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by Stephen Andrew Missick (Author)
The Ebionites were early Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth. They proclaimed Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah and continued to observe the Torah, to celebrate Jewish holidays, and to keep Jewish traditions. The Ebionites did not view Paul of Tarsus as a legitimate Apostle of Jesus. The Early Church Fathers denounced the Ebionites as heretics. The Ebionites had their own New Testament, which included their unique version of the Gospel of Matthew, which the Church Fathers called "The Gospel of the Ebionites," and their own "Acts of the Apostles," which consisted of the Ascents of James, and a work called Periodoi Petrou, whose title can be translated as "The Travels" or "The Journeys of Peter." This book was written from the perspective of Clement of Rome and narrates debates between Simon the Sorcerer and Peter and contains instruction Peter gave to his disciples as he traveled from Caesarea Maritima to Antioch of Syria. Scholars date this work to the late second or early third century, while acknowledging that it referenced much more ancient writings and traditions. While the "Periodoi Petrou" no longer exists, two recensions of this "Lost Acts of the Apostles" have been preserved. These two works are entitled "The Recognitions of Clement" and the "Homilies of Clement." These writings, which were written by Ebionites and preserved by the Early Church Fathers, give us unique insight into the beliefs and practices of early Jewish Christians. "The Lost Acts of the Apostle Peter according to the Ebionite Jews from the Ancient Sources Preserved within the Recognitions and Homilies of Clement of Rome" serves as an introduction to these important ancient texts.
