and it refers to those who are often believed to be blessed with riches, according to a common view.[6]
From: Expositions of Holy Scripture
(1) The ones who shall enter the gate of the Lord, a concept related to the authority of Christ over the dead.[7] (2) This refers to those from whom righteousness is taken away, indicating a loss of justice and fairness.[8] (3) This refers to those who believe they do not need healing, and Jesus says that He did not come to call them, but rather those who know they are sick.[9] (4) This term refers to individuals who adhere to moral and ethical principles, and whose destiny is contrasted with the wicked.[10] (5) These individuals will blaze forth like the sun in My heavenly Father’s Kingdom, and the beginning of it all is ‘Holiness to the Lord� written on our hearts, and the end of that is the vision which is impossible without holiness.[11]
From: A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings)
(1) These individuals are those who live in the temporary abode, or Paradise, between their death and the Parousia, and they are also associated with the tree of life and the righteous feast.[12] (2) This term refers to those who are morally upright and who will be equal to angels in the world to come, according to Christ's teachings.[13] (3) This is one of the characteristics of the Melchizedekian order.[14] (4) The lips are metaphorically described as righteous, indicating the nature of the words spoken from them.[15] (5) The individuals who, after being raised from the dead, were believed to ascend to the heavens to live eternally, according to certain religious beliefs.[16]
From: A Cyclopedia of Biblical literature
(1) These are the individuals who will experience happiness in the future state, as the term 'Paradise' has been transferred to denote their happiness.[17] (2) The righteous are those who are rewarded according to a righteous law, but we would not dissemble that we are here met with important objections, although infinitely less, even though they were unanswerable, than beset such as would reject the doctrine of Providence.[18] (3) These are the people who are associated with happiness, and their fate is contrasted with the suffering of the wicked, and it is a key element in the discussion of future consequences.[19] (4) The righteous, during the interval, or the inferior paradise, were supposed to be in the upper part of this receptacle, according to the text.[20] (5) The righteous are those who will receive high rewards and remembrance in that last day when the Lord shall make up his peculiar treasures, as promised by Malachi.[21]
From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository
(1) This refers to those who flourish like the palm tree, representing their enduring nature and connection to grace, as referenced in Psalms 92:12.[22] (2) This refers to the individuals who have hope in their death, contrasting with the wicked who are driven away in their wickedness.[23] (3) The text indicates that Christ referred to Abel as righteous, acknowledging the significance of his actions and the righteousness he attained through faith.[24]
From: The Complete Sayings of Jesus
(1) This refers to those who will inherit eternal life, who are recognized for their acts of kindness and compassion towards others, especially the less fortunate.[25] (2) These are the people who will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, representing those who are good and will be rewarded.[26]
From: Hymns for Christian Devotion
(1) Those who lead a morally correct life and act in accordance with God's will, serving as role models for the straying.[27]
From: The city of God
(1) In the provided text, it refers to a person's actions and conduct being morally correct and just, which contrasted with the actions of Cain.[28] (2) The text mentions that the perturbations of the soul appear as right affections in the life of the righteous, implying that the righteous experience emotions in a way that aligns with their virtuous character.[29] (3) The text refers to 'the righteous' as those whose glory is in God, and who should strive to resist the desire for human praise.[30] (4) The righteous are those who make a good use of both good and evil things, including death, and they can turn the punishment of sin into an instrument of virtue.[31] (5) These are the ones who will be rewarded in the last judgment, enjoying unsullied and eternal felicity, and separated from the wicked as the sheep from the goats.[32]
From: The Book of the Bee
(1) Our Lord will ascend to heaven, and the angels will go before Him like ambassadors, and the just and the righteous will be upon His right hand and His left, and the children behind Him in the form of the life-giving Cross.[33] (2) The resurrection of the righteous and the just and the believers will precede that of other men, according to some traditions, as mentioned in the text.[34] (3) These are the individuals who will experience happiness as a reward for their actions, and their happiness will be perceived through the power of intelligence, contrasting with the suffering of the wicked.[35] (4) The text mentions that these individuals will enter heaven after the resurrection, signifying a reward for their good deeds.[36]
From: The Kebra Nagast
(1) This refers to a group of people who will not be harmed, and is used to highlight a positive outcome.[37] (2) This refers to the men who shall carry the Pearl, and the women who have carried the Pearl shall not be destroyed.[38]
From: The Second Helvetic Confession
(1) Jesus Christ, who serves as an advocate for those who sin, as mentioned in the text, in the presence of the Father.[39] (2) Righteous individuals are made so by faith in Christ, purely by the grace of God, who does not impute our sins, but the righteousness of Christ.[40]
Gnostic concept of 'Righteous'
From: Pistis Sophia
(1) These are individuals from Adam to Jesus who are in the aeons, who will find the mysteries of the Light, enter in and inherit the Light-kingdom.[41] (2) These are the ones who will see and be afraid, and they will mock at him, according to the provided text.[42] (3) These are the individuals who will be given the mysteries, so that they can be taken into the Light, since without mysteries they cannot enter the Light.[43]
From: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten
(1) A reference to certain communities acknowledged in the Sibylline Oracles, potentially related to the belief systems of the Ebionites.[44]