It was not as debated as is claimed. Look at Gospel of Thomas saying 77 ("I am the all") and ask yourself if this sounds like a human (or the fact that Jesus is called "indescribable" in saying 13). Yes, the Ebionites denied Jesus was God. but the church coming from those who ministered about and witnessed to Jesus were not there. It actually does make a big difference because his role and function in his message is a central part of the message. This is why the early church worshipped Jesus (something that represented a departure for people of Jewish roots which is where the Jesus movement came from). We know this worship appeared very early (read our earliest sources of the movement from the late 40 to mid 50s).

dlb