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Who Are the Real Antinomians?

KenH

KenH

Well-Known Member
Who Are the Real Antinomians?

An antinomian is one who is against the law of God. Just about every true Gospel preacher and believer has been accused by legalists of being antinomians. The reason is that we who believe the true Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ claim from the Scriptures that “we are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:15), and we “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). But, contrary to what the legalists accuse us, not being under the law and standing fast in our liberty in Christ gives us no license to sin or to lead ungodly lives. Though it is true that we are not under the Old Covenant law of Moses, this does not mean that we have no words of guidance and obedience from the Lord in His Word which we are commanded to obey. This obedience is necessary but not as conditions by which we merit or earn salvation, blessings, and rewards from God. That is legalism, and it is a denial of the Gospel of God’s grace and the righteousness of God which is freely given and imputed to us without our works of the law (Romans 3:21-31; Romans 4:1-8). The real antinomians are those who use the law of God as a means of earning God’s favor and blessings. They think that by their efforts to keep the law, they can measure up enough to stop sinning enough to be righteous in themselves and win God’s favor and blessings. In reality, they are breaking and ignoring the law which says flee to Christ for all righteousness and obey Him as motivated by love and grace, not law (Romans 10:4)!

—Pastor Bill Parker, Eager Avenue Grace Church, Albany, Georgia
 
CJP69

CJP69

Active Member
Judaism is based on the law. It is literally a religion of law. There is hasn't ever been any such thing as a practicing Jew that wasn't legalistic, by definition. That's by the definition of both the words, "Law" and, "Judaism".

So, no! Legalists are not the Pharisees of today, as though it was somehow bad for someone to be a Pharisee or that there was some other sects of Judaism that would have been the ancient equivalent of today's Calvinist who believes that God intentionally predestined everyone to be evil and then picked some people to save by arbitrary whim (this is what is typically meant by the term "Sovereign Grace").

The Pharisees weren't nut cases. If you were a Jew in the first century that took God's word seriously and you didn't live your life in a basically secular fashion where you barely gave God's word a second thought as you went about your daily life, then you probably supported the Pharisees and might even have considered yourself to be one. Paul had been a Pharisee and proudly so!

The major problem with the Pharisees wasn't their allegiance to the law or their desire to remain separated from the Gentiles but rather their desire to hold oral tradition as authoritative in regards to religious belief, practice and policy. Thus, if there is a group that could be called modern Pharisees, it would be Catholics and/or Orthodox believers but even that is a pretty long stretch because, regardless of how monstrous the error, making one similar error is a long way from making the two groups kissing cousins.

In short, Pharisees where little more than Jews who took their religion seriously, but all Jews were legalists, including Peter, James and John, none of whom called themselves Pharisees (that we know of) and if you believe that your following the law has nothing to do with getting saved then you believe that because, and only because, of Paul's epistles. If not for his epistles and the book of Acts which substantiates his ministry, we would all be legalists, basically living our religious lives as Messianic Jews.
 
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