Christian Texts and History • Re: Gospel of the Ebionites: Jesus acquired his divinity at his baptism

Much of what we know of the Gospel of the Ebionites is according to Epiphanius in the Panarion. He cites the beginning of the Gospel, and it clearly starts with our Matt. 3:1, so it does not have the first 2 chapters, hence no genealogy or virgin birth.

There's one thing the stands out in his excerpts:

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

So according to Epiphanius, the Ebionites held that Jesus was born a man and acquired his divinity at his baptism by John.

There's something similar in Hebrews (not written by Paul or Marcion):

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])

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.

Epiphanius goes on to say that in the Gospel of the Ebionites Jesus explicitly abolished the sacrifices:

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

We'll add this to our list of distinguishing criteria of the Ebioneans.

Statistics: Posted by ebion — Wed Jan 17, 2024 2:36 am

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