Didache (~70 CE)
The Didache is
also called the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles." It was possibly
written around 65 - 80 A.D. and is what the twelve apostles taught to the
Gentiles concerning life and death, church order, fasting, baptism, prayer,
etc. The work is cited by Eusebius who lived from 260 - 341 and Athanasius
(293-373) It seems to be referenced by Origen who
lived from 185-254. In the Didache, 16:2-3 is quoted
in the Epistle of Barnabbas in 4:9, or vice versa.
The Epistle of Barnabbas was written in 130-131 A.D.
The Didache is not inspired, but is valuable as an
early church document.
DIDACHE:
The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
CHAPTER 0
1 The Lord's teaching to the heathen
by the Twelve Apostles.
CHAPTER 1
The two Ways -- The Way of Life -- The explanation -- Almsgiving
1 There are two Ways, one of Life
and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways.
2 The Way of Life is this:
"First, thou shalt love the God who made thee,
secondly, thy neighbour as thyself; and whatsoever
thou wouldst not have done to thyself, do not thou to another."
3 Now, the teaching of these words
is this: "Bless those that curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast
for those that persecute you. For what credit is it to you if you love those
that love you? Do not even the heathen do the same?" But, for your part,
"love those that hate you," and you will have no enemy.
4 "Abstain from carnal"
and bodily "lusts." "If any man smite thee on the right cheek,
turn to him the other cheek also," and thou wilt be perfect. "If any man impress thee to go with him one mile, go with him two.
If any man take thy coat, give him thy shirt also. If
any man will take from thee what is thine, refuse it
not" -- not even if thou canst.
5 Give to everyone that asks thee,
and do not refuse, for the Father's will is that we give to all from the gifts
we have received. Blessed is he that gives according to the mandate; for he is
innocent. Woe to him who receives; for if any man receive alms under pressure
of need he is innocent; but he who receives it without need shall be tried as
to why he took and for what, and being in prison he shall be examined as to his
deeds, and "he shall not come out thence until he pay the last
farthing."
6 But concerning this it was also
said, "Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to
whom thou art giving."
CHAPTER 2
The second part of the teaching
1 But the
second commandment of the teaching is this:
2 "Thou shalt
do no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery";
thou shalt not commit sodomy; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt
not steal; thou shalt not use magic; thou shalt not use philtres; thou shalt not procure abortion, nor commit infanticide;
"thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
goods";
3 thou shalt
not commit perjury, "thou shalt not bear false
witness"; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice.
4 Thou shalt
not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for to be double-tongued is the snare
of death.
5 Thy speech shall not be false nor vain, but completed in action.
6 Thou shalt
not be covetous nor extortionate, nor a hypocrite, nor malignant, nor proud;
thou shalt make no evil plan against thy neighbour.
7 Thou shalt
hate no man; but some thou shalt reprove, and for
some shalt thou pray, and some thou shalt love more than thine own
life.
CHAPTER 3
Further advice to the catechumen
1 My child, flee from every evil man
and from all like him.
2 Be not proud, for pride leads to
murder, nor jealous, nor contentious, nor passionate, for from all these
murders are engendered.
3 My child, be not lustful, for lust
leads to fornication, nor a speaker of base words, nor a lifter up of the eyes,
for from all these is adultery engendered.
4 My child, regard not omens, for
this leads to idolatry; neither be an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a
magician, neither wish to see these things, for from them all is idolatry
engendered.
5 My child, be not a liar, for lying
leads to theft, nor a lover of money, nor vain-glorious, for from all these
things are thefts engendered.
6 My child, be not a grumbler, for
this leads to blasphemy, nor stubborn, nor a thinker of evil, for from all
these are blasphemies engendered,
7 but be thou "meek, for the
meek shall inherit the earth;"
8 be thou
long-suffering, and merciful and guileless, and quiet, and good, and ever
fearing the words which thou hast heard.
9 Thou shalt
not exalt thyself, nor let thy soul be presumptuous. Thy soul shall not consort
with the lofty, but thou shalt walk with righteous
and humble men.
10 Receive the accidents that befall
to thee as good, knowing that nothing happens without God.
CHAPTER 4
The duty of the catechumen to the Church -- Against meanness --
Household duties -- Against hypocrisy
1 My child, thou shalt
remember, day and night, him who speaks the word of God to thee, and thou shalt honour him as the Lord, for
where the Lord's nature is spoken of, there is he present.
2 And thou shalt
seek daily the presence of the saints, that thou mayest
find rest in their words.
3 Thou shalt
not desire a schism, but shalt reconcile those that
strive. Thou shalt give righteous judgment; thou shalt favour no man's person in
reproving transgression.
4 Thou shalt
not be of two minds whether it shall be or not.
5 Be not one who stretches out his
hands to receive, but shuts them when it comes to giving.
6 Of whatsoever thou hast gained by
thy hands thou shalt give a ransom for thy sins.
7 Thou shalt
not hesitate to give, nor shalt thou grumble when
thou givest, for thou shalt
know who is the good Paymaster of the reward.
8 Thou shalt
not turn away the needy, but shalt share everything
with thy brother, and shalt not say that it is thine own, for if you are sharers in the imperishable, how
much more in the things which perish?
9 Thou shalt
not withhold thine hand from thy son or from thy
daughter, but thou shalt teach them the fear of God
from their youth up.
10 Thou shalt
not command in thy bitterness thy slave or thine
handmaid, who hope in the same God, lest they cease to fear the God who is over
you both; for he comes not to call men with respect of persons, but those whom
the Spirit has prepared.
11 But do you who are slaves be
subject to your master, as to God's representative, in reverence and fear.
12 Thou shalt
hate all hypocrisy, and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord.
13 Thou shalt
not forsake the commandments of the Lord, but thou shalt
keep what thou didst receive, "adding nothing to it and taking nothing
away."
14 In the congregation thou shalt confess thy transgressions, and thou shalt not betake thyself to prayer with an evil conscience.
This is the Way of Life.
CHAPTER 5
The Way of Death
1 But the Way of Death is this:
First of all, it is wicked and full of cursing, murders, adulteries, lusts,
fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, charms, robberies, false
witness, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, pride, malice, stubbornness,
covetousness, foul speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness.
2 Persecutors of the good, haters of
truth, lovers of lies, knowing not the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to
the good nor to righteous judgment, spending wakeful nights not for good but
for wickedness, from whom meekness and patience is far, lovers of vanity,
following after reward, unmerciful to the poor, not working for him who is
oppressed with toil, without knowledge of him who made them, murderers of
children, corrupters of God's creatures, turning away the needy, oppressing the
distressed, advocates of the rich, unjust judges of the poor, altogether
sinful; may ye be delivered, my children, from all
these.
CHAPTER 6
Final exhortation -- Food, and `things offered
to idols.'
1 See "that no one make thee to
err" from this Way of the teaching, for he teaches thee without God.
2 For if thou canst bear the whole
yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect, but if thou canst not, do what thou
canst. 3 And concerning food, bear what thou canst, but keep strictly from that
which is offered to idols, for it is the worship of dead gods.
CHAPTER 7
Baptism
1 Concerning baptism, baptise thus: Having first rehearsed all these things,
"baptise, in the Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit," in running water;
2 but if thou hast no running water,
baptise in other water, and if thou canst not in
cold, then in warm.
3 But if thou hast neither, pour
water three times on the head "in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit."
4 And before the baptism let the baptiser and him who is to be baptised
fast, and any others who are able. And thou shalt bid
him who is to be baptised to fast one or two days
before.
CHAPTER 8
Fasting -- Prayers
1 Let not your fasts be with the
hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays, but do you fast on
Wednesdays and Fridays.
2 And do not pray as the hypocrites,
but as the Lord commanded in his Gospel, pray thus: "Our Father, who art
in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy
will be done, as in Heaven so also upon earth; give us to-day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into trial,
but deliver us from the Evil One, for thine is the
power and the glory for ever."
3 Pray thus three times a day.
CHAPTER 9
The Eucharist -- The Cup -- The Bread
1 And concerning the Eucharist, hold
Eucharist thus:
2 First concerning the Cup, "We
give thanks to thee, our Father, for the Holy Vine of David thy child, which,
thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy child; to thee be glory for ever."
3 And concerning the broken Bread:
"We give thee thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou
didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be
glory for ever.
4 As this broken bread was scattered
upon the mountains, but was brought together and became one, so let thy Church
be gathered together from the ends of the earth into thy Kingdom, for thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever."
5 But let none eat or drink of your
Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the
Lord's Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, "Give not that
which is holy to the dogs."
CHAPTER 10
The final prayer in the Eucharist
1 But after you are satisfied with
food, thus give thanks:
2 "We give thanks to thee, O
Holy Father, for thy Holy Name which thou didst make to tabernacle in our
hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which thou didst make
known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever.
3 Thou, Lord Almighty, didst create
all things for thy Name's sake, and didst give food and drink to men for their
enjoyment, that they might give thanks to thee, but us hast thou blessed with
spiritual food and drink and eternal light through thy Child.
4 Above all we give thanks to thee
for that thou art mighty. To thee be glory for ever.
5 Remember, Lord, thy Church, to
deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in thy love, and gather it
together in its holiness from the four winds to thy kingdom which thou hast
prepared for it. For thine is
the power and the glory for ever.
6 Let grace come and let this world
pass away. Hosannah to the God of David. If any man
be holy, let him come! if any man be not, let him
repent: Maran atha,
Amen."
7 But suffer the prophets to hold
Eucharist as they will.
8 -- none
--
CHAPTER 11
Travelling teachers -- Apostles -- Prophets
1 Whosoever then comes and teaches
you all these things aforesaid, receive him.
2 But if the teacher himself be
perverted and teach another doctrine to destroy these things, do not listen to
him, but if his teaching be for the increase of righteousness and knowledge of
the Lord, receive him as the Lord.
3 And concerning the Apostles and
Prophets, act thus according to the ordinance of the Gospel.
4 Let every Apostle who comes to you
be received as the Lord,
5 but let him not stay more than one
day, or if need be a second as well; but if he stay three days, he is a false
prophet.
6 And when an Apostle goes forth let
him accept nothing but bread till he reach his night's lodging; but if he ask
for money, he is a false prophet.
7 Do not test or examine any prophet
who is speaking in a spirit, "for every sin shall be forgiven, but this
sin shall not be forgiven."
8 But not everyone who speaks in a
spirit is a prophet, except he have the behaviour of the Lord. From his behaviour,
then, the false prophet and the true prophet shall be known.
9 And no prophet who orders a meal
in a spirit shall eat of it: otherwise he is a false prophet.
10 And every prophet who teaches the
truth, if he do not what he teaches, is a false
prophet.
11 But no prophet who has been tried
and is genuine, though he enact a worldly mystery of the Church, if he teach
not others to do what he does himself, shall be judged by you: for he has his
judgment with God, for so also did the prophets of old.
12 But whosoever shall say in a
spirit `Give me money, or something else,' you shall not listen to him; but if
he tell you to give on behalf of others in want, let
none judge him.
CHAPTER 12
Travelling Christians
1 Let everyone who "comes in
the Name of the Lord" be received; but when you have tested him you shall
know him, for you shall have understanding of true and false.
2 If he who comes is a traveller, help him as much as you can, but he shall not
remain with you more than two days, or, if need be, three.
3 And if he wishes to settle among
you and has a craft, let him work for his bread.
4 But if he has no craft provide for
him according to your understanding, so that no man shall live among you in
idleness because he is a Christian.
5 But if he will not do so, he is
making traffic of Christ; beware of such.
CHAPTER 13
Prophets who desire to remain -- Their payment by firstfruits
1 But every true prophet who wishes
to settle among you is "worthy of his food."
2 Likewise a true teacher is himself
worthy, like the workman, of his food.
3 Therefore thou shalt
take the firstfruit of the produce of the winepress
and of the threshing-floor and of oxen and sheep, and shalt
give them as the firstfruits to the prophets, for
they are your high priests.
4 But if you have not a prophet,
give to the poor.
5 If thou makest
bread, take the firstfruits, and give it according to
the commandment.
6 Likewise when thou openest a jar of wine or oil, give the firstfruits
to the prophets.
7 Of money also and clothes, and of
all your possessions, take the firstfruits, as it
seem best to you, and give according to the commandment.
CHAPTER 14
The Sunday worship
1 On the Lord's Day of the Lord come
together, break bread and hold Eucharist, after confessing your transgressions
that your offering may be pure;
2 but let none who has a quarrel
with his fellow join in your meeting until they be reconciled, that your
sacrifice be not defiled.
3 For this is
that which was spoken by the Lord, "In every place and time offer me a
pure sacrifice, for I am a great king," saith
the Lord, "and my name is wonderful among the heathen."
CHAPTER 15
Bishops and Deacons -- Mutual reproofs
1 Appoint therefore for yourselves
bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, meek men, and not lovers of money, and
truthful and approved, for they also minister to you the ministry of the
prophets and teachers.
2 Therefore do not despise them, for
they are your honourable men together with the
prophets and teachers.
3 And reprove one another not in
wrath but in peace as you find in the Gospel, and let none speak with any who
has done a wrong to his neighbour, nor let him hear a
word from you until he repents.
4 But your prayers and alms and all
your acts perform as ye find in the Gospel of our Lord.
CHAPTER 16
Warning that the end is at hand
1 "Watch" over your life:
"let your lamps" be not quenched "and your loins" be not ungirded, but be "ready," for ye know not
"the hour in which our Lord cometh."
2 But be frequently gathered
together seeking the things which are profitable for your souls, for the whole
time of your faith shall not profit you except ye be found perfect at the last
time;
3 for in the last days the false
prophets and the corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned
into wolves, and love shall change to hate;
4 for as lawlessness increaseth they shall hate one another and persecute and
betray, and then shall appear the deceiver of the world as a Son of God, and
shall do signs and wonders and the earth shall be given over into his hands and
he shall commit iniquities which have never been since the world began.
5 Then shall the creation of mankind
come to the fiery trial and "many shall be offended" and be lost, but
"they who endure" in their faith "shall be saved" by the
curse itself.
6 And "then shall appear the
signs" of the truth. First the sign spread out in Heaven, then the sign of
the sound of the trumpet, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead:
7 but not of all the dead, but as it
was said, "The Lord shall come and all his saints with him."
8 Then shall the world "see the
Lord coming on the clouds of Heaven."
NOTES:
1This is the so-called "negative form of the Golden
Rule." It is found in some manuscripts in the "Apostolic
decrees" in Acts 15:28, and is, in various forms, met with in Jewish and
early Christian literature.
2The Greek is literally "for thou art not even
able"; but this makes no sense, and though an emendation is difficult the
sense must be something like that given by the translation -- unless, indeed,
the whole phrase be merely a flippant gloss, which has been erroneously taken
into the
3On the ground of a comparison with Jude 22 f. etc., some
think that "and some thou shalt pity" ought
to be added.
4This is the traditional translation of epiousion,
but it is by no means certain that it is correct. The word has from the
beginning been a puzzle, and its meaning is not clearly known. See further any
good commentary on the gospels.
5The translation fails to preserve the play on the words,
which might be rendered "concerning the giving of thanks, give thanks
thus, etc." But this would obscure the fact that eucharistia
is here quite clearly "Eucharist" (cf. verse 5).
6A transliteration of Aramaic words meaning "Our Lord!
Come!"
7It is unknown to what ordinance the writer refers.
8This passage has never been satisfactorily explained: it
probably refers to a tendency among some prophets to introduce forms of
worship, or of illustration of their teaching, of doubtful propriety, if so the
reference below to the prophets of old is perhaps an allusion to Hosea (Hos.
1:2 ff.).
9Literally,
"right and left understanding."
10The meaning is obscure; but there seem to be other traces
in early literature of a doctrine that each curse also contained the elements
of a counterbalancing power to salvation. There is a valuable and long note on
the subject in Rendel Harris's edition of the Didache.