Didache
Didache
Didache
Didache
INTRODUCTION
About This Book
The Didache is an early Christian composition containing instruction for early Christian churches.
Considered once lost to history, the Didache was recovered in 1883 by Philotheos Bryennios, a
Greek Orthodox metropolitan archbishop, in the Greek Codex Hierosolymitanus (also known as
the Jerusalem Codex) written in 1053. The Jerusalem Codex also contains the works of early
church fathers such as Barnabas, Clement, and Ignatius of Antioch.
As we know it today, the Didache reads as an eclectic writing of different parts, or layers, believed
to have been written separately, and then later combined. Because the four primary parts take on
different writing styles, it is somewhat of a puzzle if four different authors were involved, or if there
were fewer authors who later redacted their own compositions from different time periods.
The Didache is dated approximately 49-79 AD, before Johns Epistles, the book of Revelation,
and possibly many other New Testament books were written. The earliest layers of the Didache
may have seen their origin during the time of the Jerusalem Council (around 50 AD), and may
have played a role in the controversy surrounding the Gentiles (Acts 15). If this is the case, then
the Didache may have been a collaborative work of some council members as a proposed draft
for the letter to the Gentiles (Acts 15:22-29). This seems to be supported by the key points made
in Chapters 1-6, which elaborate on the more simplified points that were made in the actual letter
sent out. Some instruction (4:8, 6:3, 8:8) also appears to overlap with events in early chapters of
Acts (see cross-reference legend). Finally, there is some terminology used in tandem with events
occurring in the time of Acts, such as your servant, Jesus (9:3, 9:5, 10:3), and one use of the
term Christian (12:4).
Because the Didache references the existence of at least one gospel (8:2), parts of it were likely
written after the Gospel of Matthew. It also contains an almost identical version of the Lords
Prayer from Mat 6:9-13 and several passages identical in grammar to Matthew (compare 1:7 to
Mat 5:42). It is difficult to determine, however, whether these passages originated in the book of
Matthew, only to be later copied into the Didache, or vice-versa. A third possibility exists that both
Matthew and the Didache copied these passages from the largely speculated Q manuscript, a
hypothetical composition of Jesus sayings believed to include both of these passages, and
others.
Author and Purpose
The Didache uses strong Jewish language, such as the prevalent two paths theme. The authors
also express their knowledge of Jewish days of fasting and preparation day of the Sabbath (8:1),
suggesting they were converted Jews. The word used to describe the manuscripts target
audience is eqnesin and can be translated as the nations, however the Apostle Paul also used
this word when addressing the gentiles. If the Didache was targeted specifically to the Gentiles,
its purpose was initially to indoctrinate them with many practices of the Christian Jews.
It is likely, however, that the Didache was adapted to address all churches to read as a general
teaching about Christian living. In a time where only one gospel likely existed and many apostolic
texts had not yet been written, this text would provide a basic blueprint to follow for many rural
communities, some which apparently lacked even a basic church leadership (13:4).
While the actual author (or authors) is left to speculation, some clues suggest that he may have
been a direct disciple of Jesus, or possibly the understudy of an apostle. The author shares in
DIDACHE
Jesus strong opinions of the Pharisees as hypocrites (8:1), and is confident enough in the
authority of their manuscript to call anyone who teaches otherwise perverse (11:2). The author
also had somewhat intimate knowledge of either the Gospel of Matthew, or Q, for reasons already
mentioned. Moreover, the reference to the feeding of the 5,000 (9:7) is cited as if the author was
present during this event. All of these suggest a relatively close relationship to either Jesus or an
apostle.
Structure
The Didache can be divided into four main parts:
The first section (Ch. 1-6) elaborates on the two greatest commandments as given by Jesus, to
love your God, who created you, and your neighbor as yourself. Basic instruction for Christian
living is presented here as if a teaching from the Lord. This first section is believed, by some, to
be a heavily edited version of a Jewish tract entitled, The Two Ways, which served as a
handbook for Jewish converts in the Synagogue, however no such document predating the
Didache has yet to be found, and this is merely speculative.
The second section (Ch. 7-10) deals with common church practices such as that of baptism and
communion (the Eucharist). In this section, many prayers likely used in the early church are
documented, including the nearly identical version of the Lords Prayer from Mat. 6:9-13.
The third section (Ch. 11-15) deals specifically with ministry and how to deal with itinerant
ministers, identify false prophets, and care for the needs of permanent leadership. A strong
emphasis is made with respect to the authority of prophets, apostles, and teachers (see note on
11:2). It is evident from Ch. 15 that the audience included small communities, many of which must
have had to, under the instruction given, form their own elder and deacon leadership.
The fourth and final section (Ch. 16) provides a brief apocalypse, with striking similarities to that
in Mat. 24.
Scriptural Authority
The Didache was accepted by many early church fathers as scriptural. Among these were
Athanasius, Rufinus, and John of Damascus. The book was also accepted into the Apostolic
Constitutions Canon 85 and the 81-book Ethiopic Canon. It was rejected, however, by
Nicephorus, Pseudo-Anastasius, and the 60 Books canon. Many early authors including
Barnabas, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen quote or reference the Didache.
Acknowledgements and Notice of Copyright
Translated by Jonathan A. Zdziarski from the Funk/Bihlmeyer 1924 Greek critical text
Copyright 2006 by Jonathan A. Zdziarski
Permission granted to redistribute, in original form, for academic or noncommercial purposes only
All other rights reserved
DIDACHE
DIDACHE
DIDACHE
10
Do not command your slave or maidservant, whose hope is in the same God,
in your bitterness, lest they might no
longer fear God who is over you both;
For He comes not to call those according
to appearance, but those whom the spirit
has made ready. 11Slaves, be subjected to
your master as an example of God, in
humility and fear. 12Detest all hypocrisy
and all that is not pleasing to the Lord.
13
Do not in any way forsake the Lords
commands, but keep what you have
received, neither adding to or
diminishing them. 14Openly confess your
sins in the church assembly, and do not
take to prayer with an evil conscience.
15
This is the path of life.
DIDACHE
DIDACHE
DIDACHE
you have proven him, you will know having understanding on the right hand
and the left. 2If he who is coming is
passing through, assist him as you are
able, but he shall not stay with you for
more than two or three days, if
necessary. 3And if he wants to settle with
you, being a craftsman, he should work
and eat. 4But if he has no trade, then
according to your wisdom see to it that,
as a Christian, he does not live with you
idle. 5But if he does not want to do this,
he is a Christ-monger. Keep far from
such.
DIDACHE
10
DIDACHE
Cross-Reference Legend
1:1
1:2
1:3
1:4
1:5
1:6
1:7
1:8
1:9
2:2
2:3
2:4
2:7
3:1
3:2
3:3
3:4
3:5
3:7
3:8
3:11
4:1
4:5
4:8
4:10
4:11
4:14
5:1
Jer 21:8
Mat 7:13,14
Mat 22:37-39
Mat 5:44
Mat 5:46
1Pet 2:11
Mat 5:39-41
Mat 5:42
Mat 5:48
Mat 5:26
Mat 5:21
Deu 18:10
Rom 13:9
Exo 20:17
Lev 19:12
Zec 8:17
Mat 5:33
Ps 119:113
Exo 20:16
Prov 3:29; 24:48
Ps 119:101
Jas 3:16
Prov 22:24,25
Mat 5:21
Mat 5:27-28
Deu 18:10
Prov 13:14; 14:27
1Tim 3:3
Ps 37:11
Mat 5:5
Mat 5:8
Job 2:10
Mat 18:20
Deut 15:8
Act 4:32
Eph 6:9
Eph 6:5
Col 3:22
Jas 5:16
1Joh 1:9
Mat 5:19
5:2
6:2
6:3
7:1
7:3
8:1
8:2
8:3
8:4
8:5
8:6
8:7
8:8
9:2
9:3
9:4
9:5
9:6
9:7
9:8
9:9
9:10
10:2
10:3
10:4
10:6
10:9
10:10
Pro 28:27
Mat 11:29,30
Act 15:29
Mat 28:19
Exo 29:7
Mat 28:19
Mat 23:13,15,16,23
Mat 23:25,27,29
Mat 6:16
Mat 6:2,5,16
Mat. 6:9
Mat. 6:10
Mat. 6:11
Mat. 6:12
Mat. 6:13
Mat 24:30
Ps 63:2
1Pet 4:11
Dan 6:10
Ps 55:17
Act 3:1
Jer 33:15
Act 4:27
Act 4:30
1Chr 29:11
Act 4:27
Act 4:30
1Chr 29:11
Mat 14:19,20
1Pet 4:11
Mat 24:30
Ps 63:2
Exo 12:43-45
Mat 7:6
Eph 3:17
Act 4:27
Act 4:30
1Chr 29:11
Neh 8:10
1Joh 4:18
Mat 24:31
10:11
10:13
10:15
11:2
11:6
11:7
11:8
11:10
12:1
12:3
12:4
13:1
13:2
14:1
14:2
14:3
15:1
15:2
15:3
16:1
16:2
16:3
16:4
16:5
16:6
16:7
16:8
Eze 37:9
Zec 2:6
1Chr 29:11
Mat 21:9,15
1Co 16:22
Mat 5:19
Mat 12:31
Deu 18:19
Hos 14:9
Mat 7:16
Mat 7:16
1Joh 4:2
2Thes 3:10
2Thes 3:11,12
Act 11:26
1Tim 5:17
Mat 10:10
1Tim 5:17
Jas 5:16
Mat 5:24
Mal 1:11,14
1Tim 3:2-10
1Tim 5:17
2Thes 3:14,15
1Co 5:5
Mat 24:42
Mat 25:8
Mat 25:13
Mat 24:13
Mat 10:22
Mat 22:11,12
Mat 7:15
Mat 24:10
Mat 24:24
Mat 24:13
Mat 24:30-31
Zec 14:5
Mat 24:31
Mat 26:64
Dan 7:13