The Didache: The First Catechism

Fr. Dale Matson
06-17-2011

The Didache (Training) was written in the early first century, may have existed earlier as oral tradition and the author is unknown. The Didache was well known to the early fathers and accepted by some as Apocrypha but not as part of the New Testament canon. It is older than the canonical Gospels and developed independently from them.

“This Didache reveals more about how Christians saw themselves and how they lived their everyday lives than any book in the Christian Scriptures.” (A. Milavec, “The Didache”, ix, 2003).

The Didache is divided into five sections with almost half in section one (1) which deals with the “way of life”. The focus of the Didache was on Christian formation in a pagan world. Thus there is less emphasis on doctrine (which was still developing) and more on reformation of conduct. My intention is to briefly cover some of the main points of sections one 1:1-6:2) and two (6:3-11-2). This is approximately the first two thirds of the total content.

1:1 “There are two ways: one of life and one of death!” Thus begins the Didache which sounds a lot like the following from Deuteronomy, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (30:19).

The way of life is defined as loving God and loving neighbor and the golden rule stated in the negative. This is also followed by a brief narrative possibly taken from portions of the Sermon on the Mount. The second rule deals with the commandments and adds six more. This is probably because many of the new converts were pagans not Jews.

1. You will not practice magic.
2. You will not be involved in potions (drugs).
3. You will not murder offspring by means of abortion.
4. You will not kill infants.
5. You will not corrupt boys.
6. You will not have illicit sex.

In addition there were rules for changing speech, attitude and cautions for vigilance that specific minor sins could lead to greater sins. All of this was guided by a spiritual mentor. The final admonition was a “warning against Innovators” (Ibid. p.61). There was also an opportunity for Reconciliation and this may have been a prototype of the Sacrament of Penance.

Section two deals with The Lord’s Prayer which should be prayed three times a day and was possibly used as template much like we have for our prayers of the people. Fasting was encouraged and a preference for “flowing water” baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Those who were not baptized were not allowed to participate in the Eucharist.

The Eucharist was celebrated with the bread and wine being consecrated by the celebrant and following the prayers of the celebrant, the itinerant “Prophets” would offer prayers as led by the Spirit for as long as the Spirit gave them utterance. Some of the comments about prophets indicate that they were not always trustworthy. It is possible that this eventually became the Preaching.

Much of Catechesis today focuses on learning the doctrines of the Church which continued to develop toward and find agreement in the ecumenical Church Councils that also determined the canon of Scripture. As the West becomes increasingly pagan and less Christian, we may find that the conduct trained into converts in the Didache, may need to be combined with the Orthodox doctrine of the church during Catechesis. The commandments of the Didache are a stunning reminder of the extent to which the pagan world has found its way into the contemporary church. Amen