"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" [Job 1:1]
Oooops!
Gen 20:4 God says there are not only righteous people, but a whole righteous nation
Oooops!
Exodus 23:7 God commands: do not slay innocent and righteous.
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Psalm 7:11 God judges the righteous
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Mat 9:13 Christ says: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Ooops!
Mat 5:45 God "sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
Oooops!
I think it's obvious that "righteous" and "just" did exist and that Paul's statement must be interpreted in less then a Protestant literalism.
For, surely, the Protestants would agree that Moses was just and that the Prophets through whom the Holy Spirit worked were among the just, and righteous, as the whole nation of Israel (according to the OT), or as Job was in God's eyes.
In Christ, we are righteous. Looking forward to Christ, the Old Testament Saints were righteous.
Galatians 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Oops. Better go back to the drawing board there Kosta.