The Didache is a first century set of instructions identified as the teaching of the Lord given to the Gentiles by the 12 Apostles. It was lost for many centuries but was found by a man named Philotheos Brynennios in 1873. It was a remarkable find. Arguably the Didache predates some books of the New Testament and would likely have been produced during the time that Luke was writing the Acts of the Apostles. It was known to have existed because it was referred to by the early Church but it was lost and no copies were known to exist until Philotheos found a copy. He was born in poverty to a family who sacrificed for his education and he was a worship leader in his local church. His church sent him to seminary near Constantinople and they saw he had talent to they sent him to Germany. The funds came from his sponsor who was a Greek banker named George Zariphe. This resulted in Philotheos being trained in the latest methods for reading and evaluating ancient texts. This was not typical training for those in his denomination. The book that he found the Didache in was actually well known but he was a very careful scholar and he read all of the book and not just the parts of the book. He was working in Jerusalem at the time and found it in a book that was written about 1000 years ago.
While the Didache was considered for inclusion in the Canon
of Scripture by the early Church it is not in the Canon of Scripture. We need
to keep that in mind as we look at it. God, in His sovereignty, did not include
this in our Bible. On the other hand, after 1800 years, God gave it back to us
and we can enjoy and learn from it today. I think I see why it was of such
value in the early Church because it is relatively short and comprehensive. It
could be copied relatively easily and yet it had the key guidelines identified.
We’ll see more of this and the need for guidelines when we begin our study of
first and second Corinthians. We know the Apostles send a brief set of
instructions to the Gentiles with Paul and Barnabas. Think of this as a more
extensive set of instructions but of less authority than the New Testament
Scriptures. The Didache was used as a means of apprenticing new Christians. It
was likely memorized and then you were ready to be a functioning element in the
Body of Christ. It is an outline and it is brief so of course you’d be expected
to continue to study and learn meatier things about God and salvation but it
was sufficient to make you a part of The Way. I’m planning on going briefly
over each of the 16 Chapters
Chapter 1: Pick a Way
Deuteronomy 30:15-18 … “See, I have set before you today life and good,
death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I
command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by
keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live
and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are
entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will
not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to
you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land
that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
Chapter 1 is introductory and stresses that there are two
ways to go and you need to pick the Way of Life and avoid the Way of Death. I’m
sure as you read this section you’ll see the many links to both Old Testament
and New Testament Scripture. In giving, the Didache also charges Christians to
display generosity with obedience. The Christian is told to be generous in
obedience to the Father and not simply generous. The “Golden Rule” is central
in Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Christian Behavior
1
Chapter 2 is a continuation of Chapter 1 but moves away from
sharing material possessions to how you interact socially in a moral way. This
list is like some of the lists that Paul included in his epistles.
Ephesians 4:17-24 … Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you
must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They
are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of
the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become
callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every
kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming
that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is
corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your
minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness.
The Didache seems to address some specific problems of the
Roman Empire including child abuse and pagan religious activities. It also
gives a list for people that are especially trying. Instead of hatred and anger
you are to correct them, pray for them, or love them more than your life. Some
people would probably like another choice.
Chapter 3: Christian
Behavior 2
Chapter 3 speaks very directly to the heart of the
Christian. Lust, profanity, and entertaining temptation are condemned. All
forms of false religion are condemned. We rarely realize how serious grumbling
is. We easily can accuse God’s will of being misguided, wrong, and evil. We
don’t do it on purpose but that is the end result. We’ve committed blasphemy in
ignorance but it is still blasphemy. God’s sovereignty is affirmed by folks who
had great trials and martyrdom. They affirm, “nothing happens without God.”
Chapter 4: Authority
Structures
This chapter briefly covers the Christian’s responsibility
in Church, in society, and in the home. The chapter ends with an encouragement
to affirm the Lord’s commands “without addition or subtraction.” Confession is
a key in church and in your prayer life. If you remember, Life Action Revival,
suggested that we always start each time of private prayer with confession.
Chapter 5: The Way of
Death
We have a short list in Chapter 5 of all the ways we sinned
when we were by nature the Children of Wrath and all these things are to be
left behind in our adoption. You know your maker now. Sin corrupts the image of
God and you are to bear that image now as His children.
Chapter 6: The
Teaching
The Christian is given some summary encouragement to be
careful not to be lead away from this teaching and to be seeking to grow
spiritually. This is probably the fuzzy part of the Didache. The encouragement
to “do what you can” is likely in regard to the ritual Mosaic Law. The food
regulations are included and strongly warn against eating meat from pagan
sacrifices. Paul gives a more complete answer to the question in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:25-29 … Eat whatever is sold in the meat market
without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the
Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to
dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without
raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you,
“This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the
one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— I do not mean your
conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s
conscience?
As we saw in our study of Acts, the early Church and the
Apostles had a difficult time moving away from the various aspects of the
Ritual Law.
Chapter 7: Baptism
We’ve discussed these ideas before. Immersion in flowing
water was the first choice. Secondly, then the Church would look for immersion
in a pool of spring (cold) water. Their third choice would be immersion in a
pool of warm (not fresh) water. Then the fourth choice would be effusion or
possibly sprinkling. Each mode would be done in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Fasting was a regular part of the process. In fact,
it was suggested for both participants. Also baptism was only an option for
someone who was trained in the Way of Life and the Way of Death. This person
was being brought into a community and this was not just an isolated
individual.
Chapter 8: Fasting
and The Lord’s Prayer
Fasting is indicated for Wednesday and Friday to
differentiate the Christian from any other person who may be fasting and
especially from Jews who have rejected the Gospel. The Lord’s prayer is also
taught here as a prayer pattern that would be memorized as the entire document
was likely memorized.
Chapter 9: Communion
The language for thanksgiving at Cup and the Loaf is given.
The Cup is used to indicate that the holy vine of David was the source of
Christ. The Loaf is used to indicate that as the wheat was gathered to make one
loaf we pray for the gathering of the Church in building God’s kingdom. Notice
that the table is fenced. This is important for the holiness of Communion as
well as for the protection of the sinner. There are other documents that
indicate that only those who were baptized remained for communion.
Chapter 10: Agape
Feast
Dinner “on the grounds” was more common and regular. It
seems to have been weekly and followed Communion. Keep this in mind when we come to our study of Corinthians. A prayer
is given in Chapter 10 for use at the end of the meal. That is different from
our tradition but not a bad idea. This apparently served as a benediction after
the meal.
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