THE DIDACHE, Prophets, Pay

Didache: Let every prophet (TEACHER) who cometh unto you be received as the Lord. He will remain one day, and if it be necessary, a second; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet (PREACHER)

Didache

the oldest surviving Christian church order, probably written in Egypt or Syria in the 2nd century. In 16 short chapters it deals with morals and ethics, church practice, and the eschatological hope

Translated by Charles H. Hoole

The didache shows evidence of later additions to the pure gospel message. However, it gives some insight into the local government of the church by the bishops or elders and deacons:

"The Didache, or the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, was an early document believed to have originated in Syria. It was written between 65 and 80 AD, though it is often attributed to the second century. Although lost for many centuries, the Didache was rediscovered by Archbishop Bryennios of Nicomedia and published in 1883. Though fragmentary, the work is divisible into two distinct sections: one morally instructional, the other disciplinary." Emily K. C. Strand

Didache CHAPTER 1

1:1 There are two paths, one of life and one of death, and the difference is great between the two paths.

1:2 Now the path of life is this -- first, thou shalt love the God who made thee, thy neighbour as thyself, and all things that thou wouldest not should be done unto thee, do not thou unto another.

1:3 And the doctrine of these maxims is as follows. Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies. Fast on behalf of those that persecute you; for what thank is there if ye love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But do ye love them that hate you, and ye will not have an enemy.

1:4 Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If any one give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn unto him the other also, and thou shalt be perfect; if any one compel thee to go a mile, go with him two; if a man take away thy cloak, give him thy coat also; if a man take from thee what is thine, ask not for it again, for neither art thou able to do so.

1:5 Give to every one that asketh of thee, and ask not again;

for the Father wishes that from his own gifts there should be given to all.
Blessed is he who giveth according to the commandment, for he is free from guilt;
........... but woe unto him that receiveth.

For if a man receive being in need, he shall be free from guilt;

but he who receiveth when not in need, shall pay a penalty as to why he received and for what purpose; and when he is in tribulation he shall be examined concerning the things that he has done, and shall not depart thence until he has paid the last farthing.

1:6 For of a truth it has been said on these matters, let thy almsgiving abide in thy hands until thou knowest to whom thou hast given.

1 Corinthians 16:1f asks to "lay by him in store" or to save up an amount for later collection. Then four or five pairs of hands would carry it to Judea to the poor only. Collections were taken from the "prosperous" for the "poor" and the poor were never asked to give.

In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 Paul had to make it clearer that this was not a command. That is, he was not instituting some new legalistic "law of giving." The authority is for a one time contribution and was limited to the poor. Paul claimed the right of support for evangelizing but noted that accepting a wage would destroy his influence.

Didache CHAPTER 2

2:1 But the second commandment of the teaching is this.

2:2 Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal;

thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practise sorcery;

thou shalt not kill a child by abortion,
neither shalt thou slay it when born;
thou shalt not covet the goods of thy neighbour;

The book of Enoch associates music as sorcery or magic and abortion as the crimes for which God will come with ten thousand of His saints.

In the Classics soothsaying was often related to the sounds or music which issued from musical instruments or from a ventriloquist speaking or singing for idols.

"There were guilds of roving prophets who indulged in practices not unlike clairvoyancy and used music to induce the state; madness was ascribed to the prophets as a class (II Kings 9:11). Saul came under their influence, and in frenzy he stripped off his clothing, rolled on the ground, and prophesied for a day and night." (Clark, Elmer T., The Small Sects in America, p. 85, Abingdon)

"They resemble each other also in their pomp, having the same processional to the scene of their display from temples and altars, and that mournful profusion of incense and blood, with music of pipes and trumpets, all under the direction of the soothsayer and the undertaker, those two foul masters of funeral rites and sacrifices." (Tertullian, de Spectaculis, Ante-Nicene, III, p. 84).

2:3 thou shalt not commit perjury; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice;

2:4 thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongued, for to be double tongued is the snare of death.

2:5 Thy speech shall not be false or empty, but concerned with action.

2:6 Thou shalt not be covetous, or rapacious, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud; thou shalt not take up an evil design against thy neighbour;

2:7 thou shalt not hate any man, but some thou shalt confute, concerning some thou shalt pray, and some thou shalt love beyond thine own soul.

Didache CHAPTER 3

3:1 My child, fly from everything that is evil, and from everything that is like to it.

3:2 Be not wrathful, for wrath leadeth unto slaughter; be not jealous, or contentious, or quarrelsome, for from all these things slaughter ensues.

3:3 My child, be not lustful, for lust leadeth unto fornication; be not a filthy talker; be not a lifter up of the eye, for from all these things come adulteries.

3:4 My child, be not an observer of omens, since it leadeth to idolatry, nor a user of spells, nor an astrologer,

nor a travelling purifier, nor wish to see these things, for from all these things idolatry ariseth.

A modern preacher who is hired to "lead you into the presence of God" or to "revive you" is a travelling purifier and must be denounced and ejected. And we have been told that singing and listening to instrumental music "purifies" me.

3:5 My child, be not a liar, for lying leadeth unto theft; be not covetous or conceited, for from all these things thefts arise.

3:6 My child, be not a murmurer, since it leadeth unto blasphemy; be not self-willed or evil-minded, for from all these things blasphemies are produced;

3:7 but be thou meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth;

3:8 be thou longsuffering, and compassionate, and harmless, and peaceable, and good, and fearing alway the words that thou hast heard.

3:9 Thou shalt not exalt thyself, neither shalt thou put boldness into thy soul. Thy soul shall not be joined unto the lofty, but thou shalt walk with the just and humble.

3:10 Accept the things that happen to thee as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.

Didache CHAPTER 4

4:1 My child, thou shalt remember both night and day him that speaketh unto thee the Word of God; thou shalt honour him as thou dost the Lord, for where the teaching of the Lord is given, there is the Lord;

4:2 thou shalt seek out day by day the favour of the saints, that thou mayest rest in their words;

4:3 thou shalt not desire schism, but shalt set at peace them that contend; thou shalt judge righteously; thou shalt not accept the person of any one to convict him of transgression;

4:4 thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall be or not.

4:5 Be not a stretcher out of thy hand to receive, and a drawer of it back in giving.

4:6 If thou hast, give by means of thy hands a redemption for thy sins.

4:7 Thou shalt not doubt to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving; for thou shouldest know who is the fair recompenser of the reward.

4:8 Thou shalt not turn away from him that is in need, but shalt share with thy brother in all things, and shalt not say that things are thine own; for if ye are partners in what is immortal, how much more in what is mortal?

4:9 Thou shalt not remove thine heart from thy son or from thy daughter, but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of God.

4:10 Thou shalt not command with bitterness thy servant or thy handmaid, who hope in the same God as thyself, lest they fear not in consequence the God who is over both; for he cometh not to call with respect of persons, but those whom the Spirit hath prepared.

4:11 And do ye servants submit yourselves to your masters with reverence and fear, as being the type of God.

4:12 Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to God;

4:13 thou shalt not abandon the commandments of the Lord, but shalt guard that which thou hast received, neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom;

4:14 thou shalt confess thy transgressions in the Church, and shalt not come unto prayer with an evil conscience. This is the path of life.

Didache CHAPTER 5

5:1 But the path of death is this. First of all, it is evil, and full of cursing; there are found murders, adulteries, lusts, fornication, thefts, idolatries, soothsaying, sorceries, robberies, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, craft, pride, malice, self-will, covetousness, filthy talking, jealousy, audacity, pride, arrogance;

5:2 there are they who persecute the good -- lovers of a lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for the good but for the bad, from whom meekness and patience are afar off, loving things that are vain, following after recompense, having no compassion on the needy, nor labouring for him that is in trouble, not knowing him that made them, murderers of children, corrupters of the image of God, who turn away from him that is in need, who oppress him that is in trouble, unjust judges of the poor, erring in all things. From all these, children, may ye be delivered.

Didache CHAPTER 6

6:1 See that no one make thee to err from this path of doctrine, since he who doeth so teacheth thee apart from God.

6:2 If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do.

6:3 But concerning meat,
........... bear that which thou art able to do.
........... But keep with care from things sacrificed to idols,
........... for it is the worship of the infernal deities.

The Didache proves that baptism was IN water. If you are in some place where there IS no water then it allows pouring THREE TIMES on the head. A CHILDREN is never an INFANT. Children can be "a half- grown boy or girl." The word speaks of those who could be "beaten with impunity."

Didache CHAPTER 7

7:1 But concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: having first recited all these precepts,
........... baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water;

The Lord Jesus is Father, Son and Holy Spirit

7:2 but if thou hast not running water, baptize in some other water, and if thou canst not baptize in cold, in warm water;

7:3 but if thou hast neither, pour water three times on the head, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

7:4 But before the baptism, let him who baptizeth and him who is baptized fast previously, and any others who may be able. And thou shalt command him who is baptized to fast one or two days before.