“... a righteousness apart from Law ...” (Apostle Paul, Epistle to the Romans)
The Messiah taught Torah (Old Testament Law and teachings) keeping as a way to survive and live “Do this and you will live” He said. Then He taught selling all and following Him as a way to be made perfect. So maybe the righteousness Paul had in mind is not to simply live but to become perfect. This is not merely through Torah keeping but through faith and following the Messiah. He even taught that the focus is not so much on Torah as on faith and obedience coming from faith. He even taught it is available even to those who are not under the Torah - who are not bound to keeping it. So for a Jew to live there is Torah but for both Jew and Gentile to be made perfect there is a Messiah in whom to believe and then follow forsaking this world’s trappings.
The nature of this perfection is all there in the gospels: perfect elimination of fornication entails permamently ceasing to look lustfully at women; perfect elimination of satanic ways entails permanently ceasing from lying and from murdering and that ceasing from murdering entails ceasing from hateful thoughts that aren’t deserved. Perfect kindness entails kindness to not only friends but also extending to enemies who do you harm. So it is more perfect in degree beyond what Torah requires but also in permanence beyond what Torah requires - permanence after death eternally as well as before in this life. In Revelation there is more: ceasing from lying means all kinds of lying. The Epistles expand on it and start to introduce the means of this perfection which is becoming part of a mutually loving body all united in spirit and purpose and rebuking each other to perfect each other and washed from pollutng thoughts and attitudes by anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The nature of this perfection is all there in the gospels: perfect elimination of fornication entails permamently ceasing to look lustfully at women; perfect elimination of satanic ways entails permanently ceasing from lying and from murdering and that ceasing from murdering entails ceasing from hateful thoughts that aren’t deserved. Perfect kindness entails kindness to not only friends but also extending to enemies who do you harm. So it is more perfect in degree beyond what Torah requires but also in permanence beyond what Torah requires - permanence after death eternally as well as before in this life. In Revelation there is more: ceasing from lying means all kinds of lying. The Epistles expand on it and start to introduce the means of this perfection which is becoming part of a mutually loving body all united in spirit and purpose and rebuking each other to perfect each other and washed from pollutng thoughts and attitudes by anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The disobedience gets knocked out of those who believe in Messiah to lead them into perfect righteousness. Eventually they obey perfectly. Those who are Jews who do not believe in this Messiah do well to obey Torah. Then they will live. But they will likely die in the sins they cannot help continually committing without Messiah to set them free.
