I’m going to post a series of articles that help explain and correct some of the heresies that keep popping up on forum threads here, especially those posted by the formally featured Chuckk and now posted under his new aliases and/or even a willing accomplice, Quiznos.
Please review this article and see for yourself
Ebionites- Early Jewish Christians and Islamic Christology
Thread starterDavidSon Start dateAug 3, 2019
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DavidSon
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Aug 3, 2019
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The subject of the Ebionites, Nazarenes, and other early sects was brought up here by @Serveto and a few of the older members. Recently a childishly generic description of the "Poor Ones" was posted, but searching a bit deeper I think this part of history is worth understanding clearly.
"Ebionites (Greek: Ἐβιωναῖοι, Ebionaioi, derived from Hebrew אביונים ebyonim, ebionim, meaning "the poor" or "poor ones") is a patristic term referring to a Jewish Christian movement that existed during the early centuries of the Christian Era. They regarded Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah while rejecting his divinity and his virgin birth, and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish law and rites. They used only one of the Jewish–Christian gospels, the Hebrew Book of Matthew starting at chapter three; revered James, the brother of Jesus (James the Just); and rejected Paul the Apostle as an apostate from the Law. Their name suggests that they placed a special value on voluntary poverty."
"The majority of Church Fathers agree that the Ebionites rejected many of the precepts central to Nicene orthodoxy, such as Jesus' pre-existence, divinity, virgin birth, atoning death and physical resurrection. On the other hand, an Ebionite story has Jesus eating bread with his brother, Jacob ("James the Just"), after the resurrection, which indicates that they, or at least the ones who accepted this version of the Gospel of the Hebrews, believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus."
"The Ebionites are described as emphasizing the oneness of God and the humanity of Jesus as the biological son of Mary and Joseph, who, by virtue of his righteousness, was chosen by God to be the messianic "prophet like Moses" when he was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism. Origen and Eusebius recognize some variation in the Christology of Ebionite groups; for example, that while all denied Jesus' pre-existence, there was a sub-group which did not deny the virgin birth. Theodoret, while dependent on earlier writers, draws the conclusion that the two sub-groups would have used different Gospels."
"The 12th century Muslim historian Muhammad al-Shahrastani mentions Jews living in nearby Medina and Hejaz who accepted Jesus as a prophetic figure and followed traditional Judaism, rejecting mainstream Christian views. Some scholars argue that they contributed to the development of the Islamic view of Jesus due to exchanges of Ebionite remnants with the first Muslims."
"... Paul Addae and Tim Bowes write that the Ebionites were faithful to the original teachings of Jesus and thus shared Islamic views about Jesus' humanity and also rejected the redemptive death, though the Islamic view of Jesus may conflict with the view of some Ebionites regarding the virgin birth, respectively denying and affirming, according to Epiphanius. One of the first men to believe in the prophethood of Muhammad was possibly an Ebionite (sometimes argued to be Nestorian) monk named Waraqah ibn Nawfal, the cousin of Mohammed's wife Khadija, who Muslims honor as a pious man with deep knowledge of the Christian scriptures."
"Hans Joachim Schoeps observes that the Christianity Muhammad was likely to have encountered on the Arabian peninsula "was not the state religion of Byzantium but a schismatic Christianity characterized by Ebionite and Monophysite views:
"Thus we have a paradox of world-historical proportions, viz., the fact that Jewish Christianity indeed disappeared within the Christian church, but was preserved in Islam and thereby extended some of its basic ideas even to our own day. According to Islamic doctrine, the Ebionite combination of Moses and Jesus found its fulfillment in Muhammad"
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the {**OT**} law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE {**OT**} LAW!!"
Hebrews 7:18,19: The former regulation is **SET ASIDE** because it was **WEAK AND USELESS**; for the law made nothing perfect, and a **BETTER HOPE** is introduced,**BY WHICH WE DRAW NEAR TO GOD** !!
"The majority of Church Fathers agree that the Ebionites rejected many of the precepts central to Nicene orthodoxy, such as Jesus' pre-existence, divinity, virgin birth, atoning death and physical resurrection. On the other hand, an Ebionite story has Jesus eating bread with his brother, Jacob ("James the Just"), after the resurrection, which indicates that they, or at least the ones who accepted this version of the Gospel of the Hebrews, believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus."
Question for you Chuck if you don't mind. Does your personal belief, your messianic faith teach a virgin birth of the Messiah and a physical resurrection of the Messiah already taken place? As an example of all the dead, on a resurrection day in the future?
Hebrews 8:8,9,13: "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a **NEW COVENANT** with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the **FIRST ONE OBSOLETE**; and what is **OBSOLETE** and aging will soon disappear.{As soon as the New Covenant was written and distributed to most of the churches by about AD 70 except for Revelation in AD 96}
Hebrews 8:6: But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is Mediator is **SUPERIOR TO THE OLD ONE**, and it is *FOUNDED ON BETTER PROMISES**!
Is it not obvious that in the book of Hebrews its taking about the old animal sacrifices, priests, Old Covenant that became OBSOLETE because all those animal sacrifices POINTED FORWARD to when the Messiah would come, fulfill those animal sacrifice services? He is now the ULTIMATE sacrifice and the old then would disappear! He is the NEW Covenant based upon the purpose of the Old Covenant! Right?
Hebrews 8:8,9,13: "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a **NEW COVENANT** with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the **FIRST O.T. ONE OBSOLETE**; and what is **O.T. OBSOLETE** and has done its job will soon disappear.{
Teddy Hugger and HiddenMountain believe in the **FLAT EARTH** fairy tale!!
Isaiah 40:21,22: Did you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? God sits enthroned above the **CIRCLE OF THE EARTH**!!
There have been thousands of pictures of the earth taken be satellites and they all show that the earth is like a **CIRCULAR ROUND BALL**!!!
Any person who is not brain dead knows you can travel **WEST** by plane to India from New York City with a stop over in Tokyo. And you can also travel **EAST** by plane to India with a stop over in Cairo. This of course can only be done if the **EARTH IS RIOUND**!!
Richard quotes Hebrews 8:8-13 but strangely leaves out the CONTEXT HEART message of WHERE the "New Covenant Law" is to be WRITTEN in verse 10! What good is it to talk about a "New Covenant" Richard and not tell us WHAT it is and its location!?
Richard mystery short version of "Hebrews 8:8,9,13" states - "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the first one OBSOLETE; and what is OBSOLETE and aging will soon disappear."
The BIG complete picture below that Richard left out! Yicks!
Hebrews 8:8-13 8. But God found fault with the people and said: "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a >>NEW<< covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah." 9. "It will >>not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors<< when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, >>because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,<< and I turned away from them, declares the Lord."10. "This is the (NEW) covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. >>I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.<< I will be their God, and they will be my people." 11. "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." 12. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 13. "By >>calling this covenant "NEW,"<< he has made the >>first one OBSOLETE;<< and >>what is OBSOLETE and OUTDATED will soon disappear."<<
So why is it Richard does not want us to know of the NEW COVENANT LOCATION when verse 10 says "I will put my laws (instructions) in their minds and write them on their hearts" of the NEW COVENANT??? Does he not know the OLD COVENANT INSTRUCTIONS were written on STONE (10 commandments) in the Ark and the Moses Law (instructions) on some kind of parchment paper on the outsdie of the Ark in a pocket??? So is it obvious the OLD COVENANT INSTRUCTIONS were written on STONE and the Moses Law (instructions) on some kind of parchment paper were to be WRITTEN in a NEW LOCATION which is our minds and hearts today??? Why YES Yahuwah wants us to allow Him to write His INSTRUCTIONS there, in the fleshy tables of our hearts! Correct? The INSTRUCTIONS have not changed, just the LOCATION that has changed! Right?
**WE ARE NO LONGER UDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE OT LAW** Galatians 3:25
Galatians 4:9,10: How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you want to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing **SPECIAL DAYS** and months and seasons and years. I fear for you. that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you!!
Colossians 2:16,17: Do dot let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard a special festival, a New Moon celebration or a **SABBATH DAY**! These are a **SHADOW** of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found **IN CHRIST**!!
In the New Testament **EVERY DAY** is the **LORD'S DAY** especially **TODAY**!!
Acts 2:44-46: All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to everyone who had need. **EVERY DAY** they continued to meet together!!
Hebrews 3:12,13: See to it brothers and sisters that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But **ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER **DAILY**, as long as it is called **TODAY** so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness!
Exodus 31:14-16: Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do **ANY WORK** on that day must be **CUT OFF** from their people... Whoever does **ANY WORK** on the Sabbath day is to be put to death!
Exodus 35:2,3; Whoever does **ANY WORK** on the Sabbath must be put to death. Do not **LIGHT A FIRE** in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.
This was possible in Israel since it is about the same latitude of warm South Carolina. But anyone in the frigid parts of the earth must freeze to death in the winter since electricity would not be invented until over 2,000 years after this commandment was given!!
Matthew 12:1-12: Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, the said to Him, "Look your disciples are doing what is **UNLAWFUL ON THE SABBATH**. Jesus answered, "Haven't you heard of what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests... If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is **LORD OF THE SABBATH**!" Going from that place, Jesus went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to being charges against Jesus, they asked Him, "IS IT LAWFUL TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH?" Jesus said to the, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath?" Jesus said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? Therefore it is lawful to do good {*WORK*} on the Sabbath!"
John 5:16-18: So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute Him. In his defense Jesus said to them. "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and **I TOO AM **WORKING**!" For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not only was **HE BREAKING THE SABBATH**, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 9:16: The Pharisees said of Jesus, "This man is not from God , for He does **NOT KEEP THE SABBATH**!"
About 500 of the 613 Old Testament laws have been eliminated in the New Testament. There are
about 100 OT laws that are repeated in the New Testament. Then there are some OT laws that are obviously still in effect that are not mentioned or banned in the New Testament such as not wearing tattoos, not having sex with animals and selling your daughters as prostitutes.
Since Paul says over 20 times that we are **NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE OT LAWS** there are many who teach that all of Paul's books are of Satan and since Luke and Peter confirm Paul the books of Luke and Acts and Peter are also of Satan and half of the other books in God's Word who disagree with their ridiculous doctrines are also of Satan.
2 Peter 3:15,16: Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our **DEAR BROTHER PAUL** also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which **IGNORANT AND UNSTABLE PEOPLE**{ distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction!!
Acts 9:3-6,11,15: As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a Voice say to him: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" ""Who are you Lord?" Saul {Paul} asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." He replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do!"..... The Lord said to Ananias, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying!".... The Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is **MY CHOSEN INSTRUMENT** to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel!!"
Hark::
I John 2:1-5: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father--**JESUS CHRIST**, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him [**JESUS**] if we keep His commands. Whoever says, "I know Him," but does not do what He {**JESUS**} commands is a liar and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His Word, love for God is made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him!!
John 14:23,24: Jesus says, Anyone who loves Me **WILL OBEY MY TEACHING**. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching!"
Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus says, "**ALL AUTHORITY** in heaven and on earth has been given to **ME**. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to **OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU**. And surely I am with you always!!"
I Corinthians 9:21: I am under **CHRIST'S LAW**!!
Galatians 6:2: Fulfill the **LAW OF CHRIST**!!
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the {**OT**} law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE {**OT**} LAW!!"
*WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW!!
Galatians 2:14-16,20,21; Paul said, When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.!"
Galatians 2:20,21: The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 3:10-13: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." **CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW** by becoming a curse for us!
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW!!"
Hebrews 7:18,19: The former regulation is SET ASIDE because it was **WEAK AND USELESS**; for the law made nothing perfect, and a **BETTER HOPE**IS INTRODUCES BY WHICH WE DRAW NEAR TO GOD**!!
Hebrews 8:8,9,13: "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the first one OBSOLETE; and what is OBSOLETE and aging will soon disappear."
Hebrews 8:6: But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is Mediator is SUPERIOR TO THE OLD ONE, and it is founded on better promises.
Colossians 2:16,17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you **EAT** or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a *SHADOW* of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found in Christ!!!
All of the OT Sabbath laws have been eliminated. Both Jesus and His Father have declared all foods are now clean. All of the OT sacrificial and temple laws have been eliminated. All of the stoning to death laws for breaking the law have been eliminated. All of the laws concerning an eye for an eye and making oaths have been eliminated. Circumcision laws have been eliminated. Loving one another as Jesus loved us has replaced loving one another as you love yourself.
Their about 400 NT laws to be obeyed with *LOVE* in the hope of countless eternal rewards for faithful and loving service has replaced the 613 OT laws.
In the OT God ordered Israel to kill their enemies many times and God helped them do it. However in the NT Jesus commands, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." Luke 6:27-29
Leviticus 26:7,8: God said to Israel, "You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the SWORD before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the SWORD before you!" Numbers 25:16,17" The Lord said to Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them!" etc etc
HOWEVER IN THE NEW COVENANT, JESUS SAYS, "ALL WHO DRAW THE SWORD WILL DIE BY THE SWORD!"
Jesus said to His 11 Apostles, "If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. For it is written: "And He was numbered with the transgressors"{Isaiah 53:12} and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in Me. Yes, what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment." The disciples said, "See Lord, here are 2 {Not 11}swords." "That is enough." Jesus replied.
Matthew 26:30-34: They seized Jesus and arrested Him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "For *ALL* who draw the sword will die by the sword...But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
And so the only reason that Jesus allowed the disciples to have 2 swords was so that the Scripture in Isaiah 53:12 would be fulfilled: "He was numbered among the transgressors."
Jesus said to Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But **NOW** My Kingdom is from another place!"
Former OT commands in Exodus 21:23-25 "If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."
This was changed by these NT commands by Jesus:
Matthew 5:38,39: Jesus commands, "You have heard that it was said {In Exodus 21:23-25 above}, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also!"
Luke 6:27-29: Jesus commands, "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you. do not demand it back!"
Romans 12:18-21: If it is possible, as far as it DEPENDS ON YOU, LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE! Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written, "It is mine to revenge, I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head" Do not be overcome by evil but OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD!!
2 Corinthians 10:3,4: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are *NOT* the weapons of the world."
The only weapons that NT saints may use who follow the New Covenant commands of Jesus is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. A NT saint would not even think of joining the army of any nation and becoming a professional killer or defending himself with a gun. Unfortunately very few Groups such as the Amish and Mennonites still obey these sacred commands of Jesus.
I John 2:3-5: "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His {Jesus'} commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what He {Jesus} commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him."
The inspired words of the NT were inspired by God between AD 50 and AD 96 and the 4 Gospels were written about AD 65 And so all of the approximately 400 NT commands were not completed and in force until Around AD 96.
When you join the military and become a professional killer you must make a **VOW** that you will obey all the commands of your commanding officer. And so if He commands you to drop an Atomic Bomb that will kill about 100,000 civilians including about 25,000 innocent children you must obey this command!!!
What is the OT command concerning *VOWS* and *OATHS*?? Numbers 30:2: Moses said, "This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a *VOW* to the Lord or takes an *OATH* to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said!"
What are the NT commands concerning making *VOWS* and **OATHS*??
James 5:12: "ABOVE ALL, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.!!"
Matthew 5:33-37: Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said to your people long ago {Numbers 30:2 above}, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' BUT I tell you, Do not swear at all....Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No, 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one!!"
Anyone who claims that Jesus did not change OT laws is completely blind. All of the OT Sabbath laws have been eliminated. All of the OT sacrificial and temple laws have been eliminated by the eternal sacrifice for sins by Jesus. All of the stoning to death laws for breaking the law have been eliminated. All of the laws concerning killing your enemies, and eye for an eye and making oaths have been eliminated. All Circumcision laws have been eliminated. And Jesus declared that all foods are now *CLEAN*!!
Mark 7:18,19: Jesus says, "Are you so dull?" He asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." In saying this. Jesus declared ALL FOODS "CLEAN!" Then Jesus sais, "What comes out of a man is what makes him **UNCLEAN**! For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man **UNCLEAN**!"
And so we can now eat lobster tail, shrimp and Alaska king crab which are yum, yum, yummy and so good for the tummy!!
