Didache

Overview

Didache is a Greek word meaning "teaching"; the manuscript bears the title "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles." The Didache is a short document of sixteen chapters containing instructions for the early church on catechesis, worship, and community life. It is not part of the New Testament, and scholars classify it among the writings of the Apostolic Fathers (the church leaders of the generation immediately following the apostles).

Background

The Didache is mentioned by name several times in early Christian literature. The fourth-century church historian Eusebius listed it among the books not accepted by the church as canonical. In his Easter festal letter of 367, Athanasius excluded it from the canon but named it among the books profitable for those preparing for baptism. Thereafter the original text was lost for centuries, and the document was known only by name.

History and Contents

• Date of composition: The author is unknown. Scholars generally date the work to the late first or early second century, though some argue for an earlier or later date. Syria or Palestine is frequently proposed as the place of composition.
• Discovery: In 1873 Philotheos Bryennios, a Greek Orthodox cleric, discovered an eleventh-century manuscript in a library in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul); he published it in 1883.
• Contents:
• Chapters 1–6 present ethical instruction contrasting the Way of Life with the Way of Death.
• Chapter 7 addresses baptism. It directs that baptism be administered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in "living water," that is, running water; if running water is unavailable, other water may be used, and if there is not enough water, water is to be poured on the head three times. It recommends that both the one baptizing and the one being baptized fast beforehand.
• Chapter 8 instructs believers to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays and to pray the Lord's Prayer three times a day.
• Chapters 9–10 contain eucharistic prayers. Only the baptized may partake of the Eucharist, and chapter 10 includes the expressions "Hosanna" and "Maranatha" ("Come, Lord").
• Chapters 11–15 deal with criteria for discerning itinerant apostles and prophets, gatherings on "the Lord's Day," and the appointment of bishops and deacons.
• Chapter 16 contains an exhortation to watchfulness and addresses the Lord's Second Coming.

Significance and Influence

The publication of the Didache greatly stimulated scholarly study of early church worship and order, because it is regarded as one of the earliest extrabiblical sources attesting to baptismal practice, eucharistic prayers, and the use of the Lord's Prayer. Its contents are also known to have been reworked and incorporated into the fourth-century Apostolic Constitutions.

In the Korean church, the Didache is cited mainly in seminary church history courses and in discussions of the mode of baptism. Baptists point to its presentation of baptism in running water as the norm, while denominations that baptize by pouring cite its allowance for pouring water on the head.

Assessment

The Didache is highly valued as a source depicting the church in a period close to the New Testament era. However, its date and place of composition, as well as whether it is a compilation of several sources, remain subjects of scholarly debate. Many denominations respect the document as a historical source but, because it is not canonical, do not regard it as a standard for judging doctrine.