Victor R. Claveau, MJ
The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles, or The Teaching of the (Twelve) Apostles, as it was known in ancient times, or simply the Didache [Pronounced: DID-uh-kay], (“The Teaching”), as it is usually referred to today, is one of the most fascinating documents to emerge from the early Church. Although the title was known from references to it by ancient writers (some of whom used it as Scripture), no copy was known to exist until 1873, when Philotheos Bryennios, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nicomedia discovered a manuscript, the Jerusalem Codex (A.D. 1052-1056), which contained, among other things, the full text of the Didache, which he published in 1883.
The Didache may be divided into four clearly distinct parts:
a moral catechesis (1-6),
a liturgical instruction (7-10);
a disciplinary instruction (9-15),
and a conclusion of an eschatological nature (16).
1. The moral catechesis teaches us what we must do (The Way of Life, 1-4) and what we must not do (The Way of Death, 5, 6).
2. The liturgical instruction treats Baptism, how to administer it and how to prepare oneself for its reception (7); fasting (8:1); prayer (8:2, 3), and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist (9:10).
3. The disciplinary instruction is concerned with the manner of dealing with preachers, and especially with itinerant apostles (11:3-6), prophets (11:7-12; 13, 1:3-7), traveling brethren (12), and teachers who settle in the community (13:2); then passing on to the interior life of the Church, it prescribes the divine service for Sundays and lays down the line of conduct to be followed with regard to bishops, deacons, and the brethren of the community (15-15).
4. The conclusion is a warning to be vigilant because the coming of the Savior is at hand. It contains also a description of the signs which will precede and accompany the Parousia (16).
The dates fixed upon by critics for the composition of the Didache fall between the years 50 and 160. The work was probably composed between 80 and 110. The basis for such a conclusion is the fact that the liturgy and hierarchy which the author describes are quite primitive; there is no trace in the work of a creed or a canon of the Scriptures, and no illusion is made to pagan persecution or Gnosticism. On the other hand, the writer is acquainted with the gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke and entertains an obvious mistrust towards wandering Christian teachers who visit the communities. This state of affairs is characteristic of the end of the first century.
The Didache is a work of considerable importance. Apart from its dogmatic content, it gives a reasonably accurate picture of what was, in those early times, the interior life of the Christian communities from the point of view or moral teaching, the practices they observed, and the form of government under which they lived.
For example: it states, “Elect therefore for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, humble men and not covetous, and faithful and well tested; for they also serve you in the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Do not therefore despise them, for they are the honored men among you along with the prophets and teachers.” (Ch 5)
“Regarding baptism, baptize thus. After giving the foregoing instructions, ‘Baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in running water. But, if you have no running water, baptize in any other; and if you cannot in cold water, then in warm. But, if the one is lacking, pour the other three times on the head ‘in the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit.”
“Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life” (4:13).
Concerning the Mass: “But every Lord’s day…gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned” (14).
The Didache, which explicitly condemned abortion and infanticide, also implicitly condemned contraception. The early Christians were told in four successive precepts: “You shall not use magic. You shall not use drugs. You shall not procure abortion. You shall not destroy a newborn child.” Records from the practices of those times tell us that the people would first try some magical rites or resort to sorcery to avoid conception. If this failed, they would use one or another of the medical contraceptives. If a woman became pregnant, she would try to abort. And if even this failed, there was always the Roman law that permitted infanticide. (21).