chapter four
but there are two other instances where the wording of theGospel of
the Ebionitesdemonstrably agrees with the same group of manuscripts.
This supports the view that the match between the presumed contents
of theGospel of the Ebionitesand these manuscripts of Luke is not
coincidental.
First, in the description of Jesus’ baptism (Pan. ..–), theGospel
of the Ebionitesagrees with this same group of manuscripts against others
by including Ps : at the end of the words sounding from the Heaven:
“Today I have begotten you.” The same reading can also be found in
Justin’sDialogue with Trypho(SeeDial. ., .) which demonstrates
that it was already known in the middle of the second century. Second,
even more significant is the observation that both theGospel of the
Ebionitesand the Codex Bezae read—in accordance with Mark—that
the Spirit in the form of the dove descendedintoJesus. The wording of
theGospel of the Ebionites, in particular, indicates that the reading is not
randomly picked up from Mark because the preposition is also prefixed
to the main verb:ε/ςελ$σης ε/ς α7τ.ν(Pan. ..–). This reading
accords with the Ebionites’ view that Christ wentintoJesus at (or after)
his baptism (Pan. ..–; see alsoPan. ..).^19
Although there was significant development in the Ebionite move-
ment from the mid-second century, when Irenaeus first refers to the
Ebionites, to the end of the fourth century (Epiphanius), all the theologi-
cal ideas that have come up during the preceding discussion are likely to
have been part of the Ebionites’ symbolic universe from very early on.^20
Yet, there is no basis for using these Ebionite connections to support the
(^19) M. Goulder, in particular, has argued that the Ebionites’possessionistChristology
was already known to Mark. See Goulder , –. See also Häkkinen , –
. Since the Gospel of the Ebionites presumes that the Spirit entered Jesus when he
was baptized by John, the question arises whether the Spirit might have flown away at the
time of his death. If the Gospel of the Ebionites was consistent with the Christology of the
EbionitesasitisdescribedbyEpiphanius(cf.Pan. ..–, .., ..), then there
probably was also a description of the departure of the Spirit/Christ. TheGospel of Peter
indicates that such beliefs were also expressed in the gospel narratives. In theGospel of
Peter, the Lord cries: “My power, power, you have forsaken me.” Whether theGospel
of the Ebionitesreferred to Power, Christ or Spirit remains uncertain but on the basis of
the key features of the Ebionite Christology, it is seems very likely that there was some
sort of separation of the man Jesus and his heavenly occupant at the end of the gospel.
(^20) The Ebionites’ practice of using water in the Eucharist is attested by both Irenaeus
and Epiphanius (cf. above). The idea of Christ/Spirit entering Jesus is more explicit in
Epiphanius’ description but also seems to be presupposed by Irenaeus when he compares
the Ebionites’ Christology with the Christology of Cerinthus (Haer. ..; I agree with
scholars who read here, on the basis Hippolytus’ parallel “similiter” pro “non similiter.”