Freedom Versus Autonomy

Arguably, one of the greatest inventions is the automobile. Very few people call it an “automobile” anymore; rather, it’s typically called a “car” or “vehicle”. The word “automobile” is derived from two root words, “autos” (Greek meaning “self”) and “mobile” (French meaning “moving”). Combine these two meanings together and you get “self-moving”. From a driver’s perspective, an automobile is a machine that is able to move itself. It really is a grand invention and would’ve been perceived as almost magical when it was first invented.

Next, we have the Greek word “nomos”, which is translated “law” in the Bible. For example, “For the law [nomos] was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Law always implies a sovereignty, which has the right to dictate and enforce rules over its subjects. Law implies government and governmental authority. An easy way to think about law for our purposes here is to consider the practical aspects of it. For example, we are all under the law of our land and if we break the law, we are duly punished. In other words, we live under the rule of whatever sovereignty God has ordained in our lives.


According to Holy Scripture, the sovereign, holy God of the Universe has instructed us to obey our governing authorities. This brings up an interesting point. In the case of America, for example, aren’t we rather proud of our freedom, claiming to have fought wars over protecting it? Aren’t we “the land of the free and the home of the brave” according to The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key? Indeed, we do enjoy special freedoms afforded to us through our constitution, for example:


While we do enjoy certain freedoms in America, the question is “Are we free to do whatever we want?” The answer is “no,” of course. Then how can we claim to be a “free country”? It sounds like we aren’t really free after all, at least not totally. The truth is that we are always under the rule of government, even according to the Word of God (for God ordained such authorities to exist). We are under the “nomos”, or “law”.

We have the God-given right to enjoy whatever freedom we are given under the law. God-ordained authorities enforce the boundary conditions of our freedom to protect ourselves and others (from ourselves).

We see this same “nomos” often translated in English as the suffix “-nomy”, as in “astronomy”, “taxonomy”, and “economy”. Each one of these words is a study of the law governing the prefix. For example, the Greek root “astron” means “celestial body” or “star”, so “astronomy” refers to the study of the laws that govern the stars. In practical terms, an astronomist studies how the laws of physics govern the stars. It’s a labor of discovery. Can a star up and decide to break the laws of physics if it so desired? Nope. Does an astronomist have the right to suggest such a thing? No. Stars are bound by the laws that God has put in place. “He upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

So, we have two words, “autos” (self) and “nomos” (law) which comprise the English words “autonomy” and “autonomous”. An autonomous being enjoys “self-law”. In other words, an autonomous being is a law unto themselves, answering only to themselves, governed by themselves, with the authority and the right to be so. Who, pray tell, is the only being we know with that kind of self-law? God, of course.

God is the only autonomous being. All other creatures ever created are under God’s sovereignty.

While certainly free in many ways, man is not autonomous.

Does man sometimes deceive himself into thinking his freedom means he is autonomous? Absolutely. Does this change reality? Nope. Does man often pretend that his freedom is absolute, without boundaries, granted him by nature and virtue of simply being a human being? All the time. Does this change reality? Nope. Does man make the grave error of thinking he has the ability to lay down the law before God in order to assert himself as self-governing? Ask someone in Hell and you’ll have your answer.

If man were truly free from rule other than his own (aka as a law unto himself, under self-law), then he would be autonomous, by nature, and therefore equal with God.

I want to leave you with an important question. What is “free will”? To help you discover what God’s viewpoint on the subject is, I’ll ask you a couple more questions. What does your human flesh naturally want “free will” to mean (hint: consider Genesis 4:7 and Romans 7:8)? What does the Bible say “free will” is, given it is impossible for man to be autonomous, lest he claim to be God? For the record, the Bible never uses the phrase “free will”.

From the very beginning, God has been lawgiver. From the very beginning, man has had freedom but has never been autonomous. From the very beginning, lawbreakers (those tempted to think “free will” means autonomy) have been justly punished.


Love in Christ,

Ed Collins