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The Ebionites rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Thery were opposed by the early Assemblies. They did not believe that Yeshua (Jesus) was a "Person". They believed that He gradually "became divine" as G-d infused His Power into the "man" Yeshua. His Divinity came from and was a part of G-ds' Mind as reason is a part of mans' mind. This Power from G-d exisis to some degree in all men but was especially manifested in Yeshua only.
Their doctrine rejecting the Trinity is still found within the Unitarian churches today.
EBIONITE LITERATURE
"By Ebionite literature we mean here the Pseudo-Clementine 'Homilies and Recognitions', often called merely the 'Pseudo-Clementines' (PsC). Various spurious works were circulated in antiquity under the name of Clement of Rome, and among these was a romantic novel which exists today under the the title of 'Homilies and Recognitions'.
The Ebionites treated these works as their "gospel"
The PsC (Pseudo-Clementines) contain five documents:
1. 'Epistle of Peter to James', instructing James that the accompanying writings are not to be entrusted to any but the initiated. (A Gnostic belief-system was foremost)
2. 'Diamarturia' or 'Contestatio', the 'oath' to be taken by the initiated concerning these writings.
3. 'Epistle of Clement to James', telling of Peters' martyrdom, Clements' ordination, Peters' instruction to Clement, his successor, and Peters' order to write down an epitome of his sermons in the various cities that it might be sent to James, the bishop at Jerusalem; this serves as an introduction to the 'Homilies', for Clement says that he is sending this very epitome.
4. Twenty books of the 'Homilies'.
5. Ten books of the 'Recognitions'.
"The 'Homilies' (hereafter Hom.) and the 'Recognitions' (hereafter Rec.) are two forms of a novel about the fate of various members of the noble family of Clement of Rome. Clement himself is portrayed as a searcher for truth, going about to the various schools of philosophy for a solution of his doubts concerning the origin of the world, the immortality of the soul, etc. At length he hears that the Son of G-d has appeared in distant Judaea. After a long journey, which takes him to Egypt and Palestine, he meets Peter in Caesarea, is instructed in the doctrine of the True Prophet, and becomes a Christian. He is invited by Peter to accompany him on his missionary journeys in pursuit of Simon Magus. Meanwhile, curious circumstances bring about the break-up of Clements' family: his mother and two brothers leave Rome, because of a warning his mother receives in a dream, and sail for Athens; but they are shipwrecked and separated. Finally, father, mother, and the three sons set out to find each other, and the successive recognitions of the members of the family, aided by the efforts of Peter, give the title of 'Recognitions' to one of the versions of this novel. The greater part of the novel is given over, however, to the sermons of Peter and his debates with Simon Magus. This is responsible for the other extant version, the 'Homilies'. Actually there is as much homiletic material in the 'Recognitions' as there is recognitions in the 'Homilies'. Long passages parallel each other, sometimes with word-for-word identity."
Bear in mind that the "Homilies", "Recognitions" and "Sermons of Peter" (Hom., Rec., KP) were completely accepted by the Ebionites as the actual sermons ("sacred writings") and the words of the Apostle Peter, and followed absolutely as such.
They believed that the Apostle Peter rejected certain parts of the Torah as "falsehoods". These are supposedly the Apostle Peters' own words :
"The Scriptures have joined many falsehoods against G-d." (The Ebionites taught that the Apostle Peter did not accept the whole Pentateuch). (Hom. 2:38 [KP: "Kerygmata Petrou": Sermons of Peter]) This, of course, placed them in complete disagreement with the True Assemblies of Yeshua (Jesus) and others.
Again (and following) the Ebionites claimed these were the actual "sermons", the very words of the Apostle Peter:
"Neither was Adam a transgressor, who was fashioned by the Hands of G-d, nor was Noah drunken, who was found righteous above all the world; nor did Abraham live with three wives at once, who, on account of his sobriety, was thought worthy of numerous posterity; nor did Jacob associate with four - of whom two were sisters - who was the father of the Twelve Tribes, and who intimated the coming of the presence of our Master, nor was Moses a murderer, nor did he learn to judge from an idolatrous priest." (Hom. 2:52 KP)
They taught that the Apostle Peter rejected the Prophets of the Older Testament (except if verses were also found in the Gospel of Matthew: i.e. Hosea in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7; repeated in Rec. 1:37). (Hom. 3:21 KP; Rec. 1:52 KP)
The Ebionites totally rejected the Apostle Paul referring to him as "the hostile man" and "the one who leads astray." (Rec. 1:70,71,73; Hom. 2:17, 11:35; Ep. Petri 2:3; based on Rec. 1:71 alluding to Acts 22:5). Because of Acts 22:5, (an historical account by Paul before his Salvation), they would not accept the authority Pauls' Ministry. In other words, they took one verse out of context, (Acts 22:5), and used it as a valid reason to reject the Apostolic authority of Paul and all of his Epistles! All of this while the Apostle Peter in II Peter 3:15 speaks of the Apostle Paul as "our beloved brother"! Paul is not referred to directly by name as Peters' enemy in the PsC. The Apostle Paul is instead depicted as the antagonist of the Apostle James, the bishop of Jerusalem.
Water Baptism Absolutely Required
This is the service He (G-d) has appointed: to worship Him only, and trust only in the Prophet of Truth, and so be Baptized for the remission of sins, and thus by this pure Baptism to be Born Again unto G-d by Saving Water." (Hom. 7:8)
"Unless a man be Baptized in Water, in the Name of the Threefold Blessedness, as the True Prophet taught, he can neither receive remission of sins nor enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Rec. 1:69 KP, Hom. 11:27 KP)
Further, this Baptism is Required before Peter and his followers will partake of food with a man. (Hom. 1:22 not KP, cf. 13:4-5 not KP)
In PsC (the Pseudo-Clementines) these "sermons of Peter" were treated as "sacred writings" and only to be entrusted to the initiated, (Ep. Petr. 1:2, 3:1, Diam. 1-3) and only after a period of six years' probation. (Diam. 1:2, 2:2).
They praised poverty, but did not ascribe righteousness just to the fact that someone happened to be "poor".
"One is not unquestionably righteous because he happens to be poor." (Hom. 15:10 KP)
In the Ebionites' "recorded words of the Apostle Peter", all possessions were sinful.
"To all of us, possessions are sins." (Hom. 15:9 KP)
Some have also attempted to link the Ebionites with ex-Essenes or the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but the doctrines of the Ebionites, in rejecting certain parts of the Torah that they disagreed with, would eliminate that possiblity, for the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls accepted the whole Pentateuch absolutely, as well as all of the Prophets.
More Following Soon
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND CREDITS
Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J.; "The Ebionites"; The Scrolls and the New Testament; Crossroads; 1992
Stendahl, Krister; The Scrolls and the New Testament; Crossroads; 1992
© Copyright 1999 - 2003 People of G-d Ministries, Inc. No reproduction or redistribution without the prior Written Consent and Approval of People of G-d.