What is Righteousness?什么是“义”？

The Definition
定义

The Greek word that we translate as righteous is dike (pronounced, dee-kay). And while the ancient Greek meaning was tendency,the use of this word in the Bible implies justice and conformance to established standards. Justice means doing the right thing, and conformance to established standards (in the Bible) refers to following the ways of God. So, the word righteous can also be translated as just, since righteousness is so closely tied to justice.
被译成“义”（righteousness)的希腊文词是dike（音：笛凯）。在古希腊语中它的意思是倾向，在圣经中的意思是“正义”，“符合已经定立的标准”。“正义”意思是“做对的事”和“符合（圣经中）已经定立的标准”，是指要走神指引的道路。所以，“义”也可译成“正直”（或公义），因为“义”
也与“正义”意义接近。

Here are a few conclusions about what the Bible says is righteousness, and the scriptures from which these conclusions have been drawn:
What the Scriptures Say
If you really want to be righteous, you can be – Matthew 5:6: 'Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blest, because they will be satisfied.'
If you flaunt your righteousness, you won't receive a reward – Matthew 6:1:
'Be careful that you do not practice,
Your righteousness before other men,
So that they will see what you're doing…
Or you will receive no reward,
From your Father in heaven.'
Righteousness involves living for God's Kingdom – Matthew 6:33: '[If you] put the Kingdom and righteousness in first place, then all these [other] things will be given to you.'
The things you do prove whether you are righteous – Matthew 11:19: 'Wisdom is proven righteous by the things it does.'
The things that you say prove whether you are righteous – Romans 3:4: 'Your words can prove you righteous, and you can win when you're being judged.'
Someone who deliberately misleads other people can never be found righteous – Matthew 12:36:
'And I tell you that on the Judgment Day;
They'll have to answer for all the things,
Which they've said to lead others astray.'
Immoral, unclean, and greedy people will not be found righteous – Ephesians 5:5: 'All those who are immoral, unclean, and greedy (which really amounts to being an idol worshiper) won't have any inheritance in the Kingdom of God and the Anointed One.'
To be counted righteous, you must treat other righteous people very well – Matthew 25:37-40: 'Then the righteous will ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you? And the king will say to them, I tell you the truth; When you did it for one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.'
Righteous people are at peace with others – James 3:18: 'The seeds of the fruit of righteousness are planted in peace by those who are making peace.'
You have to be an honest judge to be found righteous – John 7:24: 'Quit judging from the way things look on the surface; judge righteously!'
Righteousness involves standing up for right things, even if that invites persecution – Acts 4:19, 20: 'If it's righteous in God's eyes to listen to you instead of to God, judge for yourselves. But we can't stop talking about the things we've seen and heard.'
A righteous person has faith in God and His promises – Romans 3:28: 'We believe that a man is called righteous due to his faith, so he doesn't have to follow the Law.'
True righteousness requires more than just faith – James 2:24: 'A man is pronounced righteous by the things that he does, not by his faith alone.'
To be counted as righteous, you can't be immoral or continue in a sinful course – Romans 6:12-14: 'Therefore, don't allow sin to rule your mortal bodies and don't obey its desires anymore… don't offer your body parts as unrighteous weapons of sin! Rather, offer yourselves to The God as people who've been made alive from among those [who are] dead; and [offer] your body parts to The God as weapons of righteousness! So, sin must not be your master; because, you aren't under Law, you're under [God's] loving care.'
Most people in the world aren't considered righteous – 1 Corinthians 6:1: 'Would any of you who think you have been [wronged] by another dare to take it to court [to be tried by] unrighteous men, rather than by the Holy Ones?'
Although faith is required to prove ourselves righteous, speaking about what we believe is what saves us – Romans 10:10: 'It is this belief in your heart that makes you righteous, but it's your mouth, when it confesses this, that brings salvation.'
If you aren't severely persecuted for being righteous, you won't be accepted in God's Kingdom – Matthew 5:10: 'Those who have been persecuted for doing what is right are blest, because the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them.'
Also, to see what the Bible says about specific matters having to do with sexual relationships, see the linked document Christian Morality.
Unrighteousness
The Greek word for unrighteous is adike. Yet, this word doesn't necessarily imply badness, it only indicates that the person hasn't met the requirements of being righteous. This is why many of such ones will be resurrected; for, Paul said (at Acts 24:15): 'There's going to be a resurrection of the righteous and of the unrighteous.'
Yet, unrighteous people won't immediately 'inherit God's Kingdom' upon their resurrection, as do the righteous (see Matthew 25:34); for, notice what Paul wrote at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10: 'Don't you know that the unrighteous won't inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't make any mistakes about this: Sexually immoral people, idol worshipers, adulterers, gays, men who have sex with men, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, insulters, and extortionists, won't inherit God's Kingdom.'
However, there appear to be several levels of unrighteousness, and not all of the unrighteous will be resurrected. For, notice what Psalm 1:4-6 tells us:
'But, for the impious this won't be so;
For, they're like the dust that's blown 'cross the earth.
So, they won't be raised in the Judgment,
Nor will sinners see the [blessings] on the righteous;
For, Jehovah knows what the righteous have done;
But, the ways of the impious will perish.'
Irreverent, Impious, Godless, and Wicked
The Greek word that was translated as impious above, asebe, appears to imply a person who knows God and what He requires, but disrespectfully chooses not to do what is right. Certainly those who are guilty of asebe know God; for in the Proverbs, Solomon mentions their offering Him faulty gifts. Asebe is a difficult word to translate with any clarity, because in an irreverent society, irreverence and its synonym impious, are passé.
In the poetic Bible books (such as Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations) we find the word asebe contrasted with righteousness. And at times, it not only implies disrespect for God, but also disrespect for other humans. So, depending on the need and the implication, we have translated it as irreverent, impious, and disrespectful.
Many of the Scribes and Pharisees were like that; for, Jesus said of them (at Matthew 23:15): 'So, woe to you scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites! Because, you travel land and sea to make a single convert; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of the garbage dump (gr. Gehenna) as yourselves!'
Understand that Gehenna is the name of the valley which served as the garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem in Jesus' time, and it appears as though his use of this term implied that such individuals (the irreverent Scribes and Pharisees) could not expect a resurrection… that they will just be gone like garbage that is burned in a fire. For more information on this, see the linked document, 'Is there a Burning Hell?'
We can see the difference between those whom God considers unrighteous and those who, He considers irreverent in the ways that the ancient royalty of Judah and Israel were treated when they died. Most were said to have been buried with their fathers… implying that they had gone to the common grave of mankind (gr. hades) where they would await a resurrection (see Revelation 20:13). However, dogs ate wicked Queen Jezebel, and the implication (by God's causing this to happen) is that she was just gone and would never live again. She was wicked (gr. ponerou), and there is no hope for those who remain wicked.
Ponerou is the Greek word most commonly translated as wicked, and it refers to those who are willfully bad; so, like the asebe (irreverent), they are undeserving of a resurrection. Yet, this condemned condition isn't irreversible; because, at Isaiah 1:16, such ones are urged to:
'Bathe yourselves and get clean!
Remove your wicked lives from My eyes!
Stop being bad and learn to do good;
Insist on [judgments that are] fair;
Rescue those who've been wronged;
Give decisions [in favor of] orphans, as well as justice to widows…
Then you can come and plead before me, says Jehovah.
And if your sins should be crimson red;
As white as snow, [I will make them].
And even if they are like scarlet,
I'll make them as white as fine wool.'
The Bad and the Foul
The Greek word for bad is kakia, and it may imply the same thing as being evil. Notice what we are told about the fate of the bad at Proverbs 6:14-18: 'He plans to do bad, since his heart is perverted, and he brings disturbance to his own town. But, because of this, his death will come soon… he'll be cut off and not be brought back… because, he rejoices at things that God hates. He's destroyed, because his life is unclean… because his eyes are insulting… because his tongue is unrighteous… because his hands have shed righteous blood… because his heart conspires to do bad, and his feet run to do evil.'
The Greek word for foul is almost the same as in English, phaulos (fowl-os), and it means worthless, wicked, or base. We do know that some of the foul will be resurrected, since Jesus said at John 5:28, 29: 'Don't be surprised at this, because the hour is coming when everyone in the tombs will hear his voice and come out; those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced what is foul to a resurrection of judgment.'
And while some think that these verses are speaking of the separating of the dead after the resurrection and the two outcomes thereafter, this doesn't seem likely; for, notice what Jesus said at John 6:40: 'This is what my Father's Will is: that everyone who pays close attention to the Son and believes in him should have age-long life (gr. zoe aionos), and I will resurrect him on the Last Day.'
So, those who pay close attention (or obey) and believe in Jesus appear to be already considered among the 'living.' For, notice what Jesus said (about God) at Matthew 22:32: 'He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living.' As the result, it appears as though, when 'the living' are resurrected, theirs is likely the 'resurrection of life.' Whereas the unrighteous and foul are considered dead in the eyes of God; so, theirs may be a resurrection during a period when they will have to undergo judgment.
Other Words for Unrighteousness
Several other Greek words are used to describe the unrighteous in the Bible, and we won't attempt to show the outcome for each of them, because the Bible doesn't tell us any more. These words are:
Anomia – lawbreakers
Hamartia – sinners
Athiest – those who don't believe in God.
The Outcome Of the Unrighteous
The outcome of unrighteousness is death; for, Romans 1:28-32 tells us: 'He gave them an unrighteous mind, which makes them do things that are wrong. They are filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, badness, envy, murder, arguments, deceit, bad manners, and gossip. [They are] slanderers, God haters, insolent, proud, braggers, inventors of badness, disobedient to parents, without any understanding, agreement breakers, without any natural feelings, and merciless. Although they know the righteous ways of God very well – and that those who do such things deserve death – they not only keep on doing them, but they also approve of others who do such things.'
So, all forms of unrighteousness are mentioned in the above scripture, both the lesser wickedness of those who will be resurrected, and the greater wickedness of those who won't be. However, they are all considered the dead.
Unrighteous Acts
The Scriptures show that unrighteous acts include:
Greediness
Envy
Murder
Arguing
Deceitfulness
Having bad manners (being rude)
Gossiping
Slandering
Not believing in God (atheism)
Insolence
Pride
Bragging
Being responsible for any badness
Being disobedient to one's parents
Refusing to be reasonable
Not honoring agreements
Not loving your family (gr. astorge)
Not being merciful
Being sexually immoral
Worshiping idols
Committing adultery
Practicing homosexuality
Thievery
Drunkenness
Insulting
Extorting
Being an angry person.
(Romans 1:28-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, James 1:19, 20).

http://www.2001translation.com/Righteousness.html

四大信经

1. 使 徒 信 经


（使徒信经）是最简短且在今日教会中使用最为普遍的一篇，全篇共十二条。据说在五旬节后，十二使徒分散往各地传道，为确保真理的合一，临行前制定了此信经，由各使徒每人提供一句，所以共有十二句。此说已不可考，但大部份人认为是后人根据使徒所传之道而写成的，故你〈使徒信经〉。最早曾在爱任纽（Irenaeus，ca．130～c，200）二世纪的著作中发现，但今日所呈现之形式是大约于七世纪间形成的。

此信经乃是根据教会的需要而制定的。在早期教会中，信徒受洗加入教会之前所需要的基本真理教导，即以此信经为准则；一般教会的教导也以此为根基，而教会信仰之纯正与否也以是否符合信经的教导为考核。在早期教会受逼迫时，信徒皆秘密地信守此信经，直至逼迫结束。而何时成为公共崇拜的一部份则不可考。也有人认为信经具有辩证的性质：撒伯流派（Sabellianism）宣称圣父、子、圣灵是独一神之三种显示；马吉安（Marcion，100～165）否定基督道成肉身及复活；诺斯底派（Gnosticism）不承认基督有身体；多纳徒派（Donatism）不接纳大公教会；使徒信经清楚指出以上各派之错误。

此信经可分为三段：第一段宣认父神为创造之主；第二段宣认基督为神也为人，并承认其救赎之工；第三段宣认圣灵、大公教会及信徒成圣之生活。使徒信经不是抽象偏重逻辑的陈述，而是真实的信仰告白，历代教父皆尊崇此经，且至今仍为各宗派所接纳，成为众教会彼此相通的基础。


使徒信经


1.我信上帝，全能的父，创造天地的主。
2.我信我主耶稣基督，上帝的独生子；
3.因着圣灵感孕，从童贞女马利亚所生；
4.在本丢披拉多手下受难，被钉在十字架上，受死，埋葬；
5.降在阴间；第三天从死里复活；
6.他升天，坐在全能父上帝的右边；
7.将来必从那里降临，审判活人，死人。
8.我信圣灵；
9.我信圣而公之教会；我信圣徒相通；
10.我信罪得赦免；
11.我信身体复活；
12.我信永生。阿们！

2. 尼 西 亚 信 经


尼西亚信经是在西元325年第一次召开的教会议会中制定的。当时亚利乌（Arius，256～336）及其理论在教会中造成分裂，他主张圣子为圣父所造，因此与圣父不同本质。此说被亚历山大的主教定为异端，但后来却因他的口才与政治长才，得蒙亚城之外地区的支持，而造成两派的对立。罗马皇帝君士坦丁（Constantine）深恐教会会因此分裂，于是在325年尼西亚这个地方召开会议，深盼在神学观点上取得共识。议会共有318位主教参加，除了少数几位来自西方教会之外，其余皆是说希腊语的东方教会代表，而这其中又分为安提阿的亚利乌派，亚历山大的正统派及由历史家优西比乌（Eusebius.260～340）所领导的中间派。当亚利乌派的代表优西比乌（非历史家）提出其信仰论点时，立即受到强烈的否定，且被定为异端；于是在皇帝的特使侯休斯（Hosiusof Cordova）的领导之下，完成了尼西亚信经，并经所有主教的签名表示接纳。此信经被送到帝国各处，是第一个具有权威又普遍的信仰告白。

尼西亚信经很明显的是反对亚利乌的神学：子是「从真神而来的真神」，虽是生出的，却是「从父而来」，而「非受造」；而且子是「从父的本体而来」，并且「与父本体相同」，都是针对亚利乌派错误而提出的。

此信经与今日教会使用的尼西亚信经并不完全相同，后者较前者为长，且不包含一些尼西亚信经中重要的用语。为何有此演变，则无人知晓了！


尼西亚信经


1．我信独一上帝，全能的父，创造大地和有形无形万物的主。
2．我信独一主耶稣基督，上帝的独生子，在万世以前为父所生，出于神而为神，出于光而为光，出于真神而为真神，受生而非被造，与父一体，万物都是藉着他造的；
3．他为要拯救我们世人，从天降临，因着圣灵，并从童女马利亚成肉身，而为人。
4．在本丢彼拉多手下，为我们钉于十字架上，受难，埋葬；
5．照圣经第三天复活；
6．并升天，坐在父的右边；
7．将来必有荣耀再降临，审判活人死人；他的国度永无穷尽；
8．我信圣灵，赐生命的主，从父和子出来，与父子同受敬拜，同受尊荣，他曾藉众先知说话。
9．我信独一种圣大公使徒的教会；
10．我认使罪得赦的独一洗礼；
11．我望死人复活；
12．并来世生命。

3. 迦 克 墩 信 经



〈迦克墩信经〉是于西元451年召开的第四次教会议会中制定的。当时有不同的基督论产生，造成了东方教会的混乱，其中尤以涅斯多留（Nestorians）及犹提干（Eutyches，380～456）为最主要的困惑；前者宣称基督具有神人二性并双重位格，乃是为了要保持基督人性的完整。后者则站在相对的地位，宣称基督只有一个位格，但也只有一个神性，因为他的人性已被神性盖过，就如同一滴醋落入在大海里而消逝一般。而涅氏已在431年召开的以弗所议会中被定为异端，故犹提干则成为迦克墩议会最主要的背景。

此议会的召集人是罗马皇帝马仙（Marcian，396～457），参加的有来自东方教会的主教500人及教皇代表数位。起初大家一致通过接纳尼西亚信经，利欧的〈大卷〉及区利罗写给涅氏的信件，为基督论的正统，并无意重新制定信经。但是马仙及政府的代表认为若不重新清楚的诠释基督论，则不足以解决教会的纷争，极力要求重定信仰告白，于是议会决定制定迦克墩信经。

此信经的重点有二：一则它极力维护基督单一位格的完整，二则它全然强调基督神人二性的分别。基督从神性而言与父神同质，但就他的人性而言，他与人类同质，而此二性是「不相混乱，不相交换，不能分开，不能离散」的，并且此二性是存在于一位格之内。因此，犹提乾派被定为异端。


〈迦克墩信经〉并未解释基督神人二性的奇特性，但是它制定了一正统的模范，并显出救恩之所以可能，正是因为基督是神也是人：因此，此信经成为基督论正统的准则。


迦克墩信经

我们跟随圣教父，同心合意教人宣认同一位子，我们的主耶稣基督，是神性完全人性亦完全者；
他真是上帝，也真是人，具有理性的灵魂，也具有身体；
按神性说，他与父同体，按人性说，他与我们同体，在凡事上与我们一样，只是没有罪；
按神性说，在万世之先，为父所生，按人性说，在晚近时日，为求拯救我们，由上帝之母，童女马利亚所生；
是同一基督，是子，是主，是独生的，具有二性，不相混乱，不相交换，不能分开，不能离散；
二性的区别不因联合而消失，各性的特点反得以保存，会合于一个性格，一个实质之内，而并非分离成为两个位格，却是同一位子，独生的，道上帝，主耶稣基督；
正如众先知论到他自始所宣讲的，主耶稣基督自己所教训我们的，诸圣教父的信经所传给我们的。

4. 亚 他 那 修 信 经

据说此信经是亚他那修在第四世纪，根据以前的信经及奥古斯丁的三位一体论写成的，最早曾在第五世纪的拉丁教会中出现过，而完整的形式则要到第九世纪，那时大家都认为它是亚他那修的作品，所以它极县权威性。但在第十七世纪时，罗马天主教的学者Voss宣称此信经并非出于亚他那修之手，他提出亚他那修必以希腊文著作，但此信经却流传于拉丁教会中，可见原作必是以拉丁文写成，决非出于亚氏，而且文中并未使用亚氏最为强调的「本体相同」（Homoousia）一词。从此无人确知此信经之作者。 

亚他那修信经是第一个陈述三位一体教义的信经，也是最好的一个。它的文词简洁，清晰，是西方三大信仰正统告白之一，且为路德及改革宗所肯定，但如今只流传于天主教及英国国教圣公会之中。 

此信经是以诗体写成，共有四十句教条，可分为两部份：第一部份以三位一体为主题，是依据奥古斯丁的神学写成；第二部份则强调基督的神人二性，道成肉身及救赎。 

亚他那修信经在当时教会中最主要的功能有三：

1．在公共崇拜中使用。

2．作为教会教导的指引及基准。

3．其清楚的教义可用于抵制撒伯流、阿波林、亚利乌及犹提干等异端。 

亚他那修信经

1．凡人欲得救，首先当持守大公教会信仰。

2．此信仰，凡守之不全不正者，必永远沉沦。

3．大公教会信仰即！我等敬拜一体三位，而三位一体之神，

4．其位不紊，其体不分。

5．父一位，子一位，圣灵亦一位。

6．然而父子圣灵同一神性，同一荣耀，亦同一永恒之尊严。

7．父如何，子如何，圣灵亦如何。

8．父不受造，子不受造，圣灵亦不受造。

9．父无限，子无限，圣灵亦无限。

10．父永恒，子永恒，圣灵亦永恒。

11．非三永恒者，乃一永恒者。

12．亦非三不受造者，非三无限者，乃一不受造者，一无限者。

13．如是，父全能，子全能，圣灵亦全能。

14．然而，非三全能者，乃一全能者。

15．如是，父是神，子是神，圣灵亦是神。

16．然而，非三神，乃一神。

17．如是，父是主，子是主，圣灵亦是主。

18．然而，非三主，乃一主。

19．依基督真道，我等不得不认三位均为神，均为主。

20．依大公教，我等亦不得谓神有三，亦不得谓主有三。

21．父非由谁作成：既非受造，亦非受生。

22．子独由于父：非作成，亦非受造；而为受生。

23．圣灵由于父与子：既非作成，亦非受造，亦非受生；而为发出。

24．如是，有一父，非三父，有一子，非三子，有一圣灵，非三圣灵。

25．且此三位无分先后，无别尊卑。

26．三位乃均永恒，而同等。

27．由是如前所言，我等当敬拜一体三位，而三位一体之神。

28．所以凡欲得救者，必如是而思三位一体之神。

29．再者，为求得永恒救赎，彼亦必笃信我等之主耶稣基督成为人身。

30．依真正信仰，我等信认神之子我等之主耶稣基督，为神，又为人。

31．其为神，与圣父同体，受生于诸世界之先；其为人，与其母同体，诞生于此世界。

32．全神，亦全人，具有理性之灵，血肉之身。

33．依其为神，与父同等，依其为人，少逊于父。

34．彼虽为神，亦为人，然非为二，乃为一基督。

35．彼为一，非由于变神为血肉，乃由于使其人性进入于神。

36．合为一；非由二性相混，乃由位格为一。

37．如灵与身成为一人，神与人成为一基督。

38．彼为救我等而受难，降至阴间，第三日从死复活。

39．升天，坐于全能神父之右。

40．将来必从彼处降临，审判活人死人。

41．彼降临时，万人必具身体复活；

42．并供认所行之事。

43．行善者必入永生，作恶者必入永火。

44．此乃大公教会信仰，人除非笃实相信，必不能得救。

perfect 还是译成“完美”比较准确。

现代汉语“完全”应对应“complete".

(新约)
太(Mat)
5:48 所以你们要完全，像你们的天父完全一样。
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

若译成：
5:48 所以你们要完美，像你们的天父一样完美。

读起来就易懂多了。