Justification and Variegated Nomism.

Covenantal nomism, in opposition to merit theology, is the belief that 1st century Palestinian Jews did not believe in works righteousness.

Sanders termed the Jewish belief "covenantal nomism": one was a member of the people by virtue of God's covenant with Abraham, and one stayed in it by keeping the Law.

E. P. Sanders and other proponents of Covenantal nomism do not ask the question of whether this is simply another type of works righteousness, since works are necessary to maintain standing in the covenant.

As such, they believed that circumcision and other requirements of the Mosaic Law were required for salvation, if one equates fully faithful religious Jews with Legalism (theology); for a counterview, see Covenantal nomism.