What Does This Mean: Matthew 5:20 Kjv - Except Your Righteousness Shall Exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees?
1) Direct answer
It means entrance into the Kingdom requires a righteousness that is not outward rule‑keeping like the scribes and Pharisees, but an inward righteousness—Christ’s own life in you—fulfilling God’s law from the heart by the Holy Ghost.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says the Pharisees were clean outside but full of uncleanness within (Matthew 23:25–28). Jesus was not asking for “more” of that; He demanded a different kind: heart righteousness.
- Right in this chapter, Jesus raises the law to the heart level: anger is murder in seed, lust is adultery in seed (Matthew 5:21–28). That shows the righteousness God requires is inward.
- By the law shall no flesh be justified (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). If outward works could open the Kingdom, the Pharisees would have qualified.
- Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth (Romans 10:4). God made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- The new covenant writes the law in the heart (Hebrews 8:10; Ezekiel 36:26–27), so that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:3–4).
- You must be born again to see and enter the Kingdom (John 3:3–5). That new birth is the only way your righteousness can exceed theirs.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- How will you “out‑Pharisee” the Pharisees—men who fasted, tithed, and kept traditions strictly—if righteousness is measured by external performance? You can’t.
- Jesus exposed the heart. Since sin begins within, righteousness must begin within. That’s why He pointed from acts to motives.
- The law can measure you but cannot change you. Christ gives a new nature; then the life of the Spirit produces what the law demanded: love that fulfills the law (Romans 13:10), the fruit of the Spirit against which there is no law (Galatians 5:22–23).
- So “exceed” means a higher quality, not a higher quantity—God’s righteousness, not self‑righteousness. It is received by faith and proven by a transformed walk.
4) Reinforcing statement
Repent and believe the Gospel, be identified with Christ, and receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Then the One who wrote the law will live it through you. That is the righteousness that exceeds and that opens the Kingdom.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Revelation, Chapter 4c Throne of mercy and judgement
61-0108 §154
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. What? To preach these... this. There's only one gospel; four guards. "Preach this gospel to every creature." Now, remember, He's taking in both... all four guards (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), see, "Preach the gospel to every creature." He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; ^^and^^ he that believeth not shall be damned. ^^ (See, you have to enter this baptism here.)^^ He that believeth and is baptized shall be sa...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-71
The question now arises, why are these two tribes deleted? The answer lies in Deuteronomy 29:16-20, "For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them: Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a ro...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 1:E-71
...see that you can't base interpretation upon students' profound knowledge of the language the Bible is written in. But if you still can't see that because you are veiled in your mind by tradition here is one last illustration. No one can doubt but what the Scribes and Pharisees and the great scholars of the year 33 A.D. knew the exact laws of grammar and the exact meanings of the words in which the Old Testament was written; but for all their superb knowledge they missed the revelation of God's promised Word manife...
Mary's belief
61-0121 §30
Now, listen, friends. Don't take a substitute. Don't just shake a man's hand and put your name on the book. That's ... as far as it goes, that's all right. It might help you to get out of the saloon and get in a decent place and try to live right. That won't do it though. "Except a man be born again he cannot even see the kingdom of God." Now, see means "to understand." There's a lot of people that say they're born again and can't understand the message of God, can't see the angel of the Lord. Their eyes are blinde...
The Queen of the South
60-1127E §26
Now, I'm going to speak tonight on divine healing, the Lord willing, a little along that line. But, let's turn now to Matthew the twelfth chapter for a little text. And then from this draw a context, the Lord willing. Matthew the twelfth chapter. And now, let's start reading at the thirty-eighth verse of Matthew, the twelfth chapter, to you who are taking down the text, as many times people in meetings do. They take the text down and keep it kind of in their mind. Then when they get the tapes, they rehearse it and...