Unknown

“ If thou hast, give by means of thy hands a redemption for thy sins. Thou shalt not doubt to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving; for thou shouldest know who is the fair recompenser of the reward. 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? Thou shalt not remove thine heart from thy son or from thy daughter, but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of God. ”

“ Then shall the creation of man come to the fiery trial of proof, and many shall be offended and shall perish; but they who remain in their faith shall be saved by the rock of offence itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth ”

“ 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; but be thou meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth; [6] be thou long-suffering, and compassionate, and harmless, and peaceable, and good, and fearing alway the words that thou hast heard. 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. Accept the things that happen to thee as good, knowing that without God nothing happens. ”

“ Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debt, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil: for thine is the power, and the glory, for ever. ”

“ 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.
II. But the second commandment of the teaching is this. 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; thou shalt not commit perjury; thou shalt not bear false witness ”

“ For in the last days false prophets and seducers shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; and because iniquity aboundeth they shall hate each other, and persecute each other, and deliver each other up; and then shall the Deceiver of the world appear as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands ”

“ But your prayers and your almsgivings and all your deeds so do, as ye have commandment in the Gospel of our Lord. [15]
Watch concerning your life; let not your lamps be quenched or your loins be loosed, [16] but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour at which our Lord cometh. [17] But be ye gathered together frequently, seeking what is suitable for your souls; for the whole time of your faith shall profit you not, unless ye be found perfect in the last time. ”

“ XIII. But every true prophet who is willing to dwell among you is worthy of his meat, likewise a true teacher is himself worthy of his meat, even as is a labourer. Thou shalt, therefore, take the first-fruits of every produce of the wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, and shalt give it to the prophets, for they are your chief priests; but if ye have not a prophet, give it unto the poor. If thou makest a feast, take and give the first-fruits according to the commandment ”

“ Thus a new manual of ethics was formed for the use of the Christian Church, based partly on the actual teaching of Christ as found in the Gospels, partly on the application of the ideas contained in it, which are arranged and enlarged so as to form a complete manual of duty. ”

“ But let not any one who hath a quarrel with his companion join with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted, for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles. ”

“ We thus arrive at the complete nature of the work called "The Didache, or Teaching of the Apostles," and find it to be in reality a combination of two systems of teaching, perhaps of two treatises, the Duæ Viæ or Judicium Petri, and the διδαχαὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων or the doctrines of the Apostles. From the first comes the doctrine of the two paths; from the second, the directions for the administration of the Sacraments and the appointment and maintenance of ministers of religion. ”

“ 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. ”

“ But if he wish to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work, and so eat; but if he know not any craft, provide ye according to your own discretion, that a Christian may not live idle among you; but if he be not willing to do so, he is a trafficker in Christ. ”

“ 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 bas done, and shall not depart thence until be has paid the last farthing. ”

“ XII. Let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received, but afterwards ye shall examine him and know his character, for ye have knowledge both of good and evil. If the person who cometh be a wayfarer, assist him so far as ye are able ”

“ Οὐδεμίαν δὲ σύγκρισιν ἔχουσι πρὸς ἑαυτὰς (πολὺ γὰρ τὸ διάφορον) , μᾶλλον δὲ πάντῃ κεχωρισμέναι τυγχάνουσι· καὶ φυσικὴ μέν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς ζωῆς ὁδός, ἐπείσακτος δὲ ἡ τοῦ θανάτου, οὐ τοῦ κατὰ γνώμην Θεοῦ ὑπάρξαντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου.
Κεφ. 2. Πρώτη οὖν τυγχάνει ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς ζωῆς καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη, ἥν καὶ ὁ νόμος διαγορεύει, ἀγαπᾶν κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς, τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον, παρ’ ὃν ἄλλος οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτόν. Καὶ πᾶν ὃ μὴ θὲλεις γενέσθαι σοι, καὶ σὺ τοῦτο ἄλλῳ οὐ ποιήσεις. ”

“ Πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃς μὴ γίνεσθαι σοι, καὶ σὺ ἄλλῳ μὴ ποίει. [2] 3. Τούτων δὲ τῶν λόγων ἡ διδαχή ἐστιν αὕτη. Εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμῖν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, νηστεύετε δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς. ”

“ The passages from Barnabas, Hermas, the Apostolic Constitutions, and the Epitome serve as an introduction to the Didache as discovered by Bryennius, and published at Constantinople from the Codex Hierosolymitanus. No other manuscript or version of it has been found, but there is no reason to doubt that it is a genuine manuscript of the eleventh century. ”

“ From cap. i. to vi. it is almost certain that the writer must have had the text of the Sermon on the Mount in his possession, as the coincidences are too numerous to allow it to be supposed that they are based on traditional sayings. ”

“ The notion is that of two paths placed before a person at the commencement of his career, the one narrow and difficult but right, the other easy and pleasant but wrong. In this shape it is found in the Canonical Gospels, cf. ”

“ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, φοβηθήσῃ τόν σε πλάσαντα, δοξάσεις τόν σε λυτρωσάμενον ἐκ θανάτου· ἔσῃ ἁπλοῦς τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ πλούσιος τῷ πνεύματι· οὐ κολληθήσῃ μετὰ πορευομένων ἐν ὁδῷ θανάτου, μισήσεις πᾶν ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρεστὸν τῷ Θεῷ, μισήσεις πᾶσαν ὑπόκρισιν· οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλιπῃς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου. 3. οὐχ ὑψώσεις σεαυτόν, ἔσῃ δὲ ταπεινόφρων κατὰ πάντα. οὐκ ἀρεῖς ἐπὶ σεαυτὸν δόξαν. οὐ λήμψῃ βουλὴν πονηρὰν κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου· οὐ δώσεις τῇ ψυχῇ σου θράσος. 4. οὐ πορνεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, [7] οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις. οὐ μή σου ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξέθῃ ἐν ἀκαθαρσίᾳ τινῶν. ”