The Position of Nazarene Judaism There is a lot of talk these days about getting back to the “New Testament Church.” But the real truth is, there are two things the “New Testament Church” did not have: A “New Testament” and a “Church”. The believers of the “New Testament Church” met in synagogues (Acts 15:21; James 1:1; 2:2) and had no book known as the “New Testament” because it had not been written and compiled yet. Thus when a believer from the “New Testament Church” refered to “The Scriptures” he was speaking of the Tanakh (“Old Testament”) for they were the only Scriptures he had. 

Thus when Paul wrote to Timothy: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works. (2Tim. 3:16-17) Paul was referring to the Tanak, the only Scriptures they had. Moreover when Paul spoke to the Bereans in Acts 17:11 we are told of them: These were nobler than those at Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.Paul was saying that the Bereans were noble because they did not believe what Paul said simply on the authority of Paul. They were looking to see if what Paul was teaching could be found in the Scriptures. Remember, they were looking in the Tanak, the only Scriptures they had at the time.

Paul said that it was noble of them to only accept his teaching if it lined up with the Tanak. That means that whenever we study the New Testament we should ask ourselves this question: “Can you get here from there?” (There is the Tanak). If you think you understand something in the New Testament in such a way that it contradicts the Tanak, then you need to realize that you are misunderstanding it.Eashoa’ (Jesus) came to be the Jewish Messiah of Judaism and not to create a new religion. 

Now I know that within many Christian circles there is a teaching that says that originally Judaism was the true faith but that it has now been replaced by a new faith “Christianity” which is now the true faith. This theology is totally counter to the teachings of the “New Testament”. The “New Testament” is plain in telling us that there is one true faith (Eph. 4:5) which was given once and for all time (Jude 1:3).

This means that the theology that claims that Christianity is a true faith which has replaced Judaism which had been the previous true faith is absolutely false! There is, according to the “New Testament” itself ONE TRUE FAITH and it was ONLY GIVEN ONCE. Christianity is too young to be that ONE true faith that was ONCE given, that ONE true faith that was ONCE given therefore MUST be Judaism! Which is Nazarene Judaism?

The original believers in Eashoa’ were a Jewish sect known as “Nazarenes” or in Hebrew “Netzarim” (Acts 24:5). The “church father” Jerome (4th Cent.) described these Nazarenes as those “…who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old Law.” (Jerome; On. Is. 8:14).Elsewhere he writes: Today there still exists among the Jews in all the synagogues of the East a heresy which is called that of the Minæans, and which is still condemned by the Pharisees; [its followers] are ordinarily called ‘Nazarenes’; they believe that Messiah, the son of God, was born of the Virgin Miriam, and they hold him to be the one who suffered under Pontius Pilate and ascended to heaven, and in whom we also believe.” (Jerome; Letter 75 Jerome to Augustine) 

The fourth century “church father” Epiphanius gives a more detailed description: But these sectarians… did not call themselves Christians–but “Nazarenes,” … However, they are simply complete Jews. They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do… They have no different ideas but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion– except for their belief in Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things and declare that Elohim is one and that his son is Yeshua the Messiah. 

They are trained to a nicety in Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, the Prophets, and the… Writings… are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following. They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in Messiah; but since they are still fettered by the Law–circumcision, the Sabbath, and the rest– they are not in accord with Christians…. they are nothing but Jews…. They have the Good news according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear that they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written. (Epiphanius; Panarion 29)There has been a great deal of confusion over the years over what the “church” is. Some have taught that the Church is a new entity which replaces Israel. Others have taught that the Church is a new body which is totally independent of Israel.

Still, others have taught that the Church and Israel are two different but overlapping entities. With all of the misconceptions about the identity of the “Church”, the time has come to set the story straight and reveal what the “Church” really is.The English word “Church” comes originally from the Old English word KIRKE. The Old English word KIRKE was the word the Anglo-Saxons used to refer to their pagan places of worship. When they became Christianized the Anglo-Saxons continued to call their places of worship KIRKES and as the language evolved “Churches”.

You may have heard that the word “Church” originally referred to the people and later came to refer to the building. This is not true. The word “Church” originally referred to the building and later came to refer to the people. Moreover, the word “church” is of pagan origin.NAZARENES: Jewish Encyclopedia A specialist in researching the historical setting of the Natsarim, 

brother Norman Willis expresses it the best as he says:”The Catholic Church Father Epiphanius lived and wrote in the fourth century CE, some three hundred years after the Messiah.  Epiphanius was one of the key players responsible for the establishment of the official Roman Catholic Church dogma. In his doctrinal book, Against Heresies, Epiphanius wrote: The Nazarenes do not differ in any essential thing from them [meaning the Orthodox Jews] since they practice the customs and doctrines prescribed by Jewish Law; except that they believe in Christ.They believe in the resurrection of the dead, and that the universe was created by God.  They preach that God is One and that Jesus Christ is his Son….They are very learned in the Hebrew language.

They read the Law [meaning the Law of Moses].Therefore they differ from the TRUE Christians because they fulfill until now Jewish rites as the circumcision, Sabbath, and others.[The Church Father Epiphanius in his doctrinal book, Against Heresies, Panarion 29, 7, Page 41, 402]Epiphanius tells us that the Nazarenes differed from what he called the True Christians. because they continued to fulfill until now such Jewish rites as the circumcision, the Sabbath, and others. Since Epiphanius lived and wrote in the fourth century, three hundred years after the Messiah, the Nazarenes, and the Christians could only have been two Separate Groups at that time. The Next quotation is by a modern-day Catholic Christian professor named Marcel Simon.  Marcel Simon lived and worked in Twentieth-Century France, and he was widely regarded as being one of the leading experts on the First Century Assembly.In his book Judeo-Christianity, Professor Simon disagreed with what Epiphanius had said regarding the Nazarenes. 

 In an effort to correct history, the Catholic Professor Simon wrote: They (meaning the Nazarenes) are characterized essentially by their tenacious attachment to Jewish observances.  If they became heretics in the eyes of the Mother Church, it is simply because they remained fixed on outmoded positions.[However.] They well represent (although Epiphanius is energetically refusing to admit it) the very direct descendants of that primitive community, of which our author knows that it was designated by the Jews, by the same name, of Nazarenes. [French Catholic Professor and First Century Assembly expert Marcel Simon, Judo-christianisme, pp 47-48.] Even though he was himself a practicing Roman Catholic, Marcel Simon professed that it was not the Catholic Christians, but the Nazarenes who were the very direct descendants of that primitive community called the Nazarenes.  

 By this, he means that the Nazarenes (and not the Catholics) are the direct spiritual descendants of the Apostles of the New Covenant. The Church father Epiphanius told us that there were two different groups, the Christians, and the Nazarenes; and now Professor Simon tells us that it was the Nazarenes who descended directly from James, John, Peter, Paul, Matthew, Andrew, Phillip, and the rest.  And yet, curiously, Professor Simon agrees with Epiphanius that these Nazarenes were indeed heretics because they continued to practice the exact same worship as the Apostles had.In other words, Professor Simon says that the Nazarenes of the fourth century became heretics simply because they continued to practice the Faith Once Delivered to the Saints.”  [end of quote] 

“He that has My mitzvot, and keeps them, he is that loves Me: and he who loves Me, shall be loved by My Abba, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him,”  Yochanan 14:21.“O Elohim, you are my El; early will I seek You: my being thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where no mayim is; to see Your power and Your Tiferet, so as I have seen You in the Set-Apart Place. Because your loving chesed is better than Chayim, my lips shall Hallel you. So I will bless You while I live: I will lift up my hands to Your Name. My being shall be satisfied as with marrow and abundance; and my mouth shall Hallel you with joyful lips: When I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the night watches,”   Tehillim 63:1-7. Selah.

God The Father, His Son The Lord Yah Eashoa’ The M’sheekha and The Blessed Spirit of Holiness, One God, Blessed to the eternity of eternities. Amen.