In the Greek New Testament, one often comes across the adjective 'dikaios', the noun 'dikaiosyne', the verb 'dikaio' and others. The words starting with 'dik' is common. Similarly, the word starting with 'dik' in Plato's Republic is common. And Republic is about justice. Well, in the translation, something has gone missing. 'Righteousness' or 'righteous' are often the words used to translate the word starting with 'dik' instead of 'justice' or 'just'. If one critically examines, 'righteousness/righteous' have similar meaning with 'justice/just'. However, in common usage they don't seem to be understood to mean the same thing. 'Righteousness' is meant to imply moral purity of the self; whereas 'justice' is meant to imply his or her relation to the outside world. One is pietistic and the other social.
In the Beatitude, one reads 'Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness/ for righteousness' sake' (dikaiosyne). Compare this with 'Blessed are those who are persecuted because of justice/for the sake of justice'. Is it plausible to suppose that I shall be persecuted for seeking pietistic moral purity or for seeking justice in social terrain? The latter seems more plausible. Nick gives so many more cases to argue that many a times where 'justice' must be used, the translators have used 'righteousness', and therefore, have led to the idea among certain people that justice has been supplanted in the New Testament. Theologically and biblically, one can make a strong case that justice runs through the entire Scripture.
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