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Three uses of the term Nazarene are discussed here :
The name "Nazarene" was also taken by a group of early nineteenth century German Romantic painters: for this usage, see the article Nazarene movement.
"Jesus the Nazarene"
There is scriptural evidence that the word "Nazarene" was applied to the early followers of Jesus. In the New Testament book of Acts Paul is tried in Caesarea, and Tertullus is reported as saying:
- "We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5, New Revised Standard Version).
According to the New Testament, "Christian" was not the earliest term for the followers of Jesus, since Acts 11:26 reports its first use, in Antioch - at a time and in a place at least 10 and possibly 20 or more years after the death of Jesus. Many authors have argued that "Nazarene" was not just one term that was used before "Christian" came into use, but the dominant term, and that it was also used to describe Jesus himself.
The chief argument for this claim rests on an interpretation of the way Jesus is referred to by the writers of the gospels. The original Greek forms of all four gospels call him, in places, "Iesou Nazarene" (e.g. Matthew 26:71; Mark 1:24, 10:47, 14:67; Luke 4:34; John 17:5; Acts 2:22). Translations of the Bible, from the fifth century Vulgate on, have generally rendered this into a form equivalent to "Jesus of Nazareth". This is a reasonable translation given that it is clear that all four evangelists did believe that Jesus came from Nazareth. However, it is not the only possible translation. Linguistically, "Jesus the Nazarene" would be at least as correct, and some critics have argued that it is more plausible, given that Nazareth seems to have been a place of no significance at the time; it is unmentioned in contemporary history, and there is no evidence outside the gospels that it even existed in Jesus' time. The Vulgate does use a form equivalent to "Nazarene" in one verse (Matthew 2:23), where its reading is Nazaroeus (Nazoraios), but here the original Greek has the word Nazarene on its own, without Iesou.
It is noteworthy that the name "Iesou Nazarene" is applied to Jesus in the Gospels only by those who are outside the circle of his intimate friends. In Acts, however, it is employed by Peter and Paul— and even attributed to the risen Christ himself, in Paul's account of his conversion that he gave to the multitude of angry Jews who had attacked him in the Temple (Acts 22:8).
However we translate these verses from the gospels, the evidence from Acts 24 does support the claim that "Nazarene" was an early outsiders' term for the followers of Jesus. But it does not appear to have been the term most used by those followers: the earliest Christian writings we have, the letters of Paul (which predate the gospels by ten to forty years), use the phrase "followers of the way" or, by far the most common, "the church".
Derivations of the word "Nazarene"
Regardless of these issues of translation, it seems clear that the term "Nazarenes" had at least some currency as a description of the early followers of Jesus. What, therefore, is the origin of the word? The following derivations have been suggested:
- the place-name Nazareth, via the Greek form Iesou Nazarene. This is the traditional interpretation within mainstream Christianity, and it still seems the obvious interpretation to many modern Christians. In support of this interpretation is that Iesou Nazarene is applied to Jesus in the Gospels only by those who are outside the circle of his intimate friends, as would be natural if a place-name was meant. However in Acts it is employed by Peter and Paul, and attributed by Paul to the risen Christ (Acts, 22:8). Matthew 2:23 reads that "coming he dwelt in a city said by the prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene". Although no convincing identification of the prophecy concerned has been found, either in the canonical books of the Old Testament or in the midrash traditions, the phrasing again strongly suggests that the author of Matthew meant Nazarene to refer to a place name.
- the word netzer meaning "branch" or "off-shoot" (as in Isaiah 11:1 נֵצֶר). This could in turn refer to the claim that Jesus was a "descendant of David", or to the view that Jesus (or rather the teachings he or his followers advocated) were an offshoot from Judaism.
- the word nosri which means "one who keeps (guard over)" or "one who observes" (as in Jeremiah 31:5-6 נֹצְרִים)
- the word nazir, meaning separated. There are a number of references to Nazirites in the Old Testament. A Nazirite (נְזִיר) was a Jew who had taken special vows of dedication to the Lord whereby he abstained from alcohol and grape-products, cutting his hair, and approaching corpses for a specified period of time. At the end of the period he was required to immerse himself in water.
None of these interpretations is unproblematic (for example, the gospels describe Jesus as avoiding ascetic practices, which would make it odd to describe him as a Nazirite). The word translated into English as "Nazarene" was possibly a deliberate play on words that suggested more than one of these interpretations.
Versions of the word "Nazarene"
Matthew 2:23 uses the Greek word Nazoraios to refer to Jesus; in English this has traditionally (e.g. in the King James Bible) been translated as "Nazarene" (plural "Nazarenes"). However Mark 1:24 refers to Jesus as Nazarenos; in English this has traditionally (e.g. in the King James Bible) been translated as "of Nazareth"; however, because the correct Greek form of "of Nazareth" would be Nazarethenos or Nazarethaios, most modern translators prefer "Nazarene" here as well. "Nazarene" is also spelled in a variety of ways, including "Nazarean", "Nasarean", "Nazorean", "Nasorean", "Nazaraean", "Nasaraean" (plural "Nazarean", "Nasareans", "Nazoreans", "Nasoreans", "Nazaraeans", "Nasaraeans"). Modern groups which relate the Greek words Nazoraios and Nazarenos to the Hebrew Netzer (branch or shoot) prefer to use the transliteration Netzarim, the plural form of Netzer. A common Arabic word for "Christian" is Nasrani, believed to be derived from the same root as Nazorean, ultimately Nozrim.
Patristic references to "Nazarenes"
After the word "Christian" had become established as the standard term for the followers of Jesus in Hellenistic and Roman cultural circles, there appear to have been one or more groups who continued or reverted to calling themselves "Nazarenes", perhaps because they wished to lay claim to a more authentic and/or a more Jewish way of following Jesus. Some of the Church fathers refer to groups with this title.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica noted in 1911 that "Nazarenes", rather than a general term, specifically identified an obscure Jewish-Christian sect, existing at the time of Epiphanius (flourished 370), who mentioned them in his Panarion (xxix. 7) as existing in Syria, Decapolis (Pella) and Basanitis (Cocabe). According to Epiphanius they dated their settlement in Pella from the time of the flight of the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem, immediately before the siege in year 70. In the 4th century Jerome also refers to Nazarenes, as those "...who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old Law." Epiphanius gives the more detailed, though highly disapproving, description, calling the Nazarenes "complete Jews". But there is little further evidence of these groups' existence, beliefs or activities, and in its absence a great deal of entirely speculative material about them has been published, little of it taken seriously by mainstream historians.
Epiphanius characterizes them as neither more nor less than Jews pure and simple, but adds that they recognized the new covenant as well as the old, and believed in the resurrection, and in the one God and His Son Jesus Christ. He cannot say whether their christological views were identical with those of Cerinthus and his followers, or whether they differed at all from his own.
But Jerome (Epistle 79, to Augustine) says that though the Nazarenes believed in Christ the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rose again, desiring to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither the one nor the other. They used the Aramaic Gospel of the Hebrews, but, while adhering as far as possible to the Mosaic economy as regarded circumcision, sabbaths, foods and the like, they did not refuse to recognize the apostolicity of Paul or the rights of Gentile Christians (See Jerome's Commentary on Isaiah, ix. I). These facts, taken along with the name (cf. Acts 24:5) and geographical position of the sect, lead to the conclusion that the Nazarenes of the 4th century are, in spite of Epiphanius' distinction, to be identified with the Ebionites.
Regarding their scriptures, Theodoret (died 457) says: 'The Nazarenes are Jews who honour Christ as a righteous man, and use the Gospel According to Peter" (Haer. Fab. ii. c. 2). On the other hand Jerome (Of illustrious men 3) writes that the Nazarenes of Beroea (modern Aleppo) in Syria gave him the opportunity to copy their Hebrew "Gospel of Matthew". He also writes (Commentary on Matthew 12:13) "There is a Gospel, which the Nazarenes and Ebionites use, which I lately translated from the Hebrew tongue into Greek and which is called by many the authentic Gospel of Matthew".
Modern movements
Starting in the nineteenth century, a number of modern movements have revived the term "Nazarene", usually for one of two reasons:
- Since the word was apparently used of very early followers of Jesus, adopting it lays claim to, or stresses the importance of, a more primitive and therefore more authentic type of Christianity.
- Since the word was apparently used of groups of Jewish Christians before there had been a decisive schism between Christianity and Judaism, adopting it lays claim to, or stresses the importance of, some kind reconciliation of Jewish and Christian beliefs and practices.
Modern groups using the term in these ways include the following:
Church of the Nazarene
Some Christian denominations have revived the word "Nazarene" as a description of Jesus, or of themselves as his followers: the best known of these is the Church of the Nazarene, which emphasizes Christian activism in the Arminian tradition of John Wesley. The Church of the Nazarene is accepted as orthodox by other mainstream Christian denominations.
Nazarene Judaism of Clint Van Nest
The title Nazarene Judaism, or Netzarim has been adopted by a subset of Messianic Judaism, based mostly in Israel, defining themselves as Jewish, and who say that Jesus (whom they call Ribi Yehoshua) is the Messiah, but not God, or part of a Trinity. The movement states that the historical personality behind Jesus was Yehoshua (Pandera).
The Netzarim movement was founded by former Baptist minister Clint Van Nest who published about their ancient manifestation in 1972. He and his wife renounced Christianity and all its works to follow a Jewish way of life and he re-named himself Yiremeyahu ben David in 1983. He moved to Israel in 1985 upon conversion to Orthodox Judaism and established what he described as a Ger Tzedek manifestation of the Netzarim movement with himself as Judge (Paqid).
The movement finds itself at odds with both Judaism and Christianity. Judaism almost universally rejects the concept that the coming of the Jewish Messiah was realized with the birth of Jesus, while Christianity overwhelmingly regards Jesus as being God (see Trinity and Christology). And while the movement's combination of Jewish ritual with the belief that Jesus is the Messiah is characteristic of Messianic Judaism, most Messianic Jewish groups share Christian theology, and insist that Jesus was God incarnate, part of the Trinity. The movement's view of Jesus accords most closely with those of Unification Church and Islam, which support the idea of Jesus' non-Trinitarian humanity along with his claim to Messiahship, yet the affinity remains on the theological level and there are no relationships between these faiths and the Netzarim movement. Instead, Van Nest insists that regardless of its belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the movement is accepted by Orthodox Judaism as a legitimate Orthodox Jewish group.
The movement uses the complete and original Hebrew Tanakh and Mishnah. While it rejects the New Testament, it has created several Hebrew works it describes as "reconstructed" , including
- Matityâhu, based on the Gospel of Matthew (viewed as the only trustworthy guide to the life of Jesus),
- the Ma•avâr, based on the Book of Acts, and
- Ha-Hitgalut, (the unveiling) based on the Apocalypse of John (whom they call Yokhânân "Bên-Rōgêz" Bar-Zavdi•eil).
The movement does not consider any of these works as "gospel" but rather take a scholastic approach to critically analyse any relevant early Christian writings.
The Netzarim movement does not set up its own rabbis, but rather operates under the existing Orthodox Jewish rabbinical system and its rabbis, using the Yemenite Baladi liturgy. As in standard rabbinical Judaism, the movement considers love (fraternity, charity, mercy, forgiveness, self-sacrifice) as the current "blood" of atonement and believe that the temple exists through the congregation. The movement says its primary mission is to counter Christian missionaries through proselytizing which they also see as the best way to counter anti-Judaism. One can become a member of the Netzarim movement only by obtaining recognition from the Netzarim beit din in Raanana, Israel. Recognition is afforded only to Torah-observant Jews and or to non-Jewish geir toshav disciples learning to become Torah-observant.
Nazarene Judaism of James Scott Trimm
The name Nazarene Judaism, or Netzari Yehudim, has also been adopted by a different subset of Messianic Judaism based mostly in United States, defining themselves as Jewish, and who say that Jesus (whom they call Y'shua) is the Messiah, who they believe is a manifestation of God.
- "Nazarene Judaism maintains a belief in Y'shua as the Messiah. We do not leave the Jewish identity, heritage and culture to "convert" to a new or foreign religion." [1] (http://www.nazarene.net/nazb.htm)
The movement's beliefs regarding God are that "YHWH reveals Himself in many ways, characteristics and sefirot, including those of Father, Word (Memra), and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)." This view mirrors that of most Christian and Messianic Jewish groups, though its formulation is more in line with Oneness theology, rather than classical Trinitarianism.
The movement believes that northern Europeans are generally descended from the ten lost tribes of Israel, in accord with the writings of Yair Davidy. The movement was founded by former Christian James Scott Trimm in the early 1990s, and uses the Old Testament and New Testament as its scriptures, though it also values Jewish commentaries, law codes, and works of mysticism, including the Mishna, Midrash, and Kabbalah.
The movement has its own course of training, which it calls a Yeshivah, and calls the graduates of its programs Rabbis.
Other movements
Other movements with related beliefs include Talmidaism.
External links: general
External links: modern movements
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