The Didache: A Fascinating Glimpse into Early Christian Life
The Didache, often referred to as “The Teaching of the Lord by the Twelve Apostles to the Nations,” is a short yet profoundly influential text that offers a snapshot of early Christian practices and beliefs. Composed likely in the late 1st or early 2nd century CE, the Didache is one of the earliest known Church orders—a genre of writing that provides instructions on how to live a Christian life, conduct worship, and organize the community. While it was not included in the New Testament, its significance in understanding the early Christian world cannot be overstated.
The Structure and Content of the Didache
The Didache is typically divided into five sections, each addressing a different aspect of Christian communal life:
- Ethical Instruction
Liturgical Instruction
Christian Teachers and Prophets
Communal Life
The End Times
The text begins with a powerful ethical framework, which is built around the concept of “the two ways”—the way of life and the way of death. This binary structure is not only central to the Didache but also common in other early Christian writings like the Epistle of Barnabas. The way of life is based on love for God and love for others, drawing heavily from the teachings of Jesus, particularly his Sermon on the Mount. It also includes moral prohibitions against actions such as murder, adultery, theft, and deceit.
Additionally, the text prohibits certain practices, including sorcery, abortion, and astrology, while emphasizing virtues such as generosity, humility, and reconciliation. It calls for Christian leaders to be revered and provides detailed instructions on the treatment of children and slaves, which reflects the social structure of early Christian communities. The way of death, on the other hand, is marked by a long list of sins, including pride, greed, murder, and failure to help the poor.
The two-ways framework mirrors themes in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish apocalyptic writings. For instance, the “way of righteousness” versus the “way of wickedness” is a recurring theme in texts like Psalm 1 and the Community Rule from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars believe that early Christians adapted these Jewish concepts to articulate their own moral vision.
- Liturgical Instructions
The second section of the Didache delves into liturgical practices, emphasizing the correct way to perform rituals like baptism, fasting, and prayer. Baptism, for example, is to be performed in cold, running water if possible, and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If running water is unavailable, pouring water three times on the candidate’s head is acceptable.
The Didache also gives specific instructions regarding fasting. Christians are instructed to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, in contrast to “the hypocrites” (likely a reference to some Jewish groups) who fast on Mondays and Thursdays. This distinction underscores the community’s desire to set itself apart from other religious groups and to emphasize their own authentic Christian practices.
The text also provides a version of the Lord’s Prayer and includes prayers for the Eucharist. Interestingly, the version of the Lord’s Prayer found in the Didache is almost identical to the one in the Gospel of Matthew, with only minor variations in spelling. This reveals a strong connection between the Didache and the Gospel of Matthew, suggesting that the text might have drawn heavily from it in its formation.
The Didache also emphasizes the importance of baptism as a prerequisite for participation in the Eucharist, making it clear that only baptized Christians should partake in these sacred rituals. Moreover, it assigns a special place for certain leaders called “prophets” who are allowed to pray however they wish, which reflects an emerging hierarchy in the early Christian community.
- Christian Teachers and Prophets
One of the most intriguing sections of the Didache deals with how Christian communities should interact with traveling teachers, prophets, and apostles. Chapter 11 provides guidance on how to recognize true prophets and apostles, emphasizing that they should be welcomed with respect, but their stay should be limited to one or two days. If they stay longer than that or ask for money, they are to be considered false prophets.
This section highlights the tension between different types of authority within early Christian communities: the institutional authority of bishops and the charismatic authority of itinerant prophets. The fact that the text warns against false prophets reveals that there was already some conflict within the community regarding who had legitimate authority to lead and speak on behalf of God. The Didache, in this sense, provides a window into the challenges faced by early Christians as they navigated the complex dynamics of leadership and authority.
- Communal Life
The fourth section of the Didache touches on various aspects of communal life, including how believers should gather for worship on Sundays, how to elect bishops, and how to discipline members of the community. These guidelines reflect the early stages of institutionalization within Christianity, as the community began to formalize its structure and organization.
- The End Times
Finally, the Didache ends with a brief but notable apocalyptic section. Drawing from the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, it warns believers to be vigilant and prepared for the unexpected return of Christ. The text encourages believers to keep their “lamps” burning and to remain faithful, as the Lord’s return could come at any moment. It also speaks of the rise of false prophets and a deceptive “son of God” who will perform miracles in the lead-up to the end of days.
This apocalyptic outlook reflects the widespread expectation among early Christians that the return of Christ was imminent. It is marked by vivid descriptions of false teachers and widespread deception, which would set the stage for the final judgment.
The Didache’s Exclusion from the New Testament
While the Didache offers invaluable insight into the early Christian experience, it was not included in the New Testament canon. There are several reasons for its exclusion. For one, the Didache was not widely circulated in the same way as the canonical Gospels and Epistles, and its origins were somewhat obscure. Additionally, some of its teachings, especially its focus on ritual and communal life, might have been seen as too specific or localized compared to the broader theological and Christological themes found in the New Testament writings.
The Didache’s Influence and Legacy
Despite its exclusion from the New Testament, the Didache had a significant influence on the development of early Christian practices. The text’s emphasis on communal living, ethical behavior, and correct ritual practices became central to Christian identity in the centuries following its composition. The Didache’s call for an emerging Christian hierarchy can also be seen as a precursor to the development of a more formal ecclesiastical structure, which would eventually dominate the Church.
In the centuries after its composition, the Didache was widely read and respected, even though it did not achieve canonical status. Early Christian writers like Athanasius and Jerome referred to it, and its teachings found echoes in later Christian literature, including the writings of the Church Fathers.
Today, the Didache remains an essential text for scholars interested in the history of early Christianity. It provides a rare, early glimpse into Christian life and thought at a time when the Church was still in its formative stages. For modern readers, it offers a fascinating window into the concerns and practices of the earliest Christian communities, as they struggled to define what it meant to follow Christ in a complex, diverse world.
Conclusion
The Didache is more than just an ancient text; it is a reflection of the early Church’s attempts to establish order and unity in a rapidly changing world. By examining its teachings, we gain a better understanding of how the first Christians worshiped, lived, and organized their communities. Although it was not included in the New Testament canon, the Didache remains a crucial resource for understanding the roots of Christian doctrine and practice, as well as the internal debates that shaped the future of the faith.
