Resumen
Resumen de The Gospel of the Ebionites
Go deeper: the whole of The Gospel of the Ebionites
The full book, start to finish.Para quién es
For readers curious about early Christianity, its Jewish roots, and the gospels that circulated beside the four in the New Testament. It suits anyone who enjoys careful detective work with surviving fragments.
De qué trata este libro
What if a whole gospel survived only because its enemy copied it? The Gospel of the Ebionites is a lost gospel, probably from the second century, used by a Jewish-Christian community. Short passages remain, quoted by Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis. He quoted them to attack the people who read them. Each fragment shows how one early group retold the life of Jesus, blending Matthew, Mark and Luke and changing them in telling ways.
En este resumen
- 1Seven fragments survive through an opponentFree
- 2The Ebionites kept the law and honored Jesus
- 3The story begins with John, not a birth
- 4John eats wild honey, not locusts
- 5The baptism is the moment of sonship
- 6Twelve apostles and a rejection of sacrifice
Idea clave 1 de 6
Seven fragments survive through an opponent
The gospel is known only because Epiphanius quoted it in his Panarion, around 375. He chose what to copy, and he chose what would make the Ebionites look wrong.
Scholars debate whether the gospel reworks Matthew, Mark and Luke or preserves independent traditions.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Go deeper: the whole of The Gospel of the Ebionites
The full book, start to finish.Questions about The Gospel of the Ebionites
What is the Gospel of the Ebionites?
It is a lost Greek gospel used by a Jewish-Christian group called the Ebionites. Only seven short fragments survive, all quoted by Epiphanius in his Panarion. It seems to combine material from Matthew, Mark and Luke with changes of its own.
Who were the Ebionites?
The Ebionites were Jewish followers of Jesus who kept the law of Moses. They rejected the Pauline mission's easing of Jewish law for Gentile converts. Their name probably comes from a Hebrew word meaning the poor.
Why does John the Baptist eat wild honey instead of locusts in this gospel?
In the fragment, John eats wild honey like manna, in a cake made with oil, instead of locusts. Epiphanius says this suited the Ebionite avoidance of meat.
Is the Gospel of the Ebionites the same as the Gospel of the Hebrews?
The book does not settle that question. It focuses on the fragments preserved by Epiphanius and their relationship to Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Why is the Gospel of the Ebionites not in the Bible?
The church fathers did not accept it as a standard gospel, and it was used by a community that later Christians regarded as outside the main church. Only the four Gospels became the accepted core. The text itself was not preserved.