RELIG220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Ebionites, Jewish Christian, Gnosticism

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELIG220
• Professor: Mark Dickens

Document Summary

Defending the faith: paths rejected = lost opportunities? (other pathways of christianity rejected, ebionites (form of jewish christianity) jesus was: Natural son of joseph and mary (no virgin birth) Prophet who god"s spi(cid:396)it des(cid:272)e(cid:374)ded o(cid:374) at (cid:271)aptis(cid:373: docetism. Jesus only seemed human (he was fully spiritual) Death on cross only appeared to happen. If jesus if god, he cannot suffer. Peter is considered the first bishop of antioch according to tradition. Summoned to rome by trajan and martyred there (devoured by beasts) Met christians en route to rome and wrote 7 epistles. Epistles gave insight into three-fold ministry system bishops, presbyters, and deacons. His concerns: protection of the church from heresy and persecution. Writes against ebionites and docetists, affirmed jesus as fully divine and fully human. Wrote about authority of bishops (representatives of god) for the church to be protected from wrong ideas, it needs strong bishops.