The Truth in Print Vol. 22 Issue 1, Feb. 2016
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Why I Am Not A Nazarene
Why I Am
Not A Nazarene
By J. R. Bronger
In June of 1972 my
wife, Sue, and I were baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins (Acts
2:38). Like many of our brothers and
sisters in Christ we came out of religious error. Our involvement was with the Church of the
Nazarene, headquartered in Kansas City.
I was not raised in
the Church of the Nazarene. I joined the
Nazarenes after my "conversion experience" in their Sunday evening
"evangelistic service." That evening began with special singing that
touched the heart with love and need.
This was followed by a soul thrilling sermon concluding with an
"altar call." I, with a broken
heart over sin and tear stained cheeks, made my way to the altar. Falling on my knees I began to pray that God
would somehow save a wretch like me. I
truly wanted to accept Christ. What began with tears ended with tears. Just four
short years later I left dear friends, never to be a Nazarene again.
I did not leave the Church of the Nazarene
because I found the people to be insincere hypocrites. Nor did something happen to offend me
personally. I left because error
condemns one, regardless of sincerity (Matt. 15:14; 2 John 9-11); and the
Nazarene Church was founded and does flourish upon error. Christ desired that His followers be ONE
(John 17:20-21), yet the Nazarene Church exists, as does any denomination,
because man disregards the prayerful wishes of Christ. These Bible truths cut through all the
external good works being done by Nazarenes (Matt. 7:21-24), therefore I left
the Nazarenes to become a Christian, and only a Christian. I was a member of a denomination that began
less than 100 years ago. "In Oct.,
1895 a number of persons under the leadership of Phineas F. Bresee,
and J. P. Widney, formed the First Church of the
Nazarene at Los Angeles, CA." (Church Manual, pg. 17). These men agreed on this name after about
nine years during which a number of people "Interested in promoting the
Wesleyan Doctrine and entire sanctification organized and held weekly religious
services." (Ibid. pg. 1) Ignoring
this secular history, I sought to be a "hyphenated Christian." I felt that Paul must have been a
"Nazarene-Christian" based upon Acts 24:5, where he is called a
"Ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes." I even heard preachers say
that since Jesus was "Called a Nazarene" (Matt. 2:23), then believers
should be called Nazarenes.
Jesus was a Nazarene
because He was from Nazareth, and "That it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophets." The name
seems to have been given to the followers of Christ by their enemies as a name
of aspersion. The early disciples were
given the name Christian (Acts 11:27).
This is the name that glorifies God (1 Peter 4:16). Even after Paul was
accused of being a "Ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" he tried
to persuade Agrippa to become a Christian not a Nazarene (Acts 26:28). How can we do that which the apostles of the
Lord would not do? (Phil. 4:9). I could not, therefore I left the Nazarene Church.
I made my way to the
altar, described earlier, because this is what I had been told to do. I truly
wanted to be saved, expressing this desire, I was told:
"Lay it all upon the altar, call on the name of the
Lord, keep nothing back, pray through, leave it to God ..." I was only
told what they were led to believe by their Church Manual (pg. 30). There was much shouting and loud
praying. The preacher, and others gathered
around me, laying their hands on me, weeping openly and praying for me. After awhile, I
felt an emotional relief, like nothing I ever felt before. I jumped up and lifting hands toward heaven,
shouted: "I'm saved, thank you Jesus." I began to work diligently, I scheduled
recreational events, home prayer meetings, I
participated in the Nazarene Young People's Society (N.Y.P.S.). Much later I
was baptized.
After reading
through the book of Acts, I went to our "Minister of Music," an
ordained preacher and a close personal friend, telling him I wanted to be
baptized. The only reason I could give was "Peter said to be." (Acts
2:38). After consulting with the
"Pastor" I chose to be immersed.
This might surprise those who do not know that the Nazarene Church
offers you an option. "We believe
that Christian baptism is a sacrament signifying acceptance of the benefits of
the atonement of Jesus Christ to be administered to believers...Baptism being
the symbol of the New Testament, young children may be baptized... Baptism may
be administered by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion." (Church Manual, pg. 33).
A greater injustice
has not been done to the Lord's plan of salvation than done by the Church of
the Nazarene. I do not know what
happened to me that Sunday evening, but it did not save me. No one was ever saved by praying through at
an altar. Search the New Testament and you will never find the sinner being
told to pray for salvation. You will
never find salvation coming as a result of shouting, crying or praying. You will never find where the Bible says that
baptism is a symbol, or that one is saved at the point of faith.
One "Calls upon
the name of the Lord" when he arises and is baptized as the servant of God
said in Acts 22:16. Saul had been a believer
for three days, he had engaged in prayer, nevertheless he had yet to have his
sins washed away (Acts 9:5-11). He did
not receive forgiveness until he was baptized (not sprinkled or had water
poured over his head) for the remission of his sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16).
The same is true
today. No one is saved without being
baptized in water. The Nazarene Church ignores this. Consequently, they, like the Pharisees:
"Shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in
yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Matt.
23:13). How can one teach contrary to
the gospel of Christ? I could not,
therefore I left the Church of the Nazarene.
It was devastating
to realize that I had been deceived. To
discover that your sincere efforts to serve Christ are contrary to His Will (2
Jn. 9-11) is overpowering. About this
time I begin listening to a call-in radio program, hosted by Ken Green,
evangelist with the Southend Church of Christ, in
Louisville, Kentucky. My wife and I decided
to attend the services of the Southend church one
Sunday morning. Having secured a
substitute for my Sunday School Class, I confided in a close friend that I
planned to visit the church of Christ.
He responded: "You will never be back." He was correct, I left the Nazarene Church a
few days later.
Letters of
explanation were written to all with whom we had been close, listing many
reasons why we had to separate ourselves from the Church of the Nazarene. I also wrote asking that if I was incorrect
in my understanding of various doctrinal matters, to please let me know. NO ONE RESPONDED!
Within three years
of my coming to Christ, I was preaching the gospel "full-time." I concluded that there must be many others
like I had been; empty souls "hungering and thirsting after
righteousness." Men and women, not
knowing the possibility of serving Christ without denominational fetters.
Perhaps you know
some Nazarene that would desire to know these truths. If so, please give them
this article. Or possibly, you yearn to
cast off human bondage. Then leave denominationalism! Like others before you,
"Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord" (Acts 22:16). Forgiveness is
much too precious to reject. That is why
I am not a Nazarene.
By J. R. Bronger
Note: Should this article interest you in studying the actual cases of
conversion recorded in the book of Acts then go to
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchthree.htm
.
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