What Nazarenes Are Made Of - part 1 (With Video!)
A project worth doing needs a good foundation.
Anybody who has ever built anything quickly learns that a solid foundation makes the project so much easier. So on that note, I plan on using the next three weeks to talk about the beliefs of the Nazarene Church. If you ever wondered what Nazarenes believe, then you are in the right place!
(Wait a minute, didn't you say last week that you were going to base your future posts off of the user comments rather than go through your own list?)
Yes I did promise that, but I also said that bloggin' ain't easy. It takes time to craft a blog that is worth reading (hopefully this one is!) and I would rather allow myself a little time to get that ready. So, for the next three weeks we will be watching some short videos (YAY! A MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATION!!!) on the basic beliefs of the Nazarene Church.
Besides, there was hardly any comments posted last week. So I take that to mean either, people are not interested, or that they are so happy that I am writing a blog that they want to sit back and see where I take this thing. Yeah... most likely the first... Of course, it could also be that the blog is so new that it doesn't have much of a following. Yeah let's go with that!
(But isn't the Nazarene church just like any other church? Don't they all believe the same thing?)
Yes and No, I would say that if a church is truly a Christian Church, then they will all start off having the same basic beliefs. I call these beliefs the “Big Three.” They basically boil down to:
Their belief about God - One God Three Persons
Their belief about sin - Separates us from God
Their belief about salvation - Christ is the atonement for our sins
If you have a church that deviates from these three basic beliefs then they cannot, in my opinion, be called Christian. They may call themselves Christian but I would argue that they ain't the real deal darlin'.
It's kinda like taking black paint and covering up the stripe on a skunk, then passing it off as a cat. At some point you will know, something's not right with kitty!
Now after the “Big Three,” churches begin to disagree on subject matter and present themselves differently.
(Why is that, don't they use the same Bible?)
Yes, but we are talking about an ancient text that was written in a different culture. A culture that, we are just beginning to understand because of advancements in archeology over the past 200 years.
On top of that, Christian Theology (or the study of God) is influenced from many different areas, not just the scriptures. For example, the Nazarene denomination has 4 ways of looking at theology that hold each other in a form of balance.
What the SCRIPTURES say about it (We see this as most Important)
What the TRADITIONS of the worldwide church (not just Nazarene church), say about it?
Is it REASONABLE? Reason, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, helps us understand the essential truths of the Scriptures.
Does EXPERIENCE agree with it?
(This way of thinking, known as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, was created in the 1960's by Methodist Theologians studying the works of John Wesley, a prominent theologian in Methodist and Nazarene circles. The Nazarene Church formed out of Methodism ) For the most part, these beliefs are not over salvation, rather they are about how to live this life once you are saved, what worship looks like and various other minor details.
Michele wanted me to touch on the fact that some denominations may claim that they are the only true denomination or that one's salvation is not guaranteed unless a person speaks in tongues or is baptized; however, this is their claim based off of how they interpret the Bible, if they still line up with the “Big Three,” they're still Christian.
So, without further ado, here is part one to the basic beliefs of the Nazarene Church.
What are your thoughts on the video? Are there any questions that come to your mind as you watch? Please leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!
