A form of spiritual anarchy, which rejects the law as having any place in the Christian life, whether as instructor or as assessor. Paul's teaching that Christians are free from the law is sometimes misunderstood as antinomian. But Paul reveres God's law, and teaches believers, who are free from the law as a system of salvation, to keep it out of gratitude for salvation freely given, and because holiness as defined by the law is the Christian calling.
Antinomianism as a rejection of God's laws
Jeremiah 2:20 See also Proverbs 29:18; Jeremiah 5:5; Hosea 8:12; 2 Peter 2:10
“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.
Various people described as antinomian
Israel described as antinomian
Ezekiel 20:13 See also Exodus 32:25; Jeremiah 2:23–25; Hosea 8:1; Zechariah 7:11–12
Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances— though the man who does these things will live by them — and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
The ungodly described as antinomian
Jude 1:4 See also 2 Timothy 3:1–5; 2 Peter 2:13–15; Jude 1:8
For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed — ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
The antichrist described as antinomian
2 Thessalonians 2:3–10 See also Daniel 7:25, Daniel 8:9–12, Daniel 8:23–25 The object of these prophecies, Antiochus Epiphanes, foreshadowed the antichrist in his behaviour.
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness — the son of destruction — is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you? And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
Jesus Christ and his followers accused of antinomianism
Matthew 11:19 See also Matthew 12:2; John 9:16; Acts 6:11–14
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”
Jesus Christ came to fulfil the law, not abolish it
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Paul rejects antinomianism
Romans 6:1–2 See also Romans 3:31, Romans 7:7
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
Misunderstandings, by opponents and converts alike, about Paul's teaching on freedom from the law
Paul accused of antinomianism
Acts 21:28 See also Romans 3:8, Romans 6:15
crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
Paul corrects the Corinthians' interpretation of his teaching as a licence for antinomianism
1 Corinthians 10:23 The phrase “Everything is permissible” is probably the Corinthians' misinterpretation of Paul's teaching. See also 1 Corinthians 5:1–8, 1 Corinthians 6:12–13
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
Punishment of antinomians
Jeremiah 6:19 See also Ezra 7:26; Amos 2:4–5; Revelation 22:15
Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.