2 branches of ebionites

). Ebionite, member of an early ascetic sect of Jewish Christians. — The name is derived from the Hebrew אֶבְיוֹן, poor. • Two varieties: the earlier group called Ebionites denied the divinity of Christ; the later Ebionites were a Gnostic sect who believed that matter was eternal and was God s body Catholic Encyclopedia. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. The party which the Epistle to the Hebrews had in view must have over-estimated the law of the O.T. Literature. and Theolog. Bishop Horsley replied to Priestley in his Charge to the Clergy of St. Albans (1783), and in other tracts, collected in Tracts in Controversy with Dr. Priestley (Dundee, 1812, 3d ed.). : 1:116; 2:376; 3:175 et al. According to the same writer, "the characteristic marks of Ebionism in all its forms are, degradation of Christianity to the level of Judaism, the principle of the universal and perpetual validity of the Mosaic law, and enmity to the apostle Paul. Tertullian (De Praescrip. The second class of Ebionites, starting with Essenic notions, gave their Judaism a speculative or theosophic stamp, like the errorists of the Epistle to the Colossians. 29:1), and came later to designate Jewish Christians (Origen, cont. The exact relationship of the Ebionites to the Dead Sea Community and/or the Essenes as well as the older sect known as the Rechabites is still a matter of conjecture, although more recent scholarship has tended to see basic similarities if not some type of direct relationship. c. 33) derives it from a founder, Edion, who maintained the authority of the Jewish law, and rejected the miraculous conception and divine nature of spirit. We wish we… What eventually became of the Ebionites remains a point of contention amongst historians. It first occurs in Irenaeus, Adv. Haer., I., xxvi, 2… regarding holy times, places, acts, and persons alike, and have been wanting in the Christian knowledge which knows how to secure to the O.T. The word Ebionites, or rather, more correctly, Ebionæans (Ebionaioi), is a transliteration of an Aramean word meaning “poor men”. Generally, the movement came to have a very negative view of Paul as an “apostate from the Torah,” though it is possible that in the 2nd and 3rd centuries there were branches of the Nazarenes who were more tolerant of Paul as the “apostle to the Gentiles,” but who as Jews, nonetheless, insisted on Torah observance. But, unlike them, he holds that we find within the canon a great departure from, and advance upon, this humanitarian doctrine of Christ's person. Hist. Rev. They themselves faithfully followed the Law, although they removed what they regarded as interpolations in order to uphold their teachings, which included vegetarianism, holy poverty, ritual ablutions, and the rejection of animal sacrifices. Ecclesiastes in, 27) fancifully derives the name from "the poverty and meanness of the Elbionite doctrine concerning Christ." Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. Christology of the Early Church. I. xxvi. EBIONITES: translation an early CHRISTIAN HERESY referred to by IRENAEUS whose BELIEFS are obscure. The following selection is excerpted from Montague Rhode James in The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1924), pp. The common Ebionites, who were by far the more numerous, embodied the Pharisaic legal spirit, and were the proper successors of the Judaizers opposed in the epistle to the Galatians. We wish we had the whole Gospel. Among these belong the Elkesaites" (Schaff, Ch. Apocrypha: Gospel of the Ebionites The Gospel of the Ebionites is known only by the quotations from Epiphanius in these passages of his Panarion: 30.13.1-8, 30.14.5, 30.16.4-5, and 30.22.4. Ebionites and Essenes. They believed in one God and taught that Jesus was the Messiah and was the true “prophet” mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15. Presb. traces the Ebionitish tendency as far back as the Epistle to the Hebrews. (c.) Paul is an apostate and heretic, and all his epistles are to be discarded. 2006. 2. The first use of the word "Christian" is found in Acts 11:26, where it states the disciples in Antioch were called Christians. Rev. The Ebionites testified that Paul had no Pharisaic background or training; he was the son of Gentiles, converted to Judaism in Tarsus, came to Jerusalem when an adult, and attached himself to the High Priest as a henchman. 2. Among these belong the Elkesaites" (Schaff, Ch. There occurred at the end, or before the end, of the apostolic age, a reaction of the Jewish Christianity, which with Baur is identical with the Judaizing or Ebionite element; and this type of Christianity prevailed through the larger part of the second century." Against Heresies — Irenæus. The term "the poor" was at first a common designation for all Christians - a reference to their material as well their voluntary poverty. Hence Origen compared this sect to the blind man in the Gospel who called to the Lord without seeing him, 'Thou son of David, have mercy on me!'. Other writers 2. … 2. (Leipsig, 1820); Mosheim, Comnmentaries, 1:220, 400; Neander, Church Hist. Their doctrine may be reduced to the following propositions: (a.) The Ebionites and Nazarenes were Jewish–Christian sects during the Second Temple era. 29:1). By this name were designated one or more early Christian sects infected with Judaistic errors. First (Lexicon, s.v.) Its members evidently left Palestine to avoid persecution and settled in Transjordan (notably at Pella) and Syria and were later known to be in Asia Minor and Egypt. The most complete account available of the Ebionites comes from Epiphanius of Salamis who in the fourth century recorded a "heresiology", Panarion, which was aimed to denounce 80 so-called heretical sects, including the Ebionites. Irenaeus on the Ebionites Adversus Haereses (Book I, Chapter 26) Those who are called Ebionites agree that the world was made by God; but their opinions with respect to the Lord are similar to those of Cerinthus and Carpocrates. According to TERTULLIAN (De Praescr. makes the derivation refer to Matthew 5:3 making "Ebionites" equivalent to "oppressed pious exiles" (Isaiah 25:4). We wish we knew who actually used the Gospel. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Haer., I, xxvi, 2… Baur's position is clearly stated, and refuted by professor Fisher (Am. 4. But the consequence of the legal stand-point soon showed itself. 1, § 68, 214 sq. 2. (See Fisher, 1. c., for a criticism of this view, and for a brief but luminous sketch of Ebionism. 2000 years ago I lived as Jacob and was known as the brother of Yeshua. They form the stepping-stone to Gnosticism. They tend to disrupt Christian boards with their views unless the staff put their foot down. The sect considered him a native heathen, who came over to Judaism in later life from impure motives. They existed during the early centuries of the Common Era. — Dr. Schaff sharply distinguishes Ebionism from Gnosticism as follows: "Ebionism is a Judaizing, pseudo-Petrine Christianity, or a Christianizing Judaism; Gnosticism is a paganizing or pseudo-Pauline Christianity, or a pseudo-Christian heathenism. 1. (b.) They are difficult to combat because they do not respect the written Word. The Gospel of the Ebionites is the conventional name given by scholars to an apocryphal gospel extant only as seven brief quotations in a heresiology known as the Panarion, by Epiphanius of Salamis; he misidentified it as the "Hebrew" gospel, believing it to be a truncated and modified version of the Gospel of Matthew. New York. 1. The word Ebionites, or rather, more correctly, Ebionæans (Ebionaioi), is a transliteration of an Aramean word meaning "poor men". The former is a particularistic contraction of the Christian religion; the latter a vague expansion of it" (Church History, § 67). Disappointed in his hopes of advancement, Paul broke with the High Priest and sought fame by founding a new religion. Circumcision and the observance of the whole ritual law of Moses are necessary to salvation for all men. It is true that Jesus was "christ," but so also would all be who fulfilled the Law. As predicted, Satan has ruled the hearts and minds of believers, and the church has become spiritually disenfranchised by manmade doctrines. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Bibliography InformationMcClintock, John. — See, besides the works already cited, Irenaeus, Har. The word Ebionites, or rather, more correctly, Ebionaeans, Ebionaioi, is a transliteration of the Aramean ABYONYA, meaning “poor men”. He professes to discover in the New Testament the consecutive stages of a progress which, beginning with the Unitarian creed terminates in the doctrine of Christ's proper divinity. t first appears in the writings of Irenaeus (Adv. Updates? 1:26 (Ante-Nicene Library, verse 97); Gieseler, Ueber die Nazarder und Ebioniten, in Archiv fur A.&N. Ebionites. Pronunciation of Ebionites with 2 audio pronunciations, 5 translations, 2 sentences and more for Ebionites. According to Hegesippus (Hist. The derivation first above given is now generally adopted. Little information exists on the Ebionites, and the surviving accounts are subject to considerable debate, since they are uniformly derived from the Ebionites’ opponents. Organization of Ebionites. Origin The name Ebionite seems to be derived from Heb ˒eḇyôn, òpoor. The Ebionites believed Jesus became the Messiah because he obeyed the Jewish Law. They did not call themselves Christians until later. Strong, James. translated 1:189 sq.) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ebionites. 1, § 68, 214 sq.). Origen (c. The Ebionites believed Jesus became the Messiah because he obeyed the Jewish Law. Ebionites (Greek: Ἐβιωναῖοι, Ebionaioi, derived from Hebrew אביונים ‎ ebyonim, ebionim, meaning 'the poor' or 'poor ones') as a term refers to a Jewish Christian sect who were vegetarians, viewed poverty as holy, believed in ritual ablutions, and also rejected of animal sacrifices. During the life of Jesus, Judaism was split into four main sects: Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes. The Ebionites were one of several such sects that originated in and around Palestine in the first centuries ad and included the Nazarenes and Elkasites. a sect of Judaizing Christians who received the doctrines of the Gospel very partially, and denied the divine nature of Christ. 11; Burton, Bampton Lectures (Oxford, 1829), notes 73-84. [2] They regarded Jesus as the Messiah but not as divine.The Ebionites revered his brother James as the head of the Jerusalem Church and rejected Paul of Tarsus because he was an apostate towards the Law [citation needed]. They do not appear to have been at any time numerous, and it is doubtful whether they ever obtained such consistency as to have a definite creed. transl., page 203 sq.). The first mention of the sect is in the works of the Christian theologian St. Irenaeus, notably in his Adversus haereses (Against Heresies; c. 180); other sources include the writings of Origen and St. Epiphanius of Constantia. Paulinism of the Early Church. ; Herzog, Real- Esacyklopadie, 3:621 sq. The sect seems to have existed into the 4th century. 2). They themselves faithfully followed the Law, although they removed what they regarded as interpolations in order to uphold their teachings, which included vegetarianism, holy poverty, ritual ablutions, and the rejection of animal sacrifices. October 1864, art. It first occurs in Irenaeus, Adv. A far abler advocate of the Socinian view is Baur, in his Christenthum d. drei erstess Jahrhunderte; Lehre v.d. From the Catholic Encyclopedia. I. ; Burton, Ecclesiastes History, Lect. In many ways, Eisenman feels that the Ebionites were similar to the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. General Statement: The Ebionites were a sect of heretics frequently mentioned by the early Fathers. The second class of Ebionites, starting with Essenic notions, gave their Judaism a speculative or theosophic stamp, like the errorists of the Epistle to the Colossians. It used a Hebrew Gospel, now lost, which was probably a corruption of the Gospel of Matthew" (Schaff, Church History, 1, § 68, page 214). Haer. The Gospel of the Ebionites and the Hebrew Gospel. V. EVIDENCE FROM EBIONISM FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. Most of the features of Ebionite doctrine were anticipated in the teachings of the earlier Qumrān sect, as revealed in the Dead Sea Scrolls. (d.) Christ is soon to come again to introduce the glorious millennial reign of the Messiah, with the earthly Jerusalem for its seat. They are thought to have been a poor JEWISH CHRISTIAN SECT which rejected PAULINE CHRISTIANITY and affirmed the Gospel of Matthew. The Name. 1844), page 362 sq. The Ebionite movement may have arisen about the time of the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (ad 70). The pseudo-Clementine homilies teach a speculative form of Ebionism, essentially Judaizing in spirit and aim [ (See CLEMENTINES), 2, page 383]; and compare Schaff, Ch. It continued into the fourth century, but at the time of Theodoret was entirely extinct. (historical) A member of an early Jewish Christian sect that lived in and around Judea and Palestine from the 1st to the 4th century. Ebionites. Exposure Of. The name of the sect is from the Hebrew ebyonim, or ebionim (“the poor”); it was not founded, as later Christian writers stated, by a certain Ebion. We know that the Ebionites believed Yeshu was born of a natural generation between Joseph and Mary; while some Nazarenes believed in a virgin birth. Hoer. Ebionites Eb The Ebionites were one of several such sects that originated in and around Palestine in the first centuries ad and included the Nazarenes and Elkasites. Epiphanius traces the origin of Ebionitism to the Christians who fled to Pella after the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 66 (adv. Ecclesiastes 4:22), one Thebutis, at Jerusalem, about the beginning of the second century, "began to corrupt the Church secretly on account of his not being made a bishop." The Community who followed James were known as 'the Poor', (Galatians 2:10, James 2:3-5) a designation mentioned both in the Sermon on the Mount and in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Kircheng., 4:279 sq. ; Martensen, Dogmatics (Edinburgh, 1866), § 128; Shedd, History of Doctrines, 1:106 sq. LITERATURE. Some Unitarian writers have undertaken to show that Ebionism was the original form of Christian doctrine, and that the Church doctrine as to the person of Christ was a later development; so Priestley, in his History of the Corruptions of Christianity (Birmingham, 1782). Ebionite writings: Clementine Homilies; Clementine Recognitions; Clementine Epitomes; Asc Isa; Odes of Solomon. The people who qualify for the first time as Ebionites are one or several Christian sects in certain writings of Irenaeus, even though this church father did not supply a good designation of meaning for that word. Thus they naturally repudiated Paul and his new doctrine entirely; for them Paul was a deceiver and … Jesus is, indeed, the promised Messiah, the son of David, and the supreme lawgiver, yet a mere man, like Moses and David, sprung by natural generation from Joseph and Mary. Contemporary writers on Ebionites: Irenaeus; Tertullian; Hippolytus; Origen; Eusebius, III, 27; Epiphanius; Jerome; Justin Martyr (Trypho, 47, 48) refers to the Ebionites without naming them. They form the stepping-stone to Gnosticism. Refutation of the Ebionites, who Disparaged the Authority of St. Paul, from the Writings of St. Luke, which must be Received as a Whole. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. No one doubts that the first followers of Jesus were all Jews. April, 1864, page 569 sq.). Kevin Knight. We have only these eight fragments that Epiphanius quotes. Here he distinction between Nazarenes and the Ebionites proper becomes apparent. : 3:554 sq.). The term Ebionites derives from the Hebrew אביונים Evionim, meaning "the Poor Ones", which has parallels in the Psalms and the self-given term of pious Jewish circles. History. Harper & Brothers. Haeret. i.26.2), who gave no explanation of the term. Copyright StatementThese files are public domain. Celsum, 2:1). 1. Doctrines. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/e/ebionites.html. Evidently, they later found this unsatisfactory and developed their own literature—the Gospel of the Ebionites—although none of this text has survived. Neither are named in Mark or Matthew chapters 1-2, while both are named eight times each in Luke chapters 1-2, and Zacharias is named in Lk 3:2 (above). But, as there were different sects in Judaism itself, we have also to distinguish at least two branches of Ebionism, related to each other, as Pharisaism and Essenism, or, to use a modern illustration, as the older deistic and the speculative pantheistic rationalism in Germany, or the two schools of Unitarianism in England and America. "From that zeal for the law with which Paul had to contend, the Judaizing spirit was led not at first to impeach the Christology, but rather the Soteriology, or the work of Christ. How to say Ebionites in English? Cels., V. 61) distinguishes between two branches of Ebionites, - those who denied and those who accepted the miraculous birth. Corrections? The Ebionites were a Jewish sect that insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites, [1] which they interpreted in light of Jesus' expounding of the Law. Dreieinigkeit Gottes; Dogmengeschichte, etc. The origin of the term, a Hebrew word meaning poor persons, is obscure.It may have been an honorific title given to an original group of Christians who were Jews living in Jerusalem that needed assistance from Christians elsewhere in the Roman Empire (Rom. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. The Ebionites knew nothing of the pre-existence or divinity of their revered prophet. The Ebionites also held Jerusalem in great veneration. "We find the sect of the Ebionites in Palestine and the surrounding regions, on the island of Cyprus, in Asia Minor, and even in Rome. They rejected the Virgin Birth of Jesus, instead holding that he was the natural son of Joseph and Mary. The Ebionites developed from this branch. 1870. Ebionite, member of an early ascetic sect of Jewish Christians. There are other interesting features of the Gospel of the Ebionites, known from the quotations of Epiphanius, the fourth-century heresiologist (= heresy-hunter). 1:344; 350; Schliemann, Die Clementinen (Hamb. Omissions? This term was anciently applied in derision to Christians in general (Epiphanius, adv. EBIONITES is the name given to a Jewish Christian sect that flourished during the early history of the Christian church. Those Jews who broke away to follow Jesus called themselves Nazarenes and later, Ebionites. It first occurs in Irenaeus, Adv. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, History of the Corruptions of Christianity, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. (Adv. The name of the sect is from the Hebrew ebyonim, or ebionim (“the poor”); it was not founded, as later Christian writers stated, by a certain Ebion. xxxiii. "Baur agrees with the old Socinians in the statement that the Jewish Christianity of the apostolic age was Ebionite. Horsley, in this controversy, made use of Bull's learned treatment of the subject in his reply to Zwicker (see Bull, On the Trinity, Oxford, 1855, 3 vols. Ebionites believed Jesus became the Messiah and was the true “ prophet ” in! Generally adopted the New testament off at Act 2 who fled to Pella the... To `` oppressed pious exiles '' ( Schaff, Ch were designated one more. Who came over to Judaism in later life from impure motives and heretic, and denied the divine nature Christ... Shedd, history of doctrines, 1:106 sq. ) for all men, Ebionites 61 ) distinguishes two... For your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox refuted! Other forms of what is called Unitarianism ( q.v. ) New year with a Britannica Membership has spiritually! Necessary to salvation for all men the authors of the pre-existence or divinity their... 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