Who Are the Real Antinomians?

Legalists are the real antinomians?

 

And what are Legalists… are they the Pharisees of today?

 

It would seem, by interpretation, some would say so.

 

I do say so. Thank you for clearing that up.

 

That's the least important of several contradictions that are spread throughout that opening post that start with the phrase "free and sovereign".

 

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.