Re: What were the beliefs of Early Ebionaen Christianity?
Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 6:07 am
fwiw, it is debated whether "Galileans" in a Bar Kokhbah letter refers to Christians.
Investigating the roots of western civilization (ye olde BC&H forum of IIDB lives on...)
https://earlywritings.com/forum/
What do I use for the "Travels of Peter written by Clement" or is that the Clementines?they use certain other books as well—supposedly the so-called Travels of Peter written by Clement
The Ascents of James may be a part of the Clementines: What do I use as a basis set for the Clementines?They lay down certain ascents and instructions in the supposed 'Ascents of James,' as though he were giving orders against the temple and sacrifices, and the fire on the altar—and much else that is full of nonsense.
For concreteness I'll give a short cut-n-paste summary from a good exposition:1.30.3:6 But again, when they choose to, they say, 'No! The Spirit—that is, the Christ—came to him and put on the man called Jesus.'^[627]15 And they get all giddy from making different suppositions about him at different times.
‘Aloe is a genus containing about 500 species, the most common one being aloe vera which grows in Africa and the Middle East. It is very valuable due to its qualities, so much so that the great thinker Aristotle, being aware that the healing properties of aloe would be invaluable to soldiers wounded in battle, advised his student Alexander III (‘the Great’) to conquer all lands that grew it, especially the island of Socotra off the coast of Eastern Africa. Similarly, Pedanius Dioscorides, a physician in the Roman army, mentioned medicinal aloes in his encyclopaedic Greek herbal De Materia Medica (approximately 75 BC).’ [16]
‘In the past myrrh was used by many cultures for religious ceremonies and as a healing agent. It was mentioned in the Bible as a gift at the birth of Christ. The Egyptians believed in its healing powers: they burned it every day as part of their worship rituals. In the Greek culture when soldiers went to battle it was an essential part of their combat gear because of myrrh’s extremely high antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used to clean wounds and to prevent infection. It was also used to prevent the spread of gangrene in already infected parts of the body.’ [17]
‘…a medical preparation known as Marham-i-Isa or the “Ointment of Jesus” and is found recorded in hundreds of medical books. Some of these books were compiled by Christians, some by Magians or even Jews, and some by Muslims. Most of them are old classics. Investigations show that in the beginning, based on oral tradition, the preparation came to be known by hundreds of thousands of people. Later it was duly recorded. In the days of Jesus, shortly after the crucifixion, a pharmacopoeia was compiled in Latin, which recorded this prescription and testified that it had been prepared for the treatment of the wounds of Jesus.’ [18]
‘These books contained the prescription of the “Ointment of Jesus” as well as the explanation that this ointment was prepared for Jesus by his disciples. In the context of religion, those people – Jews, Christians, Muslims and Magians – were all opposed to one another. Therefore, the fact that they have mentioned this ointment in their books, regardless of their respective beliefs, proves beyond any doubt that the preparation of the ointment was too well-known a fact to be denied by any community or nation.’ [19]
So according to Epiphanius, the Ebionites held that Jesus was born a man and acquired his divinity at his baptism by John.1.30.3:7 And after saying a good deal it adds, 'When the people had been baptized Jesus came also and was baptized of John. And as he came up out of the water the heavens were opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove which descended and entered into him. And (there came) a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased,^[639]27 and again, This day have I begotten thee.^[640]28 And straightway a great light shone round about the place.^[641]29 Seeing this,' it says, 'John said unto him, Who art thou, Lord?^[642]30 And again (there came) a voice to him from heaven, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.^[643]31
But in Hebrews, it's ambiguous who the he is - we assume it's God; in the Gospel of the Ebionites it is, and we get the full context. The Ebionaens use this to say that Jesus acquired his divinity at his baptism, which Christians celecrate as Epiphany (Jan. 7). I assume that Ebionaens celebrated Epiphany as the second biggest Christian holiday of the year, and would not have celebrated Xmas, the birthday of Sol Invictus.So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (Hebrews 5:5 [KJV])
We'll add this to our list of distinguishing criteria of the Ebioneans.1.30.16:5 As their so-called Gospel says, 'I came to abolish the sacrifices, and if ye cease
not from sacrifice, wrath will not cease from you.'^[649]37
The Spirit of Holiness descended upon Him in the bodily form of a Dove. And a Voice came from The Heavens, which said, "You are My Son, The Beloved One, in whom I have been pleased.
Now He, Yeshua, was about a son of thirty years {i.e. about 30 years old}, and it was thought that He was bar-Yuseph {the son of Joseph}, bar-Heliy {the son of Helee},
(Luke 3:22-23 [HAS])
Not necessarily 'divinity' though. IIUC Ebionites believed that Jesus was Christ by election, i.e. he was so perfect with performing God's Law that God made him Christ. It could happen to anyone who was perfect.ebion wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 2:36 amThere's one thing the stands out in his excerpts:So according to Epiphanius, the Ebionites held that Jesus was born a man and acquired his divinity at his baptism by John.1.30.3:7 And after saying a good deal it adds, 'When the people had been baptized Jesus came also and was baptized of John. And as he came up out of the water the heavens were opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove which descended and entered into him. And (there came) a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased,^[639]27 and again, This day have I begotten thee.^[640]28 And straightway a great light shone round about the place.^[641]29 Seeing this,' it says, 'John said unto him, Who art thou, Lord?^[642]30 And again (there came) a voice to him from heaven, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.^[643]31
I had never considered "It could happen to anyone who was perfect" and have to agree: God is all-powerful and could bestow his Grace on another - and I expect the Ebionaens would agree.Ebionites believed that Jesus was Christ by election, i.e. he was so perfect with performing God's Law that God made him Christ. It could happen to anyone who was perfect.
That is the two-Gods of Cerinthus that I'm told is a basis for the two Gods of Marcion, so the broad tarbrush of Ireneaus does not apply to that because "their opinions with respect to the Lord are opposite to those of Cerinthus " - the Ebionaens were very much Hebrew/mono-theistic/Shemaers.Cerinthus, again, a man who was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, taught that the world was not made by the primary God, but by a certain Power far separated from him, and at a distance from that Principality who is supreme over the universe, and ignorant of him who is above all.
If Cerinthus believed that then he agrees with the Ebionaens so I agree with Ireneaus.He [Cerinthus] represented Jesus as having not been born of a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more righteous, prudent, and wise than other men.
If Cerinthus believed that then he agrees with the Ebionaens so I agree with Ireneaus, but (respectfully) disagree with you: "I don't think the Ebionites regarded Jesus as divine until he ascended to heaven." No, as I cited "the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove which descended and entered into him" at his baptism, and the Ebionaens hold to what is written in Hebrews and recounted in the Panarion. I contend that Epiphany, the celebration of Christ's baptism, is a big Ebionaen Christian holiday, as it is even today with the Greek Orthodox.Moreover, after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles.
The idea is found in Hippolytus (c170-c236)ebion wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 4:18 amI had never considered "It could happen to anyone who was perfect" and have to agree: God is all-powerful and could bestow his Grace on another - and I expect the Ebionaens would agree.Ebionites believed that Jesus was Christ by election, i.e. he was so perfect with performing God's Law that God made him Christ. It could happen to anyone who was perfect.
Yes, but I was more being nitpickery over the word 'divine', which to me has more of a proto-orthodox flavour. I don't think that Ebionites believed that Jesus was a God, so I'd be wary of suggesting that they thought Jesus became 'divine' at his baptism.ebion wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 4:18 amIf Cerinthus believed that then he agrees with the Ebionaens so I agree with Ireneaus, but (respectfully) disagree with you: "I don't think the Ebionites regarded Jesus as divine until he ascended to heaven." No, as I cited "the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove which descended and entered into him" at his baptism, and the Ebionaens hold to what is written in Hebrews and recounted in the Panarion. I contend that Epiphany, the celebration of Christ's baptism, is a big Ebionaen Christian holiday, as it is even today with the Greek Orthodox.
Does that help clarify things?
OK: in the sprit of nit-pickery I'll point out that I didn't say he was divine (lowercase h), but that "he acquired his divinity at baptism" which is not the same thing to us nit-pickers.GakuseiDon wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 11:34 am Yes, but I was more being nitpickery over the word 'divine', which to me has more of a proto-orthodox flavour. I don't think that Ebionites believed that Jesus was a God, so I'd be wary of suggesting that they thought Jesus became 'divine' at his baptism.
What do you mean then by "acquiring divinity"? If the dove left Jesus' body, would Jesus no longer have divinity? Was it Jesus' body that acquired divinity, or was it just the Holy Spirit inside him? (Questions like these are what start schisms! )ebion wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 12:05 pmOK: in the sprit of nit-pickery I'll point out that I didn't say he was divine (lowercase h), but that "he acquired his divinity at baptism" which is not the same thing to us nit-pickers.GakuseiDon wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2024 11:34 am Yes, but I was more being nitpickery over the word 'divine', which to me has more of a proto-orthodox flavour. I don't think that Ebionites believed that Jesus was a God, so I'd be wary of suggesting that they thought Jesus became 'divine' at his baptism.
Elijah, Elisha. From here: