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Romans Commentary Chapters 9-16  /  Romans 10:1-4 the Folly of Seeking Righteousness in the Law  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
The transcript uses Luke’s description of Zacharias and Elizabeth as “both righteous before God, walking blamelessly,” and Jesus’ phrase “prophets and righteous men” to argue that Scripture can call real humans righteous; how should those examples shape the way you talk about sanctification, holiness, and the possibility of actually pleasing God?
Another way to ask: Scripture calls some real people “righteous” and “blameless.” How should that shape how you talk about sanctification, holiness, and whether it’s possible to truly please God?

Direct Answer The examples show that Scripture can honestly describe real people as righteous in a meaningful sense, even if not absolutely perfect. Based on Bercot’s argument, we should speak of sanctification and holiness as genuinely possible—walking faithfully and obediently in a way that pleases God.

Support from Transcript:

  • Luke’s example is quoted: Zacharias and Elizabeth were “both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.”
  • Jesus is quoted: “many prophets and righteous men” longed to see what the disciples saw, showing “righteous men” is a normal biblical category.
  • Bercot argues against the claim that believers “can never have any righteousness of our own,” citing “over a hundred verses” describing people as righteous.
  • He clarifies: “no human is righteous in an absolute sense,” so “righteous” does not mean sinless perfection.
  • He ties righteousness to “faithfulness and obedience” that God expects from fallen humans.
Discussion Follow-ups How does calling real people “righteous” affect how you talk about spiritual growth? Do you believe God can truthfully be pleased with your obedience—why or why not?

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