THE GOSPEL USED BY THE EBIONITES
Irenaeus, in his book Against the Heresies, 1:26:1-2 and 3:11:7, said
that the Ebionites used only the Gospel according to Matthew, and rejected the
apostle Paul, maintaining that he was an apostate from the Law.
Eusebius of Caesarea, in his book Ecclesiastical History, 3:27, said
that the Ebionites thought that it was necessary to reject all the epistles of
the apostle Paul, whom they called an apostate from the Law, and that they used
only the so-called Gospel according to the Hebrews and made small account of
the rest.
Origen, in his work Against Celsus, 5:65, said that the Ebionites did
not receive the epistles of the apostle Paul.
Epiphanius, in his work Panarion, 30:3:7 and 30:13:2, said that the Ebionites
accepted the Gospel according to Matthew, and that they used it with exclusion
of the other Gospels, and that they called it the Gospel according to the
Hebrews, and that the truth is that Matthew was the only writer of the New
Testament that made his exposition and preaching of the Gospel in Hebrew and
with Hebraic letters, and that the Gospel that the Ebionites had was called the
Gospel according to Matthew, but it was not entirely complete, and it was
altered and mutilated.
Therefore, we see that the Gospel that was used by the Ebionites was
written in Hebrew, and was a smaller form of the Gospel according to Matthew,
that did not contain everything that is in the Gospel according to Matthew in
Greek that is used by the Catholics.
The Gospel according to Matthew in Greek, that is used by the Catholics
and Protestants, is larger than the Gospel according to Matthew in Hebrew, that
was used by the Ebionites, because Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew, and when
the Catholics translated it unto Greek they added several passages invented by
them, to give support to the Catholic doctrines, as well as the translators of
the Septuagint, when translated the Tanach (Old Testament) unto Greek, made
some additions in the book of Esther and in the book of Daniel.
It did not arrive to us any copy of the Gospel according to Matthew used
by the Ebionites, but we can restore its text, removing from the Gospel
according to Matthew the passages that were added by the Catholics.
As the Ebionites believed that the Law of God (Torah) was not abolished,
and must be obeyed by all, as Jews as non Jews, and they did not believe that
Jesus is God, nor that he had been born of a virgin, and they affirmed that he
was begot by Joseph, then we see that all the passages of the Gospel according
to Matthew that contradict these faiths are passages that were added by the
Catholics, and therefore are not part of the text of the Gospel According to
Matthew that was used by the Ebionites, which is the authentic text of the Gospel
according to Matthew.
Therefore, for us to restore the text of the Gospel according to Matthew
that was used by the Ebionites, we must remove from the Gospel according to Matthew
all the passages that are Catholic, and maintain only the passages that agree
with the doctrines of the Ebionites.
Yahveh bless you.
Joćo Paulo Fernandes Pontes.