The Didache

[InTheCloud]

I was reading the Didache today. The early non canonical Christian Cathecism, it was written in Antioch at the same time that some of the Gospels!

On loving your neighbor:

First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, and do not do to another what you would not want done to you. And of these sayings the teaching is this: Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what reward is there for loving those who love you? Do not the Gentiles do the same? But love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy. Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If someone strikes your right cheek, turn to him the other also, and you shall be perfect. If someone impresses you for one mile, go with him two. If someone takes your cloak, give him also your coat. If someone takes from you what is yours, ask it not back, for indeed you are not able. Give to every one who asks you, and ask it not back; for the Father wills that to all should be given of our own blessings (free gifts).

On Sin and Abortion:

You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born. You shall not covet the things of your neighbor, you shall not swear, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not speak evil, you shall bear no grudge. You shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for to be double-tongued is a snare of death. Your speech shall not be false, nor empty, but fulfilled by deed. You shall not be covetous, nor rapacious, nor a hypocrite, nor evil disposed, nor haughty. You shall not take evil counsel against your neighbor. You shall not hate any man; but some you shall reprove, and concerning some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life.

On Sin and Rape:

The Way of Death. And the way of death is this: First of all it is evil and accursed: murders, adultery, lust, fornication, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rape, false witness, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, deceit, haughtiness, depravity, self-will, greediness, filthy talking, jealousy, over-confidence, loftiness, boastfulness; persecutors of the good, hating truth, loving a lie, not knowing a reward for righteousness, not cleaving to good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for that which is good, but for that which is evil; from whom meekness and endurance are far, loving vanities, pursuing revenge, not pitying a poor man, not laboring for the afflicted, not knowing Him Who made them, murderers of children, destroyers of the handiwork of God, turning away from him who is in want, afflicting him who is distressed, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, utter sinners. Be delivered, children, from all these

On Prayer:

Fasting and Prayer (the Lord's Prayer). But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Do not pray like the hypocrites, but rather as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, like this:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Thine is the power and the glory for ever..
​

Pray this three times each day.

 

[InTheCloud]

On the Eucharist:
The Union of the Church before the end of times.

The Eucharist. Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks this way. First, concerning the cup:

We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which You madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever..​

And concerning the broken bread:

We thank Thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered 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..​

But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, unless they have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs."

The tabernacle:

Prayer after Communion. But after you are filled, give thanks this way:

We thank Thee, holy Father, for Thy holy name which You didst cause to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You modest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Thou, Master almighty, didst create all things for Thy name's sake; You gavest food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to Thee; but to us You didst freely give spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Thy Servant. Before all things we thank Thee that You are mighty; to Thee be the glory for ever. Remember, Lord, Thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Thy love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Thy kingdom which Thou have prepared for it; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.​

But permit the prophets to make Thanksgiving as much as they desire

The Eucharist as sacrifice, the reconciliation before the Eucharist.

Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day. But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: "In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations."

End of times.

For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but those who endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth: first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead -- yet not of all, but as it is said: "The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him." Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

A interesting peek at the very Early Christian Church, just after Jesus.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/didache.html

 

[WarriorAngel]

Thanks resoto.
Everything appears to be in order.

 

[Michie]

Awesome.

Thanks for posting this.

 

[geocajun]

it's a short read, that pretty much was the whole thing

 

[BAFRIEND]

Wow, just awesome.

 

[ConanTheLibrarian]

Passages like these, and others, such as from Justin Martyr, show just how much the Catholic Church is in continuity with the early church. I guess that why I'm now Catholic!

 

[Voegelin]

Nothing in there I see about personally following these teaching but . . .

 

[HumbleSiPilot77]

Passages like these, and others, such as from Justin Martyr, show just how much the Catholic Church is in continuity with the early church. I guess that why I'm now Catholic!

What part of this ancient manual does the Orthodox Church reject, for example? So I can not see this as a legitimate justification...

 

[Rahm]

Yeah the Didache is an awesome work, but so are the writings of the other Apostolic Fathers. Clement, the epistles of Ignatius, and Papias are quite edifying and are full of the witness of the ancient church. Indeed, for awhile, I believe 1st Clement was even considered a part of the New Testament scriptures.

 

[lionroar0]

the sign of an outspreading in heaven

Does any one know what this means?

Peace

 

[geocajun]

What part of this ancient manual does the Orthodox Church reject, for example? So I can not see this as a legitimate justification...

He didn't say the orthodox church rejected any, and you seem to be trying to pick a fight.

 

[Globalnomad]

Thanks, Resoto! That was a good work of God that you did, sharing this remarkable old text with us. I had often heard of it but somehow never got round to searching for it.

 

[Rahm]

Only the books in the Bible are the inspired word of God.

God was behind that....so which book you gonna believe...?

The Book of God or the book of man....pretty scary choice when you sit back and contemplate that eh!

Oh yes, I quite agree. My point was, that for the 1st three hundred years, the church didn't have a bible like the ones we have today. They had to come together and vote (like a democratic decision) on what was considered scripture and what was not.

For the longest time, Clement had been considered part of scripture though. Since the author of it was one of the bishop's of Rome and was most likely the Clement mentioned within the scriptures, it seemed likely that the origin of the epistle was through inspiration. By the time the church father's actually made a decision on it however, they had thought otherwise.

 

[Catholic Christian]

I did a search of the word "Didache" in the Catholic Answers website search engine, and got this:
http://www.catholic.com/search.asp?query=Didache

It seems every important teaching is mentioned in the Didache. Click on that link: A lot of great stuff there.

 

[Catholic Christian]

Only the books in the Bible are the inspired word of God.

God was behind that....so which book you gonna believe...?

The Book of God or the book of man....pretty scary choice when you sit back and contemplate that eh!

I think the point is, even though the Didache is not inspired scripture, it reflects what the first Christians believed and how they worshipped. That is an invaluable insight. We are two thousand years removed from those times, and when you read your Bible, you read it through the lense of a culture that is alien to the culture of Jesus and the apostles. That is why early Christian writings help us view the scriptures through the lense of the culture in which the scriptures were written so that they can be properly interpreted.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

I think the point is, even though the Didache is not inspired scripture, it reflects what the fist Christians believed and how they worshipped. That is an invaluable insight. We are two thousand years removed from those times, and when you read your Bible, you read it through the lense of a culture that is alien to the culture of Jesus and the apostles. That is why early Christian writings help us view the scriptures through the lense of the culture in which the scriptures were written so that they can be properly interpreted.

While I realize that its just a spelling error (and most people don't point out mine)

The mental image of Christians with a Fist is somehow appropriate given the tenor of your posts.

 

[Catholic Christian]

While I realize that its just a spelling error (and most people don't point out mine)

The mental image of Christians with a Fist is somehow appropriate given the tenor of your posts.

I'm trying to explain something important to that person. Was that really neccessary?

 

[Catholic Christian]

Only the books in the Bible are the inspired word of God.

God was behind that....so which book you gonna believe...?

The Book of God or the book of man....pretty scary choice when you sit back and contemplate that eh!

I think the point is, even though the Didache is not inspired scripture, it reflects what the first Christians believed and how they worshipped. That is an invaluable insight. We are two thousand years removed from those times, and when you read your Bible, you read it through the lense of a culture that is alien to the culture of Jesus and the apostles. That is why early Christian writings help us view the scriptures through the lense of the culture in which the scriptures were written so that they can be properly interpreted.

 

[tz620q]

Speaking about your picture.

"Heah! Someone up front give that guy in the funny hat a high five, so that the we can see the rest of the parade. I hear the Pope is going to be in this one."