Important concerns for early Christians and emerging hierarchy in the Didache

Diadche: 1st and 2nd Century Christians

The objective of this study is to answer the questions of based on the Didache, what are the most important concerns for 1st and 2nd Century Christians and is there a present and emerging hierarchy within early Christianity? The Didache is also known as the "Teachings of the Lord by the Twelve Apostles." The Didache is a manual of conduct and worship written during the first century and is a collection of writings that was formulated on the earliest of beliefs and traditions of Christianity and Judaism as well as being inclusive of the Old and New Testaments. It is unfortunate that modern church members have literally no knowledge of the Didache. Core teaching of the Didache are known as the 'two ways' or the ways of life and death. It is related that the controversies created by the Didache are many and are such that continue even until the present day. The controversies surround such things as tensions between the Jewish and Christian beliefs, the baptism, the Eucharist and other such subject matter that opposes between the two beliefs. The structure of the text in the Didache is reported to be such that is divided into "four clearly separated thematic sections" (Emilio, nd). The four sections are stated to include: (1) The Two Ways document which forms Chapters 1 though 7; (2) a liturgical treatise which forms chapters 7 through 10; (2) a treatise on church organization which is comprised by chapters 11 through 15 and a later expansion; and (4) an eschatological section comprised by chapter 16. (Emilio, nd, paraphrased) It is additionally reported that the Didache can be divided into "distinct categories of teachings and insights that resemble a kind of systematic theology" and which includes: (1) Church doctrines; (2) doctrine of the Trinity; (3) worship; (4) eschatology; (5) doctrine of sin; (6) the law; and (7) the person of Jesus Christ. (Emilio, nd, p.11)The Didache is clear on the subject abortion stating: "You shall not murder a child, whether by abortion of killing it once it is born." (Didache 2:2; cited in: Emilio, nd, p. 13) The ceremonies of baptism and the Lord's Supper are also at focus in the Didache as is baptism. The Didache is additionally focused on the return of Christ in the future. There is a clear focus in the Didache on 'The Two Ways' which is described as teaching that "is a hallmark of the Didache content." (Emilio, nd) The instructions given by the Messiah to "love God and then love neighbor is followed in the Didache with the 'teaching [that flows] from these words" (1:1-2)." (Emilio, nd) The 'Two Ways' presented in the Didache are such that is linked directly with and in agreement with Old Testament and writings in the Qumran as well as with Greek mythology and New Testament traditions. (Emilio, nd, paraphrased) Christians are commanded in the Didache to be every ready for the return of Jesus and to live their lives readying their souls to be found blameless at the time of his return. There is a hierarchy which emerges in the Didache in that the prophets and teachers are to be respected and to receive the first fruits of all things and to be held as worthy to do so since the Didache specifically instructs the Christians that this is the correct way to conduct themselves. As to the primary focus of the Didache, there appear to be more than one overriding concern. First, the Didache is concerned with setting out principles for worship for new Christians in the earliest days of Christianity. Secondly, as noted in the work of Horner (1997) there does appear to be clear intent in the writings contained in the Didache, to set Christianity in terms of its beliefs and methods of worship apart from the faith of Judaism and its prescribed methods of worship. While the Didache clearly shows that the Jewish faith is a cornerstone in the formulation of Christian worship, as there is nothing previous other than the Jewish faith upon which to base Christian methods of worship, simultaneously early Christians appeared intent on separating and distinguishing themselves from those of the Jewish faith. However, from the view of this writer and the material examined in the present study, the primary focus of the Didache is preparation of the Christian for the imminent return of Jesus to claim his people.