The Didache

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_Mort_Coyle
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The Didache

Post by _Mort_Coyle » Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:37 pm

There's an interesting little article in this month's Christianity Today about the Didache. I hadn't read the Didache recently, so I sat down today and perused it again. Some disturbing things caught my attention. Namely, the Didache seems to teach some things which I had come to believe were not taught by the early church, such as:


Closed Communion:
"But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs.'"



Tithing/"Full-Time" Ministers:
"But every true prophet who wants to live among you is worthy of his support. So also a true teacher is himself worthy, as the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, therefore, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep, you shall take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests. But if you have no prophet, give it to the poor. If you make a batch of dough, take the first-fruit and give according to the commandment. So also when you open a jar of wine or of oil, take the first-fruit and give it to the prophets; and of money (silver) and clothing and every possession, take the first-fruit, as it may seem good to you, and give according to the commandment."

An eschatology that sounds remarkably like Futurism:
"Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come. But come together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you are not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but those who endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth: first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead -- yet not of all, but as it is said: "The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him." Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven."

Granted, we don't know to what extent the Didache was normative, and it's not authoritative scripture. On the other hand, it is generally regarded to be contemporaneous with the New Testament scriptures, possibly even predating the Gospels, and it is regarded as orthodox. A variety of extant manuscripts containing portions of the Didache have been found, which lend creedence to it's authenticity.

I'm curious if any of you (particularly those holding Preterist and/or anti-Tithing views) have wrestled these through and, if so, what were your conclusions?
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Post by _Les Wright » Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:36 pm

Hi Mort,

I am by no means an expert on the Didache. I do have a copy and have read it though. Can you give the references for those passages?

re: closed communion

Doesn't the NT teach that only believers should have communion?

Tx
Les
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Post by _Derek » Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:55 pm

1 Cor. 11:20ff Paul seems to say that communion is only for believers. Besides, if someone is in a state of rejecting the offer of Christ's redemptive work on the cross, it doesn't make much sense for them to partake in an ordinance that is in place to remember it.

God bless,
Derek
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Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7

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Post by _Mort_Coyle » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:26 pm

Open vs. closed communion is very debatable. I think it's been debated on this forum.

In light of that, I probably should have left that one out of this discussion. I'm more interested on your thoughts re Tithing/Paid Ministers (Chapter 13) and Eschatology (Chapter 16).
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Post by _Evangelion » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:47 pm

I don't think the eschatology of the Didache sounds like Futurism; it simply sounds like several quotes from the New Testament to me. How you interpret them is up to you; personally, I subscribe to the Historicist position.

The Didache is clearly an ancient church document, written for the purpose of establishing standard practice throughout the churches.

Most scholars (both liberal and conservative) date the Didache towards the end of the 1st Century AD. I concur with this view, since the Didache frequently cites many parts of the NT - particularly the Gospels, but also from the Pauline epistles - and would therefore have to be written later in the day, after the NT was complete (or at least, mostly complete.)
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Post by _Evangelion » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:51 pm

I have compiled a list of passages in which the Didache quotes from the NT.

It is not exhaustive:
  • 1:2 The way of life is this. First of all, thou shalt love the God that made thee; secondly, Thy neighbor as thyself. And all things whatsoever thou wouldst not have befall thyself, neither do thou unto another.
The Golden Rule, spoken by Jesus himself on several occasions and originally quoted from the Law of Moses.
  • 1:3 Now of these words the doctrine is this. Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies and fast for them that persecute you; for what thank is it, if ye love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles the same? But if ye love them that hate you, ye shall not have an enemy.
A quote from Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
  • 1:4 Abstain thou from fleshly and bodily lusts. If any man give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, and thou shalt be perfect; If a man impress thee to go with him one mile, go with him twain; if a man take away thy cloak, give him thy coat also; if a man take away from thee that which is thy own, ask it not back, for neither art thou able.
A quote from Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
  • 2:2 Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not corrupt boys, thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not deal in magic, thou shalt do no sorcery, thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods
Quotes from the Law of Moses.
  • 3:7 But be meek, since the meek shall inherit the earth.
A quote from Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
  • 3:10 The accidents that befall thee thou shalt receive as good, knowing that nothing is done without God.
Paraphrased from Ecclesiastes 7. Jesus taught the same message in John 9.
  • 5:1 But the way of death is this. First of all, it is evil and full of a curse; murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magical arts, witchcrafts, plunderings, false witnessings, hypocrisies, doubleness of heart, treachery, pride, malice, stubbornness, covetousness, foul speaking, jealousy, boldness, exaltation, boastfulness;
    5:2 persecutors of good men, hating truth, loving a lie, not perceiving the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, wakeful not for that which is good but for that which is evil-from whom gentleness and forbearance stand aloof; loving vain things, pursuing a recompense, not pitying the poor man, not toiling for him that is oppressed with toil, not recognizing Him that made them, murderers of children, corrupters of the creatures of God, turning away from him that is in want, oppressing him that is afflicted, advocates of the wealthy, unjust judges of the poor, altogether sinful. May ye be delivered, my children, from all these things.
Direct quotes from Romans 1 and I Timothy 1.
  • 6:3 But concerning eating, bear that which thou art able; yet abstain by all means from meat sacrificed to idols; for it is the worship of dead gods.
Direct quotes from I Corinthians 8, reaffirming that which was declared in Acts 15.
  • 7:1 But concerning baptism, thus shall ye baptize. Having first recited all these things, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living (running) water.
The command to baptise, just as Christ taught his disciples in Matthew 28:19.
  • 8:2 Neither pray ye as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray ye: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debt, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever.
A quote from Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
  • 11:1 Whosoever therefore shall come and teach you all these things that have been said before, receive him;
    11:2 but if the teacher himself be perverted and teach a different doctrine to the destruction thereof, hear him not; but if to the increase of righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.
A quote from Galatians 1.

  • 12:3 But if he wishes to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work for and eat his bread.
    12:4 But if he has no craft, according to your wisdom provide how he shall live as a Christian among you, but not in idleness.
Paraphrased from II Thessalonians 3
  • 14:1 And on the Lord's own day gather yourselves together and break bread and give thanks, first confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.[/i]
Paraphrased from I Corinthians 11.
  • 14:2 And let no man, having his dispute with his fellow, join your assembly until they have been reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be defiled;
Paraphrased from Matthew 5 and Matthew 18.
  • 15:1 Appoint for yourselves therefore bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, and true and approved; for unto you they also perform the service of the prophets and teachers.
A quote from I Timothy 3.
  • 16:4 For as lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray. And then the world-deceiver shall appear as a son of God; and shall work signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unholy things, which have never been since the world began.
Paraphrased from II Thessalonians 2.
  • 16:5 Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved by the Curse Himself.
Paraphrased from Matthew 24 and I Corinthians 3.
  • 16:6 And then shall the signs of the truth appear; first a sign of a rift in the heaven, then a sign of a voice of a trumpet, and thirdly a resurrection of the dead;
Paraphrased from I Corinthians 15.
  • 16:7 Yet not of all, but as it was said The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him.
    16:8 Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.
A quote from the Olivet Prophecy.
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Post by _Evangelion » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:59 pm

On the use of the Didache in the early church, J. Louis Guthrie (Baptist) writes:
  • The ancient writers in the churches, that mention this book, as being extensively used in the early Churches are: Eusebius, Athanasius, Nicephorus, Clement of Alexandria, and some others not so well known.
From Athanasius' Festal Letter 39 we learn that in his day, the Didache was...
  • ...appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly joined, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness.
...along with several other books he classified as deuterocanonicals, such as Tobit, Esther, Sirach, and The Shepherd of Hermas.
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Post by _Steve » Sun Jun 11, 2006 3:42 am

Hi Mort,

About the two issues in the Didache that concerned you:


1. Support for ministers

Everything you cited (except the line about "high priests") is very agreeable with my views on this subject. I certainly believe in the financial support of ministers (seeing I am a minister, and live entirely on the freewill gifts of others). This is entirely scriptural. It is a very different matter whether people ought to tithe (not mentioned in the paragraph you quoted) and another still whether a minister ought to be salaried.

Supported ministry is one thing (namely, God provides the support for His servants through unsolicited and unpredictable gifts from God's people), and salaried ministry (i.e., a minister under contract to serve for pay) is another. In fact, the Didache teaches that a minister who asks for money for himself is a "false prophet."

While I do not personally observe the tithe (i.e., ten-percent) as a measure for my charitable giving, I do take the "first fruits" of my income and set it aside for that purpose. Those "first fruits" are in excess of ten-percent, but they do not exhaust my obligation to give as the Lord leads from what remains.

Thus I believe in what the Didache teaches on this matter, and have lived by it and taught it for thirty-five years, even though I do not believe that the New Testament teaches anything about an obligation to tithe. The passage does not appear to teach salaried ministry nor tithing.

2. The eschatology

It is my impression that the Didache reflects the premillennialism that was popular in the second and third centuries, beginning a generation or two after the time of the apostles. I don't agree with premillennialism, and neither did all the Christians of that era, according to premillennialist Justin Martyr, who knew of "many of the pure and pious faith" who did not share his views.

The preterist approach to Revelation does not seem to have been held by the Church in that era either, although a preterist approach to the Olivet Discourse is taught in Eusebius (AD 325). With reference to Revelation, I think Evangelion's historist approach was the more dominant view in the second century and following, rather than a preterist or futurist approach. Of course, there were many who still did not accept the book of Revelation as canonical during that period.
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In Jesus,
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Post by _Evangelion » Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:15 am

Steve wrote:2. The eschatology

It is my impression that the Didache reflects the premillennialism that was popular in the second and third centuries, beginning a generation or two after the time of the apostles. I don't agree with premillennialism, and neither did all the Christians of that era, according to premillennialist Justin Martyr, who knew of "many of the pure and pious faith" who did not share his views.
Nevertheless, Martyr argued that those who were "correct in all points" subscribed to pre-millenialism, as he did:
  • I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned and enlarged, as the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.
The preterist approach to Revelation does not seem to have been held by the Church in that era either, although a preterist approach to the Olivet Discourse is taught in Eusebius (AD 325).
This is true. Eusebius rejected the pre-millenialism of the early church, and mocked those who had taught it.

Here he speaks in reference to Papias:
  • …he [Papias] says there would be a certain millennium after the resurrection, and that there would be a corporeal reign of Christ on this very earth; which things he appears to have imagined, as if they were authorized by the apostolic narrations, not understanding correctly those matters which they propounded mystically in their representations.

    For he was very limited in his comprehension, as is evident from his discourses; yet he was the cause why most of the ecclesiastical writers, urging the antiquity of the man, were carried away by a similar opinion; as, for instance, Irenaeus, or any other that adopted such sentiments.
Gibbon (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) observes that this was a radical departure from apostolic teaching:
  • But when the edifice of the church was almost completed, the temporary support was laid aside.

    The doctrine of Christ's reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism.
With reference to Revelation, I think Evangelion's historist approach was the more dominant view in the second century and following, rather than a preterist or futurist approach. Of course, there were many who still did not accept the book of Revelation as canonical during that period.
Agreed.
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Post by _Mort_Coyle » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:30 am

Very interesting. Thank you Evangelion and Steve for your excellent and thorough input. I think part of what threw me was the translation I was reading, which used terms like "the tithe". It seems that perhaps the translator made some inferences based on his own presuppositions (an easy thing to do, no doubt). I've since read through a few more translations online http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/didache.html, which along with your input, have given me a better feel for what is (and isn't) being said.
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