Sect of the Nazarenes

Biblical Text

The expression appears in Acts 24. After Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and transferred to Caesarea, the high priest Ananias and the elders brought charges against him before the governor Felix, with the advocate Tertullus acting as their spokesman (see Felix and Festus). Tertullus claimed that Paul was "a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world," and that he had "gone about to profane the temple." He also called Paul "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5).

In his defense, Paul replied, "after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers" (Acts 24:14). Near the end of Acts, the Jewish leaders in Rome likewise refer to the movement as "this sect," saying, "we know that every where it is spoken against" (Acts 28:22).

Background and Meaning of the Term

The Greek word hairesis (αἵρεσις), rendered "sect" or "heresy," derives from the idea of "choice" and in the first century denoted a "school of thought," "sect," or "party." Acts uses the same word for the party of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17) and the party of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5; 26:5). Tertullus's words therefore portray the followers of Jesus as one sect within Judaism (see Pharisees and Sadducees).

The term "Nazarene" derives from Nazareth, the Galilean village where Jesus Christ grew up. Because Jesus was called "the Nazarene," his disciples also appear to have been called "Nazarenes." Christians themselves commonly referred to their movement as "the Way" (Acts 9:2; 24:22).

Tertullus's accusation linked the word "sect" with the charge of sedition. Many commentators interpret this as an attempt to present Paul to the Roman governor as the leader of a group that disturbed public order.

Significance in the Wider Bible

In the Epistles, the same word gradually takes on a negative sense. In 1 Corinthians 11:19 it refers to factions within the church, and in Galatians 5:20 it appears among the works of the flesh. In 2 Peter 2:1 it is connected with false teaching, as in "damnable heresies." The usage in Acts 24 reflects an earlier stage, before this shift in meaning, and is closer to a neutral or disparaging sense of "sect."

Interpretation and Issues

• The meaning of "heresy": Because the New Korean Revised Version renders the word as "heresy" (idan), readers can easily equate it with heresy in the modern sense—a denomination's judgment that a group has departed from orthodox doctrine. In the text, however, the word is not a theological verdict of that kind but the label "sect" applied by the accuser.
• Paul's response: Paul states that he believes all things written in the Law and the Prophets, emphasizing continuity with the faith of Israel. Many interpreters see this as reflecting the perspective of Acts that following Jesus is not a new religion severed from Judaism but its fulfillment.
• Distinction from the later Nazarenes: Fourth-century patristic writings mention a group of Jewish Christians called "Nazarenes." This group should be treated separately from the expression in Acts 24.

In the Korean Church

In Korean preaching, this passage is cited as evidence that the early church, too, was denounced as a "heresy" by the world and by religious leaders. At the same time, some groups that denominational general assemblies have designated as heretical cite this passage in their own defense. In response, heresy counseling ministries have argued that the meaning of the word in Acts differs from the criteria used in present-day heresy designations.