Posts: 395
Threads: 128
Joined: Nov 2007
Reputation:
0
I have a very important question that was brought up by 'Dawid' a few weeks ago.
I must admit that I DON'T like 'Dawid', nor do I care for his way of seemingly being "a know it all".
MY QUESTION.
"Dawid" said that HE FELT that Christians and Modern Nazarenes DO NOT worship the same Alaha ('God').
How many of you that ARE MODERN NAZARENES actually feel THIS WAY?
If you DO feel this way, could/would you please explain just WHY you feel that way.
The same thing.......if you DO NOT feel that way (that Nazarenes and Christians do NOT worship the same God), could/would you also please tell me just WHY you DON'T feel that way, as well.
Thanks a lot, Albion
Posts: 418
Threads: 36
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
While I think the mainstream "trinity" doctrine is wrong, I don't believe Nazarenes & Christians worship a different God. Even though most Christians' concept of who or more specifically WHAT YHWH is, is incorrect they don't know any different, it's what they've always been taught. They may be committing idolatry but they're unaware of it so I don't blame them personally.
Posts: 513
Threads: 70
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
0
Shlama all--
Speaking for myself, "God" and "Godhead" are two different things. I have no doubt that while most Christians do not name YHWH (a problem to be sure) they do MEAN YHWH when they talk about "The Father". I believe that YHWH, while He would prefer to be properly spoken to, does in fact love us even when we are wrong, and Christians and Nazarenes alike can certainly make mistakes, albeit different ones that can sometimes be equally serious. I have said many times that ALL FALL SHORT and YHWH is NO RESPECTER of persons, Jewish, Nazarene, Gentile, whatever.
I think what Albion is talking about is rather a distinction some make about how Western Christianity is historically linked with, to put it nicely, the polytheism that preceded it in many countries. And to be fair, Israel has also at times been horribly influenced by polytheists around her, and such rebukes are commonly recorded. It is an uncomfortable fact that we may have an 8th C BCE artifact in Hebrew that talks about "YHWH and His Asherah" although some scholars dispute that reading because the inscription is incomplete.
So from where I sit, both Jews and Christians, if we go back far enough, have had this kind of bad influence, but for both the answer is the same. "Godhead" in terms of trinitarian belief is, as Christina pointed out, the cause of a lot of consternation in the Nazarene community. But that doesn't mean that I personally believe Christians are the same as pagans, at least not exactly. I do think we Nazarenes have a valid point regarding certain pagan syncretism from the fourth century, but that is another story. But no--we worship the same Elohim and in fact that NT properly and repeatedly says that YHWH is ONE and has Y'shua quote the Shema. As Ya'akov says, "You believe in one Elohim YOU DO WELL."
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Posts: 376
Threads: 21
Joined: Nov 2007
Reputation:
0
He doesn't listen to me. Will someone please tell Albion that I believe that Christians and Nazarenes follow the same God? I've told him several times and he refuses to listen. I'm begging you guys to tell him for me. I don't think he reads my posts anymore.
Posts: 297
Threads: 33
Joined: Dec 2009
Reputation:
0
I disagree. Many of the Nazarene persuasion doubt and dismiss the trinity as unscriptural & as a pagan concept. I myself do not believe in a trinity perse: I believe in oneness as infinity. But what it comes down to is worshiping YHWH who is spirit and not a man.
