Ebionism

/ˈiːbiənɪzəm/ noun

Definition

An early Christian heresy that believed Jesus was a human prophet rather than the divine son of God, and that followers must obey Jewish law.

Etymology

From Ebion, possibly meaning 'poor one' in Hebrew (Aramaic ebion), referring to a second-century Jewish Christian sect. The suffix -ism denotes a belief system or doctrine.

Kelly Says

Ebionism is a fascinating window into the early church's debates—it shows that within the first few centuries of Christianity, there was genuine disagreement about Jesus's nature, and what we now think of as 'orthodox' Christianity had to define itself against competing interpretations.

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