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The Problem with Wikipedia
If you do not already know, Wikipedia does not permit original research or subjective authoriship. In other words everyone but the sect of the Nazarenes can write their opinions about what we are, and what we believe and practice. The anonymous authors of the Wikipedia article have never directly consulted with us, nor do they reference any of our publications, websites or officials. This has led to some wrong assumptions. Even if we were successful at having some of the errors corrected, another can come along and change them back, or create all new ones. If you want to know about the sect of the Nazarenes you should include the native authorities in your research.
Non-Participation
Netzaripedia is also owned by a non-Natzari editor who misrepresents our faith. The problem with us having some success at maintaining correct information, on these sites, is that you may think we have ensured that all the information you are reading is accurate. However there is no way for the the reader to know what we, the one Natzari community, have contributed, or agree with, or not. For these reasons we will not be participating in contributing nor attempting to correct the articles on those sites. We have nothing to do with them as we can not be "unequally yoked" with such an important task of representing the most excellent faith of light.
"You should not be yoked to those who do not believe. For what fellowship has righteousness with wickedness or what association has light with darkness?" - 2 Qorinthaya 6:14
Our Influence
Apparently we have had some indirect influence on the article titled 'Nazarene (sect)' at Wikipedia, which was recently updated to include information from our unprecedented article' The Quran on Natzraya' which repeats;
"The term was adopted into the Arabic language as "Naṣara" "نصارى"(Plural of Naṣrani نصراني) to refer to all christians in general. The term "Naṣara" is used many times in the Qur'an when referring to them. For example, Surat AL-BAQARA (Verse No. 113) says:
2:113. The Jews say the (Naṣara) Nazarenes are not on anything, and the (Naṣara) Nazarenes say it is the Jews who are not on anything. Yet they both read the Book. And those who do not know say like their saying. Allah will judge between them their disputes on the Day of Resurrection.
—Hassan Al Fathi Qaribullah Qur'an Translation, AL-BAQARA 113"
The Errors
I have seen many common misconceptions recycled on these and other sites concerning our "sect". Here are a few of them which I have noted;
"the term "Nazarene" relating to a specific sect of Christians" "The Nazarenes were an early Jewish Christian sect" |
Nazarenes were never, and are not, a sect of Christians. Nazarenes are religiously orthodox Jews and are opposed to the anti-Judaic religion of Christianity. Nazarenes existed nearly a full century before the earliest Christians who despised all Jews, including the Nazarenes. One can not be Jewish and Christian simultaneously, it is one or the other. Judaism and Christianity are not interchangeable nor compatible. It would be more correct to describe Nazarenes as a sect of Judaism. However the correct positioning is total replacement theology, where the "sect" supercedes and replaces all other sects of Judaism. Christianity is viewed by Nazarenes as a heathen cult with borrowed elements from Judaism which have been perverted. Rabbi Yeshua Natzraya's commandment to "come out of her my people so that you do not share in her sins" is understood to be addressed to those who have assimilated and compromised with Christianity to separate and cleanse themselves from heresy and return to the one Nazarene community. As Epiphanius stated;
"They are not in accord with Christians."1
"rejecting all the Canonical gospels" |
This is based upon the mistaken assumption that use of the so called "Gospel of the Hebrews" (if it is in fact a different text than the Gospel of Matthew) meant exclusion of all other gospels. According to tradition there were originally 82 gospels composed by the 82 apostles. Only four were selected to be official, two from the 12 senior apostles and two from the 70 seventy other apostles. This allows for 78 other gospels which may have still enjoyed some popularity among early Nazarenes but because of their unofficial status were not as readily copied and preserved. The Wikipedia article contradicts itself since it references the following quote from Epiphanius;
"They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do."2
A New Testament that was composed soley by Nazarenes, if you please.
"It is quite possible that the distinction between them was their belief that Jesus will be the one to raise the dead (see John 6:40,44,54) and created all things (see Colossians 1:15-16), thus calling him divine yet the Son of God." |
The problem here is that Nazarenes have not called the son "divine" as if he was the same being as the Creator. Epiphanius made it perfectly clear what separated the Nazarenes from all other Jews was the belief in a certain messiah, not that the messiah was the divine creator since as he states;
"They have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion – except for their belief in Christ, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that God is one, and that his Son is Jesus Christ."3
If Nazarenes believed that the messiah was God or that he created the worlds, we could hardly claim to have no different ideas, or that we confess everything eactly as the Torah says in perfect agreement with orthodox Jewish interpretation or that God is one. Rather Epiphanius got it exactly right. A belief in messiah requires no change in orthodox Jewish theology - which does not propose a creator-messiah.
1.Epiphanius of Salamis, Panarion 29.7.4
2.Epiphanius of Salamis, Panarion 29.7.2
3.Epiphanius of Salamis, Panarion 29.7.2