The Gospel of Thomas 99

99 The disciples said to Him, "Your brothers and mother are outside." He said to them, "Whoever here does my Father's will are my brothers and mother. It is they who will enter my Father's kingdom." [Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35]

There was a sect, the Ebionites, who denied that Jesus was a human being at all. They used this quote (or rather, Matthew 12:46-50, since they only accepted Matthew's gospel at God's word) to support their claim. The Ebionites also believed that Christ was not fully God, but a sort of intermediate being between God and man -- rather than the intermediary, that is, the sacrifice, that brought mankind into a right relationship with God. The Ebionites eventually disappeared. Toward the end of their time, only a few congregations existed in the small towns in Syria and northern Judea. One scholar named Gerhard Uhlhorn thinks he has found a link between this doctrine, the final location of the Ebionites and the earliest beginnings of Islam, but no one has supported his findings.

The gnostics wanted to focus on overcoming the flesh and the things of this world. But that isn't possible for a human. Only Jesus could overcome the world. And Jesus really did overcome the world. That's why John assured us:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:1-5, NIV)