E. P. Sanders helpfully outlines the way in which Palestinian Judaism worked. He describes a fivefold soteriological pattern: Jews believed (1) that they were elected by grace; (2) that God gave the commandments as a gift; (3) that obedience to the commandments brings blessing while disobedience brings cursing; (4) that repentance and atonement for sin (5) will yield God’s forgiveness. Sanders terms this pattern of religion “Covenantal Nomism.[1]
[1] C. C. Newman, Dictionary of NT Background: Righteousness
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