Monday 14Feb2022
Did you know that in the early days, Christians were called Nazarenes?
From my New Testament reading this morning, I observed from the words of Tertullus the Orator in Acts 24:5 that the faith of the early disciples was called "the sect of the Nazarenes". This faith was also known as "the Way" and it was considered heretical by the Jews from Jerusalem at that time. (Acts 24:14)
- Acts 24:5, 14 RBV Revised Berkeley Version
- (Tertullus, an orator) 5 For we have found this man to be a veritable plague, stirring up, as he does, all the Jews on earth, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes
- (Apostle Paul) 14 I confess this to you, however, that according to the Way which they call heresy, even so I worship the God of my fathers, believing in everything written in the Law and the Prophets.
Earlier in chapter 22, when Paul was making his defence in Hebrew before the riotous crowd at the entrance to the Roman army barracks in Jerusalem, he testified that the Lord told him in his encounter on the way to Damascus, "I am Iesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting . . . " (Acts 22:8b RBV)
Another observation I made in my reading of Acts chapter 24 today is that Governor Felix of Caesarea, before whom Paul was brought for examination, was well-versed in the teachings of "the Way" of the Nazarenes. And he was probably also quite familiar with the teachings of the Torah and the tradition of the Jews because his wife, Drusilla, was Jewish.
- Acts 24:22, 24 RBV
- 22 Since Felix understood the teachings of the Way quite well, he adjourned the case
- 24 After a few days, when Felix was present with his wife Drusilla, a Jewess, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus.
However, governor Felix dared not evaluate this faith of "the Way" honestly and personally, probably because it was called a heresy by the Jews. When the Apostle Paul discussed with him things pertaining to righteousnes, mastery of passions, and the coming judgment, he became frightened and dismissed Paul.
- Acts 24:25 RBV
- But as he discussed righteousness, the mastery of passions, and the coming judgment, Felix got frightened and responded, "You may go for now . . ."
