ebionite

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A member of a party of Judaizing Christians which appeared in the church as early as the second century and disappeared about the fourth century. They agreed in the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the denial of his divinity, belief in the universal obligation of the Mosaic law, and rejection of Paul and his writings. The two great divisions of Ebionites were the Pharisaic Ebionites, who emphasized the obligation of the Mosaic law, and the Essenic Ebionites, who were more speculative and leaned toward Gnosticism.
2. Relating to the heresy of the Ebionites.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of heretics, in the first centuries of the church, whose doctrine was a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. They denied the divinity of Christ, regarding him as an inspired messenger, and rejected much of the New Testament.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a member of a group of Jews who (during the early history of the Christian Church) accepted Jesus as the Messiah; they accepted the Gospel According to Matthew but rejected the Epistles of St. Paul and continued to follow Jewish law and celebrate Jewish holidays; they were later declared heretic by the Church of Rome
2. adj. of or relating to the Ebionites or their religion