“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:5-6).
Federal Visionists love this verse because it seems to support two of their favorite false doctrines: 1) righteousness does not always mean perfection; 2) keeping the law does not always require perfection. These false doctrines betray theological immaturity and a lack of familiarity with the doctrines of the Reformation.
First, we know that “there is none righteous” (Romans 3:10). Thus, Luke must be speaking of the positional righteousness of Zacharias and Elizabeth. They have been righteous in Christ by possessing the alien righteousness of Christ.
Second, Luke does not mean that Zacharias and Elizabeth actually walked blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Only Jesus kept the Covenant of Works and merited eternal life by his own righteousness. This must be referring to what Christ accomplished for them. Remember, “all our righteousness is like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
