Didache Offers Ancient Advice to Christians Essay

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History of Christianity -- "The Didache"

When was the Didache written?

The Didache is also known as "The Teachings of the 12 Apostles," and it is dated as having been written around 50's, 60's, or perhaps 70's AD although those dates are not certain. Jonathan Draper in fact says the latest revision of the possible date that the document was written is 100 AD. Even though the date is not certain, what is certain is that The Didache does in fact consist of instructions about how to be a Christian, and the first six chapters of the book deal with lessons on what is expected of Christians. The second four chapters describe Christian ceremonies -- including the Christian way of fasting, of baptism, and of community -- and the last six chapters deal with the actual organization of the Christian Church.

The documents were found around 1873 (by Philotheos Bryennios) in the Jerusalem Monastery of the Most Holy Sepulcher at Constantinople. And was published in 1885 by Johns Hopkins University (Riddle, 2014).

Who is believed to have contributed to the writing of The Didache?

There are scholars who believe The Didache was written by the twelve apostles, but that is not a definite thing. When reading The Didache one can get a sense of familiarization with certain books in the Bible. For example there is a lot of similar language found in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Mark, but as to an exact author, no one really knows for sure. Some scholars believe that The Didache was written along the same lines as some chapters of the Bible, which Biblical scholars suggest may have been written as a joint project, a shared writing by a community of believers rather than by one single person.

In attempting to put the finger on exactly who wrote The Didache, it is well to remember that the Apostles were not necessarily scholars or intellects, or authors for that matter. Jesus did not go out and search for bright scholars, he recruited ordinary men from the various skill sets; his disciples and apostles were fishermen, common men, generally not well educated men but men from the community who understood Jesus' message of salvation and devotion to God's word. That having been said, still other writers and scholars suggest that St. Paul and St. Barnabas probably had a hand in the writing of The Didache; but the bottom line is, no matter whose pen was used in this book, and no matter how disputed its origins, it is most certainly a path that Christians were asked to follow.

Viewpoints on what The Didache means and why it was important

Jonathan Draper writes that The Didache is somewhere between the Apostolic Decree (c. 50 AD) and "…a late archaizing fiction of the early third century… [And] the picture of the Church which it presents could only be described as primitive, reaching back to the very earliest stages of the Church's order and practice…" (Draper, 1985). Draper's scholarship was published in the Gospel Perspectives, and he suggests that the Didache enjoyed "high regard" and was well received in general in Syria and Egypt; he added that it was "absorbed in toto by the Apostolic Constitutions" and by various Ethiopian and Egyptian church orders (Draper, p. 269).

The definition of "The Didache" means "the gospel," according to Udo Schelle (quoted by Draper); and Stevan Davies says The Didache is a text that offers instructions on how Christians and Christian communities should "treat itinerant Christian prophets… and gives good evidence for a structured church's shift in orientation away from spirit-possession" (which was an approach to spirituality by the Pagan community before Christ's arrival on earth) (Draper).

Reading through the several sections of The Didache, the viewpoint of Davies makes sense: The Didache was created from the perspective that while Christian prophets are not totally trusted by the new Christian community; the prophets were also respected. Moreover it appears that from the language and context of the narratives, the Didache was written from a consensus of "rural households rather than the authority of urban patrons" (Crossan, 1999). Crossan writes that the original text was addressed "…rural communities of converted pagans… Christianity established in rural communities of converted pagans" (98). It was certainly not from Antioch, several writers agree.

Notwithstanding where it was created, one of the emphases was on generosity, the practice of alms, of giving gifts, and the need to reach out to those who don't have enough.

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Sometimes false prophets would arrive at a Christian community and ask the congregation to feed and house them. The church leaders had apparently grown skeptical of so-called prophets who showed up -- itinerant preachers and teachers -- and tried to muscle they way into the congregation without any real evidence of their knowledge or power.

What was the goal of The Didache (TD)?

The goal is absolutely similar to the goal of the Sermon on the Mount, the Ten Commandments, and other Biblical teachings -- plus the teachings of Christ as found in the New Testament. In this portion of the paper passages will be quoted that have relevance to Christ's teachings and the Ten Commandments as well.

For example, "First, you will love the God who made you; secondly 'you will love your neighbor as yourself" (TD). The next line sounds very much like the "Golden Rule": "Now all the things that you do not want to have happen to you, you too do not do these to one another" (TD). Sounding very much like Christ's advice to turn the other cheek, the fourth paragraph of Chapter One offers this: "If someone should give you a blow to your right cheek, turn to him also with the left one" (TD).

"Woe is the one who takes," and "Let your charitable gifts sweat in your hands, until indeed you know who to give to" are also found in Book One. The first book goes on, with demands that have been read, heard, and understood for centuries by Christians, only with different wording than is found in The Didache. It is interesting to catalogue the various demands in The Didache as to how close they come to Christ's teachings and the Ten Commandments. Truly, they are the same as are found in the Bible, only presented in a different text and tone:

"You will not murder. You will not commit adultery. You will not sodomize young boys. You will not have unlawful sex. You will not steal. Do not practice magic. Do not practice sorcery. Neither murder a child by abortion, nor will you destroy what is born.

You will not strongly desire your neighbor's things. You will not make oaths. You will not bear false testimony. You will not say bad things…You will not be double-tongued or double-

tongue, for the double tongue is the snare of death. Your message is not to be false or empty, but being filled with practice. You should be neither greedy nor a swindler, nor hypocrite, nor malicious, nor high-minded. You will not take evil counsel against your neighbor.

You will not hate any people, but you will reprove some, and you will pray for some, and some you will love more than your life" (TD, One).

Chapter One goes on to assert that being "strongly desirous" can lead to "sexual sin"; and never look "for omens" because that is the path that leads to "idolatry." You will "hate every hypocrisy and all of what is not pleasing to the Lord," and you will not "come forward to your prayer with an evil consciousness. This is the way of life" (TD).

What audience is The Didache reaching out to?

Chapter Two is another example of the need for Christians to pay attention to what is being presented. It could be that non-Christians, or even Pagans, were being approached by The Didache's message. But whether that was the intention or not, obviously the audience for this narrative is Christians and those who will be leading Christians in worship and learning.

Chapter Two talks about death, curses, murders, robberies, deceit, pride, hating truth, and it mentions people who "…love worthless things, pursuing revenge, not showing mercy to a poor person…comforters of the wealthy" and many more (TD). Make sure no one can lead you "astray from this way of teaching," because if you believe in the Lord and follow His path, "you will be complete" (TD). Clearly The Didache isn't just talking to the general public; instead it is reaching out to Christians, and teaching Christians how to be good in the eyes of the Lord. It teaches how to recite the Lord's Prayer (although it's a bit different from the Lord's Prayer most familiar to today's Christians).

Chapter Three talks about food, and baptism. The instructions about how to baptize a person is interesting. Of course the language ("…into the name of the Father and of the son and of the.....

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