In other words, the real “faith” versus “works” divide in Paul is more accurately framed as a divide between works performed as allegiance to Jesus the king versus works performed apart from new creation in the Christ.

Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom was, in short, the articulation of a new variant upon Israel’s basic worldview. The different elements of his announcement, which we study one by one in this Part of the book, should not therefore be conceived either as separate stages or as discrete themes within his work.