Didache. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (translation Roberts-Donaldson)_

Chapter 11: The Two Ways and the First Commandment

  • Core premise: There are two ways, one of life and one of death, with a great difference between them. The Didache frames moral life as a path choice with practical, ethical commands.

  • The Way of Life (summary of commandments):

    • Love God who made you; love your neighbor as yourself.
    • Do not do to another what you would not want done to you.
    • Bless those who curse you; pray for your enemies; fast for those who persecute you.
    • Question of reward: love those who love you is no special reward; Gentiles do the same. True mark is loving those who hate you.
    • Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts.
    • Non-retaliation: if someone strikes your right cheek, turn the other; if asked to go a mile, go two; if someone takes your cloak, give your coat as well.
    • If someone takes from you what is yours, do not insist on getting it back; you are not able.
    • Give to everyone who asks you, and do not expect repayment; the Father wills that all should receive of our own blessings (free gifts).
    • Happy is the one who gives according to the commandment; guiltless. Woe to him who receives; if one receives who has need, he is guiltless; but he who receives not having need shall pay the penalty for what and why he received.
    • Almsgiving is to be done with effort and discernment: “Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.”
    • Accountability: those who give are blessed; those who receive without need incur penalty; honesty about needs and gifts is central.

  • The Theology of Almsgiving and Judgment: giving is commanded, and receiving without need is judged; accountability before God is emphasized.

  • The Second Commandment: Grave Sin Forbidden (Chapter 22)

    • The list of prohibitions forms a comprehensive ethical boundary:
    • You shall not murder, adultery, pederasty, fornication, theft, magic, witchcraft, abortion, or kill what is born.
    • You shall not covet your neighbor’s things, swear, bear false witness, speak evil, or hold grudges.
    • You shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued; to be double-tongued is a snare of death.
    • Your speech shall be true and not empty; it should be fulfilled by deed.
    • You shall not be covetous, rapacious, hypocritical, evil-minded, or haughty.
    • You shall not take evil counsel against your neighbor.
    • You shall not hate any man; but you shall reprove some, pray for some, and love others more than your own life.

  • Chapter 33: Other Sins Forbidden

    • Moral exhortation from a parental/teacher voice: "My child, flee from every evil thing, and from every likeness of it."
    • Anger: be not prone to anger; anger leads to murder.
    • Emotions: be neither jealous nor quarrelsome nor hot-tempered; from these come murders.
    • Lust: be not lustful; lust leads to fornication.
    • Speech and perception: be not a filthy talker, nor of lofty eye; from these adulteries arise.
    • Omens and divination: be not observer of omens; leads to idolatry; avoid enchantment, astrology, purification rites, or looking at these things, for idolatry is engendered.
    • Truth-telling: be not a liar; lies lead to theft.
    • Attitudes toward wealth and pride: avoid money-loving, vainglory; thefts arise from these.
    • Humility: be not a murmurer; this leads to blasphemy.
    • Will and mind: be not self-willed or evil-minded; from these come blasphemies.
    • Practical exhortation: be meek, long-suffering, pitiful, guileless, gentle, good, and ever tremble at the words you have heard.
    • Social posture: do not exalt yourself or place faith in lofty ones; keep company with the just and lowly; accept whatever happens as good, understanding that apart from God nothing comes to pass.

  • Chapter 44: Various Precepts

    • Honor those who speak the word of God to you; regard leadership as you would regard the Lord.
    • Seek the faces of the saints daily to rest on their words.
    • Seek peace, do not seek division; judge righteously and without favoritism in reproving for transgressions.
    • Give generously: do not hoard; if you have anything, you should give as ransom for sins; do not hesitate or complain when you give; you shall know the one who repays generously.
    • Share with those in need; do not claim ownership over others’ possessions; if partakers in something immortal, how much more in mortal things.
    • Family: do not separate from your children; teach them the fear of God from youth.
    • Service and slaves: do not oppress bondservants or maidservants; remember God who is over both; God comes to call not by outward appearance but by preparation of Spirit.
    • Masters and slaves: bondmen should be subject to their masters as to God, in modesty and fear.
    • Attitudes: hate hypocrisy and everything not pleasing to the Lord; do not forsake the commandments; acknowledge transgressions in church and do not approach prayer with a faulty conscience.
    • This is the way of life.

  • Chapter 55: The Way of Death

    • The path of death is evil and accursed, listing numerous sins and social evils: murders, adultery, lust, fornication, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcraft, rape, false witness, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, deceit, haughtiness, depravity, self-will, greediness, filthy talking, jealousy, over-confidence, loftiness, boastfulness; persecutors of the good, hating truth, loving a lie, not awaiting reward for righteousness, not cleaving to good or righteous judgment, not seeking what is good, not laboring for the afflicted, and other societal corruptions; murderers of children; oppressors of the poor; judges of the poor who are lawless; those who do not know Him who made them.
    • The exhortation: Be delivered, children, from all these.

  • Chapter 66: Against False Teachers, and Food Offered to Idols

    • Caution against being led astray from the Teaching; if you can bear the entire yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; otherwise do what you can.
    • Food offered to idols: bear what you can, but be exceedingly careful regarding sacrificed foods since it is the service of dead gods.

  • Chapter 77: Concerning Baptism

    • Baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, using living water when possible.
    • If living water is unavailable, use other water; if neither hot nor cold water is available, pour water three times on the head in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    • Before baptism, fast the baptizer, the baptized, and anyone else who can; the baptized should fast one or two days before.

  • Chapter 88: Fasting and Prayer (the Lord's Prayer)

    • Do not fast like the hypocrites who fast on the second and fifth day of the week; instead fast on the fourth day and on Preparation (Friday).
    • Do not pray like the hypocrites; pray as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, with the Lord’s Prayer (provided text):
    • “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Thine is the power and the glory forever.”
    • This prayer should be prayed three times daily.
    • The Lord’s Prayer is framed as the normative form for daily devotion and fasting.
    • In addition, there is a detailed liturgical prayer of thanksgiving and a blessing expressed on behalf of the Church.

  • Chapter 99: The Eucharist

    • Thanksgiving for the cup and for the broken bread:
    • Cup: We thank Thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory forever.
    • Broken bread: We thank Thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to