The Gospel of the Ebionites: The voice of Christianity, Jewish-Messianic

“The true sacrifice is the life line, do not shed blood.”

1. What is the Gospel of the ebionites

• We do not possess the gospel as a book, but only seven fragments cited by Epiphanius of Salamis in his work heresiológica Panarion (ca. 377 d. C.).
• Epiphanius says that it is the gospel used by a sect judeo-christian call ebionites, and calls it “the gospel according to Matthew” or “gospel Hebrew”, but what makes it so confusing. The modern name “Gospel of the ebionites” is pure academic agreement.
• The original text was a harmony of the synoptic gospels (Matthew–Mark–Luke), written in Greek, with additions and omissions that reflect the theology of the author.

In short: it is a gospel apocryphal judeo-christian, lost as an independent work, rebuilt from dating hostile to the author of the fourth century.

2. Sources and transmission: Epiphanius, and the Panarion

Our only source is the chapter 30 of Panarion, where Epiphanius combat the ebionites:

• The Panarion it is a “medicine chest against heresies”: Epiphanius describes groups that it considered deviant and quote his texts to refute them.
• Of the ebionites, preserves seven quotes or summaries of his gospel, scattered in the 30.13, 30.14, 30.16, and 30.22.
• Your appointments are partial ordered in a confused way and mixed with comments and assumptions of its own; that is why the reconstruction is necessarily hypothetical.

Critically, modern studies attempt to separate:

1. What seems to quote literal or almost literal of the gospel.
2. What is interpretation or controversy of Epiphanius.

“The purity is not conquest rituals, but with acts.”

3. Dating, place, language and literary genre

Dating

• The majority of specialists situates the gospel in the half of the second century (approx. 130-160 d. C.).
• Reasons:
  • It is a harmony synoptic, a genre typical of that time (such as the Diatessaron of Tatian).
  • Does not depend on the Gospel of John, which fits with an environment where it is not yet hegemonic the “four gospels” of the Great Church.

Place of origin

• Probable origin in the region east of the Jordan (Transjordan), where the patristic sources located communities ebionites.

Language and gender

• Composite in Greeknot in Hebrew or aramaic, unlike what Epiphanius thought.
• It is a harmony gospel: an account only, which combines and rewrites the synoptic gospels, selecting, summarizing, by changing words and adding elements theological own.

“The truth does not destroy the Torah, the lights.”

4. Relationship with the other gospels judeo-christian

The Gospel of the ebionites is one of several gospels judeo-christian:

• Gospel of the hebrews
• Gospel of the nazarenes
• Probably related to a lost text called “Gospel of the Twelve”.

All of them:

• They survive only in quotations patristic.
• They are linked to the christian communities of jewish origin.

The majority of specialists (Klijn and others) believes that the Gospel of the ebionites is a different text, known only to Epiphanius, not simply another version of the “gospel in Hebrew”.

5. Content known: the seven fragments

We do not have the entire text, but appointments can be identified issues:

5.1. Harmony of the synoptic gospels

The gospel seems to follow the general sequence of the synoptics, but:

• Dispenses stories of childhood (there is no virgin birth or genealogy). Epiphanius says explicitly that “have been removed by the genealogies of Matthew”.
• Rewrite the key scenes in function of their theology.

5.2. The baptism of Jesus

At the scene of the baptism:

• Combine elements of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
• The Holy spirit descends in the form of a dove and enter into Jesusstressing a point of choice.
• The voice from heaven quotes Psalm 2.7 in the “western” version of Luke: “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten you”
  in place of the more well-known “in thee I am well pleased”.

Theologically, this supports a christology adoptionist: Jesus is a righteous man who, in baptism, is adopted as a Son of God.

5.3. John the Baptist and the question of diet

In the description of John:

• Preserves the clothing of camel skin and leather belt, as in the synoptics.
• But you change the diet: instead of “locusts and wild honey” (akrides), the text speaks of honey it tasted like manna, like a cake baked in oil (egkris), a kind of cake or pancake.

This is interpreted commonly referred to as:

• Re-reading vegetarian the figure of John.
• Allusion to the manna of the desert (Exodus 16; Numbers 11) or the cakes 1 Kings 19,6 (Elijah), reinforcing the continuity of the prophets.

5.4. Rejection of animal sacrifices

Other significant fragment presents Jesus:

• By abolishing the sacrifices jews and ordered that they stop killing animals.
• In related texts (such as the Ascents of James in the Acknowledgements Clementinos), this abolition is attached to the replacement for the baptism with water for the remission of sins, which harmonizes well with the theology of the gospel ebionita.

This fits in with christianity, jewish:

• Critical of the cult's sacrificial Temple.
• Oriented towards an ethic of life (including diet) as a true “worship”.

5.5. The Last Supper, and the meat

In a version of the last supper (based on Luke 22):

• The text adds the word “meat” (sarx) in the phrase: “I have desired to eat this meat of Passover with you...”.
• This insertion is understood as a rationalization of abstinence from meat: Jesus declares that he will not eat “meat” until the kingdom of God, which allows you to justify a practice vegetarian in the community.

5.6. Food standards and “flesh with a soul”

Epiphanius, citing this gospel and other traditions ebionites, he says:

• The ebionites abstaining from “flesh with a soul in it”, that is to say, animal meat.

Although not all of this comes directly from the fragments, it shows how the text was read in key vegetarian and antimacrífica.

“The light does not descend into lineages, but on the lives of dignity.”

6. Theology of the Gospel of the ebionites

6.1. Christology adoptionist and “low”

Key features:

• There is No virgin birth or genealogy davidic developed: skipped the first few chapters of Matthew.
• Jesus is presented as a righteous man, chosen by God in the baptism (Ps 2,7: “today I have begotten you”).
• This is typical of a christology adoptionist: Jesus is not a pre-existing or of one substance with the Father, but is adopted as a Son.

6.2. The Holy spirit and anointing

• The descent of the Spirit “that go into It” reinforces the idea of a anointing prophetic: the Spirit not only drops, but that it penetrates Jesus, marking the beginning of his mission.

6.3. Soteriology: baptism and ethics

• Salvation is linked to:
  • Repentance and baptism.
  • A style of life that includes observance of the Torah and rejection of sacrifices and meat.

There is No development of explicit theology of the cross in the style of paul; the shaft is rather the practice and the fidelity to an interpretation of “pure” of the Law.

6.4. Law, sacrifices, and vegetarianism

• The ebionites, according to the patristic sources, insisted:
  • Observe the Law of Moses.
  • Reject Paul and his letters.
  • Only accept a gospel judeo-christian (to Epiphanius, “according to Matthew”).
• The gospel that we are concerned with, fit with this position:
  • Condemns the slaughter of animals.
  • Associated with Jesus and John the Baptist with a practice food vegetarian or almost.

“The mystery of Jesus is not in its origin but in its choice.”

7. The ebionites as a movement and its relationship to the gospel

7.1. Who were the ebionites

According to the Church Fathers (Irenaeus, Eusebius, Epiphanius):

• Group judeo-christian that she saw Jesus as Messiah human, is not divine.
• They insisted on:
  • Circumcision.
  • Observance of the Law.
  • Rejection of Paul and his letters.
  • Use of a single gospel judeo-christian.

7.2. Does it reflect the gospel the theology of the ebionites primitive?

Here there's debate:

• Irenaeus (h. 185 d. C.) describe some ebionites that don't quite fit with the image that gives Epiphanius two centuries later.
• Some authors (Luomanen, others) think:
  • There may have been evolution doctrinal the ebionismo.
  • Or that Epiphanius mix traditions of several groups and project all about “the ebionites”.

In any case, the Gospel of the ebionites is a key piece to understand a branch hellenized the judeo-christianismpossibly different of the ebionites oldest of Palestine.

“The Spirit descends on who is prepared to receive it.”

8. Academic Debates around the gospel

8.1. How ebionita is it really?

• Some see the gospel as representative theology ebionita late.
• Others suspect that:
  • It can be a harmony that is used by multiple groups, judeo-christian, not only by the ebionites.
  • Epiphanius uses it as a weapon against a set of currents judeo-christian, not necessarily homogeneous.

8.2. Relationship with Gospel of the hebrews / nazarenes / Twelve

• There's discussion on whether:
  • Are different texts of the same “corpus Hebrew”, or
  • Truly works different.
• The majority consensus is today: the Gospel of the ebionites, as harmony in Greek, is distinct and recognizable, although it may depend on traditions of jewish prior.

8.3. What vegetarianism central or exaggeration?

• The quotes about the diet of John, and the interpolations of “meat” in the dinner in support of a ethics vegetarian.
• But we discuss:
  • If vegetarianism was really central to all of the ebionites.
  • Or if certain groups radicalized, and Epiphanius as amplified by controversy.

“The Messiah doesn't break the Law: live it to the fullest.”

9. Importance for the study of early christianity

The Gospel of the ebionites is crucial for several reasons:

1. Diversity christological
   • Shows that in the second century there were gospels with a christology non-trinitarian, adoptionist, fully integrated into christian communities.
2. Competition gospels
   • Before you consolidated the canon, coexisted:
     • Gospels individual (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
     • Harmonies as this gospel and the Diatessaron.
   • This shows a christianity still very fluent in your library “sacred”.
3. Persistence of the judeo-christianism
   • The text is evidence that, at the century II–IV, there were still communities that:
     • It is defined as a jewish and christian at the same time.
     • Criticized the worship of the Temple and the interpretations of pauline.
4. History of christian ethics (sacrifices, meat, vegetarianism)
   • It contributes to the debate on:
     • The rejection of animal sacrifices after the destruction of the Temple (70 ce. C.).
     • The place of vegetarianism in certain currents of early christian.

10. Key points to remember

1. Status text
   • We do not have the full gospel, just seven fragments preserved by Epiphanius in the Panarion.
2. Nature of the work
   • It is a harmony Greek of the synoptic gospelswithout stories of childhood or genealogy, with modifications theological clear.
3. Christology
   • Adoptionist: Jesus is “begotten” Son of God at the moment of baptism, not pre-existing or consubstantial.
4. Law and sacrifices
   • Rejects animal sacrifices and proposes the baptism and an ethical life as the true worship.
5. Diet and vegetarianism
   • Re-reading of the diet of John and of the Passover with emphasis on the abstinence from meat; likely connection with communities vegetarian ebionites.
6. Historical context
   • Emerged towards the half of the second centuryprobably in the area transjordanain an environment judeo-christian critic of christianity, pauline.
7. Historical value
   • Offers one of the few windows to a current jewish christian that was outside of orthodoxy, but that it was important enough to be fought and guarded by authors such as Epiphanius.