The Didache

From Earlychristianwritings.com

a.k.a. "The Teachings of the Apostles" or "The Teachings of The Twelve," probably not written by one of the Twelve, but written in their name so as to claim their authority.

Chapter 1 Summary: There are two ways, life and death. Be peaceful and always giving, even when you wind up giving because you are forced. Giving is better than receiving, but receiving when in need is acceptable. Be extremely thoughtful (prayerful?) about those to whom you give, waiting and being sure rather than doing so on impulse.


Chapter 2 Summary: Don't sin gravely.


Chapter 3 Summary: Don't sin in other, non-grave, ways. Be meek.


Chapter 4 Summary: Do good. Be kind, thoughtful, and carefully consider your actions, remembering that people are all people and all under God. Don't be a jerk. Acknowledge your sins, and don't think you can or should pretend you're without sin.

Chapter 5 Summary: The Way of Death is pretty much the opposite of everything in the first four chapters. Don't do it.


Chapter 6 Summary: Don't follow false teachers, and don't eat food that's been sacrificed to idols. It seems that there's the possibility of a slight but unclear reference to keeping kashrut laws when it says "concerning food, bear what you are able," but I'm not entirely sure what this would mean (is this admonition to keep the laws you can, or to separate Christian dietary law from Jewish?).



Chapter 7 Summary: Baptism--cold water is preferable, the one being baptized should fast for a day or two before, and there's an element of confession involved that isn't word-for-word prescribed.

Chapter 8 Summary: Rules for fasting--don't be a hypocrite, and prescriptions for when you should fast--and instruction to pray the Lord's Prayer 3x daily.

Chapter 9 Summary: Instructions for Eucharist--open only to baptized Christians--the prayers that should be said before Eucharist and over the bread.

Chapter 10 Summary: Prayer that should be said after Eucharist. Prophets should be "allowed to make Thanksgiving as much as they desire."


Chapter 11 Summary: True prophets are those who preach and teach for edification, stay only one day, (maybe two, but not three), act in accordance with God's laws, and don't ask for money or take more than bread.

Chapter 12 Summary: Accept other Christians for a day or two. If they want to stay, they should work and not be idle.

Chapter 13 Summary: First-fruits of wine, grain, meat, oil, bread, money, clothing, and possessions, go to the prophets. If you don't have a prophet, then first-fruits go to the poor.

Chapter 14 Summary: For Christian assembly, come together, confess, have communion, be thankful. Don't do this with people who are at odds with other Christians until they are reconciled to each other.

Chapter 15 Summary: How to appoint bishops and deacons. Accept reproof.


Chapter 16 Summary: Meet together often. Don't slack. The Lord is coming soon.

Things I Like: This is, in itself, a seemingly really nice summary of the now-canonical New Testament.

Things I Don't Like: I am highly, highly, HIGHLY skeptical of "abortion" being listed as a grave sin in Chapter 2. Cultural context like the presence of abortion in both medical and religious texts, and the determination of "life" as "quickening" in Christian tradition, as well as the likely religious/political agenda of the website itself make me think this is a very specific translation choice.

Questions I Still Have: Is the distinction drawn here between grave and other sins the beginning of, or otherwise related to, the Roman Catholic distinction between mortal and venial sin? This is more geeky curiosity than actually relevant to anything.