Verbum Manet : English - The Didache: Chapters 7

The Didache: Chapters 7–15

Many Christians have acquired some familiarity with the study of Scripture, yet show relatively little interest in examining other sources in any depth. Early Christian writings, perhaps because they are regarded as 'extra-canonical', often attract little attention and may even be dismissed as documents of marginal importance. Consequently, knowledge of Church history is frequently limited. For many, the more than a thousand years separating the Acts of the Apostles from the Reformation remain largely unfamiliar territory.

Among the important writings of the early Church is the Didache, a document whose composition is generally associated with a period close to that of the apostles. Before its rediscovery and publication in the nineteenth century, portions of its contents were already known through their incorporation into Book VII of the Apostolic Constitutions (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles). Athanasius considered the work suitable for instructing new believers in morality and the practices of Christian worship, listing it among the non-canonical writings recommended for reading (Festal Letter 39). Eusebius, the early Christian historian, also recorded that the work had been regarded by some as belonging among the scriptural writings.

This essay therefore seeks to examine an early Christian document in order to gain some insight into the practices of worship and communal life in the early Church, particularly in Syrian Christianity. Such an examination may also provide a historical background against which contemporary church practices can be reconsidered. The first part of this study introduces the Didache and examines its instructions concerning church life, particularly Chapters 7–15.

An Introduction to the Didache

The Didache, meaning 'Teaching', is also known by its longer title, The Teaching of the Lord Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. It is one of the surviving writings of early Christianity. Its author is unknown, but the work exhibits similarities to a number of other early Christian texts, including the Epistle of Barnabas, The Shepherd of Hermas, and the hypothetical Q source, as well as the more familiar Gospels of Matthew and Luke and the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Much of the teaching contained in the Sermon on the Mount is also reflected in the Didache.

When the work was published in 1883, it was dated to approximately AD 135. Scholars, however, have not reached a consensus concerning the chronological relationships between the Didache and these other writings. Its composition may therefore be placed, at least provisionally, in the latter half of the first century, broadly contemporary with the Gospels.

The Didache may be divided broadly into two main sections: the first six chapters and the following ten chapters. The opening section is introduced by the declaration in 1:1 concerning 'the Way of Life and the Way of Death'. The subsequent chapters deal principally with liturgical and ecclesiastical instructions, whilst the final chapter, Chapter 16, concerns the last things.

The first six chapters revolve around the two ways of life and death. Their moral teachings overlap considerably with those of the Sermon on the Mount, including instructions concerning murder, adultery, oaths, and other matters, which need not be enumerated here. Moreover, the image of the two ways bears some resemblance to the concluding parable of the Sermon on the Mount concerning the two foundations.

These teachings may be understood as having been directed primarily towards those entering the Christian faith from a pagan background. At the same time, they would have helped the early Church transmit its beliefs and practices from one generation to the next.

An Overview of Chapters 7–15

Chapter 7 begins its instructions on baptism by referring to the teaching that precedes it: 'Having first taught all these things, baptise thus' (7:1). This appears to suggest that the first six chapters served something like a baptismal instruction course, whilst the subsequent chapters provided further teaching for members of the Church.

As in the earlier chapters, some of these instructions overlap with the Sermon on the Mount. Since the subject here is the life of believers, the teaching naturally returns to prayer and fasting, as found in Matthew 6.

Nevertheless, some of the instructions in Chapters 7–15 do not appear to concern new believers directly. Examples include the selection of water for baptism (7:2–4) and the discernment of false prophets (Chapters 11–13). After all, new converts would not necessarily have been entrusted with responsibility for such matters.

We may therefore regard the Didache as instruction addressed to the Church as a whole, rather than merely as a manual corresponding to what churches today might call an enquirers' course, a baptismal preparation class, or a discipleship course.

Furthermore, in view of the recognition accorded to the work within the early Church, as mentioned above, it may be more appropriate to understand the Didache as a form of ecclesiastical rule or instructional manual than as a work of theological disputation.

Chapters 7–15 contain instructions concerning both the worship and the organisation of the Church. Chapter 7 deals with baptism; Chapter 8 with fasting and prayer; Chapters 9–10 with the Eucharist or thanksgiving offering; Chapters 11–13 with hospitality, travelling ministers, prophets, and material support; and Chapters 14–15 with communal reconciliation, bishops, and deacons. Chapter 16 then turns to eschatology.

These instructions may be divided into two broad categories: those concerning liturgical practices and those concerning the organisation and functioning of the Church. Even this brief classification offers some indication of the ordinary practices of early Christian communities and the matters for which particular guidance was considered necessary.

A Brief Reading of Chapters 7–15

Baptism

Concerning baptism, the Didache instructs that candidates should first be taught the contents of Chapters 1–6. It then provides directions concerning the choice of water to be used in baptism.

The work twice refers to baptism being administered 'in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'. Perhaps reflecting its Jewish background, it also instructs that the person to be baptised should fast before receiving baptism.

Fasting and Prayer

The Jewish background of the Didache is also apparent in its instructions concerning fasting. Believers are explicitly told not to observe the same fasting days as the hypocrites, but to distinguish their practice from theirs.

The work does not explicitly identify who these hypocrites are. They may correspond to those mentioned in the Gospels, or their identity may be inferred from the practice of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.

Concerning prayer, the Didache reproduces the Lord's Prayer and explicitly instructs believers to pray it three times each day.

The Eucharist and Thanksgiving

The instructions concerning the Eucharist may differ considerably from what is familiar to many churches today.

The relevant chapters portray how early Christian communities celebrated the thanksgiving offering and what that celebration meant to them.

Chapter 9 consists principally of two prayers to be offered during the Eucharist: verses 1–2 concern the cup, whilst verses 3–4 concern the bread. The chapter then instructs the Church not to permit those who have not been baptised to participate.

Chapter 10 consists largely of a prayer to be offered after the thanksgiving meal.

Several details deserve attention. The instructions concerning the Eucharist make no explicit reference to the Last Supper or to the Passion of Jesus. Moreover, unlike the prayer over the bread, the prayer over the cup does not explain in detail how its contents are produced or whence they come.

Indeed, one might say that the contents of the cup are only implicitly associated with the vine, without being explicitly identified. The prayer in Chapter 10, however, refers to spiritual food and drink.

The absence of these details does not necessarily mean that they were unimportant. It is equally possible that certain practices were already so familiar to the early Church that they required no further explanation.

What may differ from contemporary church practice, however, is the emphasis placed upon thanksgiving for belonging to the Church and upon prayer for the unity of the Christian community.

False Prophets and Hospitality

From Chapters 11–13, we may infer that travelling visitors moved among early Christian communities and depended upon the churches for their daily necessities.

Among these travellers were prophets who proclaimed the Christian message, but there were also those whose primary purpose was to obtain material support from the Church.

The Didache provides clear instructions for distinguishing among travellers, the poor, and prophets, and for determining how they should be received.

Its general principles may be summarised as follows: ordinary travellers should receive hospitality for a limited period, whilst prophets should be given the best of what is available. The work even specifies that the first portion of a jar of wine or oil should be given to the prophets; where there is no prophet, it should instead be given to the poor.

Such generosity towards prophets, however, is conditional upon discerning whether they are genuine. The Church is instructed to examine their conduct carefully, and the work explicitly states that a prophet who asks for money is a false prophet.

On the other hand, since the Didache provides no instructions concerning the training or commissioning of prophets, these chapters are better understood as guidance for discerning and receiving travelling ministers rather than as a treatise on the prophetic office itself.

Disputes and Reconciliation

Chapters 14 and 15 twice address the treatment of those who are in conflict with their companions or neighbours. Such persons are to be excluded from the assembly until reconciliation has taken place.

This suggests that disputes of this kind were regarded as serious matters within the early Church.

Indeed, the participation of those who remained unreconciled was understood as capable of defiling the offering. Such conflicts were therefore not regarded merely as problems of interpersonal relationships, but as spiritual matters affecting the entire Christian community.

Bishops and Deacons

The Didache instructs churches to appoint persons worthy of being disciples of the Lord to serve as bishops and deacons. It places these office-holders alongside prophets and teachers as persons deserving honour within the Christian community.

Deacons at that time appear still to have exercised functions resembling those described in Acts 6, participating in the practical and communal affairs of the Church.

It is worth observing, however, that those called bishops in the Didache did not necessarily fulfil the same functions or occupy the same position as bishops in contemporary episcopal churches.

The role of the early episkopos, or overseer, may be understood as more closely resembling that of an elder in ancient Israel or a member of a council of elders in the Roman world than that of a modern bishop presiding over the Eucharist.

Reflections on Contemporary Church Practice

The differences between the worship and communal practices of the early Church and those of contemporary churches provide an opportunity to reconsider how the Church ought to conduct its life.

A few examples may serve to stimulate further reflection.

First, the teachings of the opening six chapters concentrate upon everyday conduct, morality, respect for those who proclaim the Christian message, and related matters. This differs from many contemporary baptismal preparation courses, which place greater emphasis upon confessional statements and doctrinal instruction.

The difference is, of course, partly attributable to the early date of the Didache. Systematic theology has developed considerably since that period. Nevertheless, alongside the question of what to believe, we may have come to attach less importance than the early Church did to the question of how to live.

Secondly, the Didache devotes considerable attention to the way the Church should treat those who teach and proclaim the word of God (4:1–2; Chapters 11–13).

Its instructions concern not only the provision of the best material resources for such persons, but also the need to discern their character and conduct.

Today, churches seldom encounter travelling prophets who depend entirely upon the hospitality of Christian communities. Nevertheless, when dealing with those who proclaim or teach the word of God, we may devote relatively little attention to discernment, instead offering support or admiration on the strength of an organisation's reputation or a theological institution's name.

At the same time, we may be equally reluctant to offer the best of our resources to those whom we are instructed to honour.

Given the limitations of the present essay, a more extensive examination of these matters is not possible here. Readers who are interested are encouraged to study the Didache more closely for themselves.

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