Matthew
2: 23
And He
went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said
through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene (Heb. Nats’riy).”
Mark 14:
67
When she
saw Peter warming himself [by the fire], she looked closely at him. “You also
were with that Nazarene (Heb. Nats’riy),
Jesus,” she said.
Mark 16:
6a
“Don’t
be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene (Heb. Yahoshuah ha Nats’riy), who was crucified.”
Acts 11:
26
The
disciples were first called “Messianic believers” (Heb. M’shiychiyiym) at Antioch.
NOTE: The Greek translation of the
last part of the verse as the word “Christian,” but reading from verse 19, the
context seems to suggest that these evangelizing brothers from the region of
Judea, who initially spread the word of the Messiah to Jews only, some of them
went among the Greeks, but it is doubtful they would have come up with the word
“Christian.” Not only that, but this area was not in Western or Northern
Europe, but in Syria (the Middle East).
1 Peter
4: 16
However,
if you suffer as a “Messianic believer” (Heb. M’shiychiyiym), do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear
that name.
Acts 24:
5b
He
[Apostle Paul] is a ringleader of the Nazarene “sect” (Heb. kath ha Nats’riym)
NOTE: Did the Apostle Paul say that
he was a Christian? Reading further in Acts
24: 14a, he states: “I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a
follower of the Way (Heb. ha Derekh),
which they call a sect.” This appears to be associated with the
Nazarenes (Netzari) or those who are associated with a belief in Jesus of
Nazareth as the Jewish Messiah or Moshiyach.
Acts 26:
28
Then
Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to
be a ‘Nazarene/Netzari’” [not Christian; except according to the Greek
translators].
NOTE: Why is this unlikely that
“Christian” was used? In the same chapter at verse 8, the Apostle Paul mentions
that he formerly lived as a Pharisee, the strictest “sect” of the Jewish
religion. In the previous two chapters another [new] “sect” was mentioned,
namely that of the Nazarene’s. It is to this group (Nazarene/Netzari) who
follow in the Way (ha Derekh) of Jesus of Nazareth (Yahoshua Nazaret) that the
Apostle Paul belonged. The Greek translation tries to reconcile the principles
of Jewish thought and belief by using a derivative word “Christ” (Gr. Christos;
“Anointed”); thus extending it out as Christian (Gr. “ianos” is a suffix that
was originally applied to that of a ‘slave’). The word “Christian” (Gr. ‘Christianos,’ so it seems, has the
denotation or connotation in ancient times to mean an “anointed slave.” A far
better usage of a more scripturally appropriate term, then, is to be found in
the following: The Hebrew word for Nazareth has the meaning of “branch” which
is quite appropriate. Jesus (Yahoshua) is referred to in John 15:2, 5 as the
vine (Heb. Ha Gefen) and the
disciples as the branches (Heb. Ha sariygiym).
In the earlier passages the Hebrew root “riy/riym” is associated with the word
for Nazareth/Nazarene, as well as Messianic believer, so instead of using a
convenient Greek derivative word (“Christianos”) why not instead use the Hebrew
one that that attaches itself to the birthplace, person, and destiny
(Messiah/Mashiyach) whereby those who believe in the Jewish Messiah and Son of
God are called Nazarenes or Netzari (Heb. Nats’riym)?
Final
Thought: This study is not meant to suggest that every believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ should abandon the name Christian, using Hebrew names and
terminology instead. But it does serve as an interesting background check into
the original Hebraic mindset of belief in the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (Moshiyach),
and the likelihood that these followers would more closely identify themselves
with a more culturally, religiously, and socially relevant name than that
adopted by the Gentiles [Greek/Latin Bible translators]. Not only that, in Acts 26: 14-15 the Apostle Paul mentions
that the risen Jesus (Heb. Yahoshua)
spoke to him from heaven in the native tongue of Hebrew; not Greek or Latin.
Why did he mention this particular point, and not simply that the Lord spoke to
him from heaven? It would seem, then, that language does matter and the first
Jewish disciples and God-fearing Gentiles who believed in Jesus the Messiah
from Nazareth (Heb. Yahoshua ha Mashiyach Nazaret) in all probability did not
call themselves by the Greek term for “Christians” but rather, used the Hebrew Nats’riym (Nazarenes/Netzari) or M’shiychiyiym (Messianic believers).
REFERENCES
The Orthodox Jewish Bible Fourth Edition. AFII
International Publishers. New York, N.Y. 2002
Stern, David, H. Jewish New Testament. Jewish New Testament
Publications. Clarksville, MD. 1989
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 3, 2013
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
