There is a lot of talk these days about getting back to the "New Testament
Church".

But there are two things the "New Testament Church" did not have:

1. A "New Testament"  (They were still writing it)

2. A "Church"  (They met in homes and Synagogues)

The original followers of Yeshua as the Messiah were the ancient sect of
Nazarene Judaism (Acts 24:5).

The "church father" Jerome (4th Cent.) described these Nazarenes as "Those
from among the Jews who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not
cease to observe the old Law."
(Jerome; On. Is. 8:14)

The fourth century "church father" Epiphanius gives a more detailed
description:

But these sectarians... did not call themselves Christians--but
"Nazarenes," ... However they are simply complete Jews. They use not only
the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do... They
have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law
proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion-- except for their belief in
Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the
dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that G-d is one,
and that his son is Y'shua the Messiah. They are trained to a nicety in
Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, the Prophets, and the...
Writings... are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are
different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the
following. They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in
Messiah; but since they are still fettered by the Law--circumcision, the
Sabbath, and the rest-- they are not in accordance with Christians.... they
are nothing but Jews.... They have the Goodnews according to Matthew in its
entirety in the Hebrew language. For it is clear that they still preserve this,

in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written.
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

Nazarene Judaism maintains a belief in Yeshua as the Messiah. We should
not leave the Jewish identity, heritage and culture to "convert" to a new
or foreign religion.  We should be seeking to put Yeshua back into the
context of first century Judaism.

We should seek to study not only the Tanak, but the New Testament from the
original Hebrew and Aramaic using Jewish methods of study and Jewish rules
for understanding the text (Jewish Hermeneutics).

Nazarene Judaism is a spiritual renaissance, a revival, a return to the
pure faith of first century Nazarenes. A return to the Tanak and to the
root of the olive tree (Rom. 11).

As the prophet Jeremiah tells us:

Thus says YHWH, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it: And you shall find rest for your
souls...."
(Jer. 6:16)

James Trimm
jstrimm@nazarene.net

PS:  For more info on Nazarene Judaism see my free online PDF Book
Nazarene Jewish Manifesto
http://www.unjs.org/NazareneJudaismManifesto.pdf