Didache

The Didache, or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is an early Christian text composed sometime in the first century, most likely in Egypt, Syria, or Palestine. The short document predates the New Testament and is considered possibly the earliest known example of Christian catechism. Catechism is a collection of Christian morals, doctrines, and instructions concerning ministry and the sacraments. The Didache remains notable for its numerous prescriptions for Christian thought and practice that remain familiar in the contemporary Church.

Origins of the Text

Despite the ancient origins of the Didache, the document remained mostly unknown to the world until 1873, when the Greek Orthodox bishop Philotheos Bryennios discovered a Greek copy of it in a monastery in the Republic of Türkiye. The Didache was located inside the Codex Hierosolymitanus, a larger manuscript dating to about 1056 Common Era (CE).

Bryennios published the Didache ten years later, in 1883, proving the existence of the ancient text that several Christian writers of the past had thought amounted only to legend. In the 300s CE, for example, Eusebius of Caesarea and Athanasius of Alexandria referred in separate documents to a supposed collection of the teachings of the twelve apostles, indicating the authors had heard of but had never seen the document.

However, even the publication of the Didache did not reveal much information about the work's history. The text is not dated and does not refer to any current or past world events that could help modern scholars date the document. Generally accepted scholarly estimates in the twenty-first century, however, place the Didache's origin in the mid-to-late first century, between about 50 and 70 CE Other scholars claim the 200s or 300s CE are more likely dates.

Similarly mysterious is the Didache's authorship, as the document's composer is not named in the text. The original script that Bryennios found in 1873 was written in Koine Greek, an ancient form of the Greek language. Other fragments of the document were later discovered to have been written in Latin, Ethiopic, Coptic, and Syriac. The existence of the Didache in these languages has allowed historical scholars to estimate more accurately that the text was composed in northern Egypt, southern Türkiye, Syria, Palestine, or another nearby location in the Middle East.

Contents of the Didache

The Didache's full title is The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, with the word "didache" deriving from the Greek word for "teaching." The document consists of the moral and religious teachings of Jesus Christ as taught to the known world by the Apostles in the early Christian era of the mid-first century CE.

The work contains sixteen chapters that have been divided into four thematic parts in modern times. The first has been called the "Two Ways," a section of moral instruction in which the author writes of goodness and evil. The second part instructs readers in the practice of certain liturgical rituals such as baptism and the Eucharist, the consuming of Jesus's body and blood in the mass. The third part discusses proper treatment of authorities and outsiders, and the fourth reminds Christians that Jesus Christ will return at the end of the world.

Although it is not considered scripture, many of the doctrines and rituals mentioned in the Didache remain essential components of Christianity. It has relevance in the areas of liturgy, morality, and church organization. It contains valuable insights into how the first generations of Christians organized and lived, and many of its practices and teachings are present in modern Christian churches. However, the Church later excluded the document from inclusion in the New Testament because the minority group of Church leaders who believed the text to be divinely inspired was overruled by the larger faction who did not. In contemporary times, the Didache is still esteemed as one of the earliest known records of Christian principles.

The Two Ways

The concept of the "Two Ways," as described in the Didache, refers to the two paths that every faithful Christian can take in life: the "Way of Life" and the "Way of Death." Christians and those preparing to convert to Christianity must always work to lead moral lives and avoid sin, the text dictates, for these actions bring the faithful closer to God.

These instructions were especially important for new Christian converts, who were required to reform their lives in these specified ways to receive the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. The literary style of this first section of the Didache shows influences both in ancient philosophical Greek writings and certain kinds of Jewish literature.

Ritual Instruction

The second part of the Didache educates readers on how to pray, fast, and celebrate Christian rituals such as baptism and the Eucharist. The instructions say, for example, that baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be performed with cold, running water. However, if cold, running water is not available, the text advises that warm still water may be used.

In regard to fasting, this section instructs Christians to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, not on Mondays and Thursdays as other groups do. Additionally, Christians are not to pray as these people do but should pray the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.

Authorities and Outsiders

The Didache's third part discusses the roles of Christian leaders—such as apostles, teachers, and prophets—in early Church communities. Specific guidance is presented on how traveling teachers should be incorporated into established Christian groups. Traveling strangers, the text warns, may have evil intentions and should be tested on their devotion to Christ. But even devout strangers must work for their food and shelter.

Second Coming of Christ

The fourth part of the Didache is concerned with the end times and Jesus's return to the world. The text advises Christians to be mindful of the end of the world by reflecting on how they live. At this time, many false prophets will appear, and evil will seem to take hold of the world.

After this chaos, however, the Lord will appear in glory to save those who remained faithful to him. The dead will arise to greet Jesus and his saints, and the world will enter God's kingdom.

Bibliography

Cortés-Sjöberg, Santiago. "What Is the Catechism of the Catholic Church?" U.S. Catholic, 21 June 2011, www.uscatholic.org/church/2011/05/what-catechism-catholic-church. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Craycraft, Kenneth. “The Didache: An Ancient Catechism, a Contemporary Message.” Catholic Review, 4 Nov. 2023, catholicreview.org/the-didache-an-ancient-catechism-a-contemporary-message. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Hughes, Kyle R. “Bonds and Boundaries among the Early Churches: Community Maintenance in the Letter of James and the Didache.” Review of Biblical Literature, vol. 23, Jan. 2021, pp. 401–05. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=157087885&site=ehost-live. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Knox, John S. “The Didache: A Moral and Liturgical Document of Instruction.” World History Encyclopedia, 25 May 2016, www.worldhistory.org/article/904/the-didache-a-moral-and-liturgical-document-of-ins. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Lowe, John T. "Didache." World History Encyclopedia, 22 July 2015, www.worldhistory.org/Didache/. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

"#101: The Didache." Christian History Institute, www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/didache. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.