ModernHeretic

I recently found a site which claims that the Ebionites was the true sect that followed from the disciples of Jesus. Now, I've heard of the Ebionites before, along with the Gnostics, the Marcionites, the Valentinians, and many of the other early Christian sects.

I would be curious to hear the opinions of the posters on this site, especially of any of the biblibcal scholars. Is there good evidence to suggest that the Ebionites may have been in possession of the true teachings of Jesus?

NOTE: This is, of course, assuming a historical Jesus. I'm aware of all the MJ hypotheses, but for the purposes of this thread please assume an HJ.

Btw, the site can be found here:

http://www.atheists-for-jesus.com/index.php

Toto

Atheists for Jesus are Humanists who have tried to appropriate Jesus for their philosophy and blame everything bad in modern Christianity on Paul. They picked the Ebionites as the closest ancient sect to what they claim. I think they are driven by ideology, not history.

gnosis92

uh since verything bad about x is the ot, wouldn't marcion b a better choice?

atheist for jesus = leftists

mens_sana

Bart Ehrman spends some time on the Ebionites in his The New Testament: A Historical Introduction (or via: amazon.co.uk) and in Lost Christianities (or via: amazon.co.uk). Somewhat indirectly, you can find additional information in A.F.J. Klijn and G.J. Reinink's Patristic Evidence for Jewish-Christian Sects (or via: amazon.co.uk)(Brill, 1973) and Klijn's Jewish-Christian Gospel Tradition (or via: amazon.co.uk)(Brill, 1992). The Ebionites did not think Jesus' had a divine origin and the sect lasted into the generation before Augustine — nor were they gnostic.

jakejonesiv

Ebion was late, following at least Simon Magus, Menander, Saturninus, Basilides, Nicolaus, Carpocrates, and Cerinthus.

Malachi151

I love it how all of these people claim that "Paul deviated from the teachings of Jesus", based on the Gospels, which were written AFTER Paul! If there was any deviation, it was of the Gospel writers from Paul.

ModernHeretic

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with most of those people, with the exception of Simon. Could you give me an idea of what you mean by "late"? (a date range, maybe?)

Thanks.

ModernHeretic

Technically, they only claim their beliefs were based on one gospel, which was a variation of the Gospel of Matthew.

S.C.Carlson

They're all late first / early second century "heretics." Almost nothing of their views has survived except through the heresiologists such as Irenaeus (and then probably in garbled form).

gnosis92

Ehrman points out in Lost Christianities that while the Ebionites are dead, today, the group of people most similar to the Ebionites are the so-called Messianic Jewish religion. (In cal, there are many new-age "Gnostic" groups)

As a txtspk lovr, i prefer 2 refer 2 them as messy jew since they r obviously xians w/jewish trappings. There's a so-called Messy Jews group in Highland Park, Il, and a few miles away, in Skokie Il, I think one in Deerfield, Il, and a couple in Chicago, Il. I suspect they are mostly gentiles and gentiles married to jews, rather than Jews.

I think Marcionism would be a better way to go given the OT is full of genocide.