THE
EARLY FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST AND 1.1 The Word “Christians” Were Unknown To Jesus 1.2 Diversity In the Early Followers of Jesus 1.3 The Nazarenes Versus the Pauline Christianity 1.4 St. James, the Head of the Nazarenes 1.6 The Origin of the Word Nazarene 1.8 The Early Church, The Church of the Circumcision 1.9 Salvation Is Through Faith & By Obeying God’s Law 1.10 Obey the Scribes or Teachers of the Law 1.11 Jesus Instruct His Followers to Offer “the Gift that Moses Commanded” 1.13 Jesus: Those Who Do Not Follow The Law Are Hypocrites 1.14 St. James: Faith Without Good Works Is Useless And Cannot Save Anyone 1.16 Paul, The Real Founder of Christianity 1.18 Paul and His Pauline Churches Changed Jesus Into God |
1.2 Diversity In The Early Followers Of Jesus Christ
Soon after the ascension of Jesus to heaven in about 30 C.E, dissension occurred among those early followers of his. There rapidly developed different groups with their own beliefs and doctrinal systems even though they were united in believing that Jesus was the “long-promised, prophesized and expected Messiah of God.”[1] Al-Hafiz Imam Ibn Kathir (d.1406 C.E)[2], a great scholar of Islam in his Tafsir or commentary of the Holy Quran states that: “When Allah raised Jesus to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups. Some of them believed in what Allah sent Jesus as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant. However, some of them went into extreme over Jesus, believing that he was the son of Allah. Some of them said that Jesus was Allah Himself, while others said that he was one of the Trinity…”[3] Imam Shamsuddin Ibn Abi Bakr Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah (d.1292 C.E)[4], another great scholar of Islam in his “Hidayatul Hayara fi Ajwibatul Yahud wa al-Nasara” (Guidance to the Uncertain In Reply to the Jews and the Christians) said: “The Messiah’s companion adhered to his teaching…after his departure. Then some fellows embarked on change, alteration, endearing themselves to the masses by what the masses like, antagonizing and contradicting the Jews, grossly deviating from the religion of the Messiah, and ultimately becoming stripped of from it in totality.”[5] The learned man of Christendom admits the existence of this dissension. Sources tell us that the early followers of Jesus Christ started as a very diverse movement. That is at the time where there was no fixed formulation on what the set of beliefs and rituals should be or what they should think or say about Jesus Christ. So it cannot be expected that everywhere, everybody was doing and believing the same thing, reading the same scriptures and telling the same story.[6] [1] Messiah was a translation of the Hebrew “Massiach: meaning, The Anointed One. See Karen Armstrong, A History of God, 86 [2] In his book “Al-Mu’jam Al-Mukhtas”, Imam az Zahabi wrote that Ibn Kathir was the Imam, scholar of jurisprudence, skill full scholar of Hadith, renowned Faqih and scholar of Tafsir. He gave Fatwas (religious verdict) and taught until he died. Among his renowned works are Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Adzim, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Tabaqat al-Shafi‘iyyah al-Kubra and Jami’ al-Masanid wa al-Sunan. [3] Misbahul Munir Fi Tahzib Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Volume 2, Darussalam Riyadh, 2000, 171 [4] In his book “Al-Mu’jam al Muallifin” Umar Rida Kahhalah wrote that Ibn Qayyim was the Imam, scholar of Fiqh and usul al-Fiqh, Tafsir, Theology, Hadith, Arabic Language and Literature and al-Tasauf.. Among his renowned works are I’lam al-Muwaqqieen, Zaad al Maad, Ighaatah al-Lahfan, Madarij as-Salikin and Al-Wabil al-Sayyab min al-Kalim al-Tayyib [5] Translated by Abedelhay El-Masri (Dar al-Khotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut Lebanon), 2001, 223 [6] Frontline: From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians: The Diversity of Early Christians (May 2002) [Online]. Available: http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion |
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