DIDACHE, THE, or Teaching of the (twelve) Apostles. This early Christian document is one of the most important dis coveries of the second half of the i9th century. There are several references to it in Eusebius and elsewhere, and by applying to these the methods of comparative criticism a rough reconstruction of its contents had been obtained. But in 1875 Bryennios dis covered it in the Patriarchal Library at Constantinople, in the ms. which also contains I. and II. Clement.
The Didache, as we now have it in the Greek, falls into two marked divisions: (a) a book of moral precepts, opening with the words, "There are two ways"; (b) a manual of church ordin ances, linked on to the foregoing by the words, "Having first said all these things, baptize," etc. Each of these must be con sidered separately before we approach the question of the locality and date of the whole book in its present form.
The author of the complete work, as we now have it, has modi fied an earlier document entitled The Two Ways, which may have been a Jewish manual carried over into the use of the Christian Church. Near the beginning he has inserted a considerable sec tion containing, among other matter, passages from the Sermon on the Mount, in which the language of St. Matthew's Gospel is blended with that of St. Luke's. -He has also added at the close a few sentences, beginning, "If thou canst not bear (the whole yoke of the Lord), bear what thou canst" (vi. 2) ; and among minor changes he has introduced, in dealing with confession, reference to "the church" (iv. 14)• The second part of the Teaching might be called a church directory. It consists of precepts relating to church life, which are couched in the second person plural ; whereas The Two Ways uses throughout the second person singular. It appears to be a composite work. (I) First (vii. 1–xi. 2) is a short sacramental manual intended for the use of local elders or presbyters, though such are not named, for they were not yet a distinctive order or clergy. This section was probably added to The Two Ways before the addition of the remainder. It orders baptism in the three fold name, and adds directions as to the manner of baptism and preparation for it. Then follows the Lord's Prayer, almost exactly as in St. Matthew, with a brief doxology—"for Thine is the power and the glory for ever." This is to be said three times a day. Next come three eucharistic prayers, the language of which is clearly marked off from that of the rest of the book, and shows parallels with the diction of St. John's Gospel. As in Ignatius and other early writers, the eucharist, a real meal (x. 1 ) of a family character, is regarded as producing immortality (cf. "spiritual food and drink and eternal life"). None are to partake of it save those who have been "baptized in the name of the Lord" (an expression which is of interest in a document which prescribes the threefold formula). The "prophets" are not to be confined to these forms, but may "give thanks as much as they will." This appears to show that a "prophet," if present, would naturally preside over the eucharist. (2) The next section (xi. 3—xiii.) deals with the min istry of spiritual gifts as exercised by "apostles," "prophets" and "teachers." An apostle is to be "received as the Lord"; but he must f ollow the Gospel precepts, stay but one or two days, and take no money, but only bread enough for a day's journey. Here we have that wider use of the term "apostle" to which Lightfoot had already drawn attention. A prophet, on the contrary, may settle if he chooses, and in that case he is to receive tithes and first-fruits; "for they are your high priests." If he be once approved as a true prophet, his words and acts are not to be criticized; for this is the sin that shall not be forgiven. (3) Next comes a section (xiv., xv.) reflecting a somewhat later develop ment concerning fixed services and ministry ; the desire for a stated service, and the need of regular provision for it, is leading to a new order of things. The eucharist is to be celebrated every Lord's Day, and preceded by confession of sins : "appoint there fore unto yourselves bishops and deacons, worthy of the Lord, men meek and uncovetous, and true and approved; for they also minister unto you the ministration of the prophets and teachers." This is an arrangement recommended by one who has tried it, and he reassures the old-fashioned believer who clings to the less formal regime (and whose protest was voiced in the Montanist movement), that there will be no spiritual loss under the new sys tem. The book closes (chap. xvi.) with exhortations to stead fastness in the last days, at the coming of the "world-deceiver" or Antichrist, which will precede the coming of the Lord. This section is perhaps the actual utterance of a Christian prophet, and may be of earlier origin than the two preceding sections.
It will now be clear that indications of the locality and date of the present Teaching must be sought for only in the second part, and in the Christian interpolations in the first part. We have no ground for thinking that the second part ever existed independently as a separate book. The whole work was in the hands of the writer of the seventh book of the Apostolic Consti tutions (q.v.), who embodies almost every sentence of it, inter spersing it with passages of Scripture, and modifying the precepts of the second part to suit a later (4th-century) stage of church development ; this writer was also the interpolator of the Epistles of Ignatius, and belonged to the Syrian Church. The Apostolic Church Order has several passages closely parallel to The Two Ways; but the only parallel to the second part of the Teaching is in a quotation from one of the eucharistic prayers. The anti Jewish tone of the second part suggests the neighbourhood of Jews, from whom the Christians were to be sharply distinguished. Either Egypt or Syria would satisfy this condition, and in favour of Syria is the fact that the presbyterate there was to a late date regarded as a rank rather than an office. But all that we can safely say as to locality is that the community here represented seems to have been out of touch with the larger centres of Christian life.
This last consideration helps us in discussing the question of date. For such an isolated community may have preserved primi tive customs for some time after they had generally disappeared. Certainly the stage of development is an early one, as is shown, e.g., by the prominence of prophets, and the need that was felt for the vindication of the position of the bishops and deacons (there is no mention at all of presbyters) ; moreover, there is no reference to a canon of Scripture (though the written Gospel is expressly mentioned) or to a creed. On the other hand the "apostles" of the second part are obviously not "the twelve apostles" of the title ; and the prophets seem in some instances to have proved unworthy of their high position. The ministry of enthusiasm which they represent is about to give way to the ministry of office, a transi tion which is reflected in the New Testament in the 3rd Epistle of John. Three of the Gospels have clearly been for some time in circulation; St. Matthew's is used several times, and there are phrases which occur only in St. Luke's, while St. John's Gospel lies behind the eucharistic prayers which the writer has embodied in his work. There are no indications of any form of doctrinal heresy as needing rebuke; the warnings against false teaching are quite general. While the first part must be dated before the Epistle of Barnabas, i.e., before A.D. 9o, it seems wisest not to place the complete work much earlier than A.D. 1 20, and there are passages which may well be later,.