chapter three
gospel used by the Nazarenes because of the fragmentary character of
the evidence. Furthermore, I find it more interesting to try to describe
and understand the social reality where the texts were interpreted and
applied, if such information is available. Luckily, we do have some addi-
tional information about the Nazarenes, thanks to Jerome who quoted
their Isaiah exegesis (see above Chapter ..).
If observance of the law is made the key criterion, as Andrew Gregory
has suggested,^76 the Nazarenes’ interpretation of Matthew was not Jewish
Christian: the Nazarenes were so clearly pro-Pauline that their interpre-
tation of the law must have been quite liberal.^77
However, a more nuanced picture of the Nazarenes’ Jewish-Christian
profile can be achieved with the help of theindicators of Jewish Christian-
ity. The Nazarenes’ identity, in terms of their language and knowledge
of Jewish culture, the rabbinic movement in particular, seems to have
been even more pronounced than in the case of the editor of Matthew’s
gospel.
The Nazarenes’Commentary on Isaiahand the gospel that they used
were products of Aramaic/Syriac-speaking Christians who probably
were converts from Judaism. In many ways, they can be compared to
Paul whose work they admired and found this already predicted by Isa-
iah. They hoped for the conversion of the rest of the House of Israel and
had fierce disputes with their contemporary rabbis. The rabbis “cursed”
them in their synagogues. The Nazarenes, in turn, twisted the words of
the Hebrew Bible against their enemies, trying to show that Isaiah pre-
dicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the shameful state of the House
of Israel and that the rabbis and their forefathers were the ones to be
blamed for this. Isaiah also gave advice on how the fresh converts should
answer the rabbis who propagated their own views: the rabbinic tradition
is idol worship. Nazarenes (Christians) have no need to listen to the rab-
bis since they themselves have direct access to the Scriptures, and if the
rabbis will not agree with the Christian interpretation of the Scriptures,
they will always remain oppressed. Legal debates were obviously fierce
but the main bone of contention was Jesus’ position as the Son of God.
(^76) Thus, Gregory , . See also Chapter . above.
(^77) The Nazarenes’ Isaiah exegesis in Jerome,Comm. Isa. . (trans. Klijn & Reinink
, ): “When Christ came and his preaching shone out, the land of Zebulon and the
land of Naphtali first of all were freed from the errors of the Scribes and the Pharisees and
he shook off their shoulders the very heavy yoke of the Jewish traditions. Later, however,
the preaching became more dominant, that means the preaching was multiplied, through
the Gospel of the apostle Paul who was the last of all the apostles.. .”.