The Didache is one of the most ancient Christian documents we have.
It is brimming with powerful 1st century thought and Christian teaching.
So today more quotes from the Didache.
The series on the Didache, the early church owner’s manual, began here.
And it’s part of a larger series on the Apostolic Fathers, which began here.
♥✞ღ Every true prophet who wants to live among you is worthy of support.
So also a true teacher is himself as worthy as the workman, of his support.
♥✞ღ Every Lord’s day gather yourselves together and break bread,
and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions,
so that your sacrifice may be pure.
♥✞ღ Reprove one another, not in anger, but in peace, as you have it in the Gospel.
♥✞ღ It is fitting that you should think of Jesus Christ as God;
as the Judge of the living and the dead…
for if we think little of Him,
we shall also hope but to obtain little [from Him].
♥✞ღ He called us when we were not,
and willed that out of nothing,
we should attain a real existence.
♥✞ღ It is indeed a great and noble thing.
to rebuild not the things which are standing,
but those that are falling.
♥✞ღ He himself declares, “Whosoever shall confess me before others, that person I will confess before my Father.”…But in what way shall we confess Him? By doing what He says, and not transgressing His commandments, and by honoring Him not with our lips only, but with all our heart and all our mind.
♥✞ღ Let us, then, not only call Him Lord, for that will not save us.
For He says,
“Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall be saved,
but only those whose works are righteous.”
So, brothers and sisters, let us confess Him by our works, by loving one another…
♥✞ღ Consider, brothers and sisters,
that the sojourning in the flesh in this world is but brief and transient,
but the promise of Christ is great and wonderful,
most especially the rest of the kingdom to come, and life everlasting.
By what course of conduct, then, shall we attain these things,
other than by leading a holy and righteous life,
and by deeming these worldly things as not belonging to us,
and not fixing our desires upon them?
For if we desire to possess them,
we fall away from the path of righteousness.
* all due respect to Martin Luther, and I am a Protestant, but the earliest writings we have (James – and this Didache for instance) all hammer home the point that faith without works is dead – just sayin’*
And there is more.
Please come back.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Craig, these are very powerful statements. We need to take them seriously. Cheap grace is rampant these days, it seems to me.
in all of this time blogging, A, it seems I have learned one thing – well actually more – but this one sticks – “the quest for perfection and grace for the quest”. “Believing” is not just acknowledging God – or acknowledging his sacrifice – believing is two things – accepting the sacrifice – then laying our life down AS a sacrifice. Pretty simple gospel – it’s nice to know it was that way at the beginning – I like knowing what it was like in the beginning. God bless you A!
I hear the voice of St. Paul in these words today, as well as those of St. James. Wow! Amazing, powerful, full of grace . . .
Can’t wait for more!
Blessings, Craig!
in studying the book of James, while I was translating it, I read one commentary that said something really interesting – something to the effect of Paul and James were at crossed swords – but not against each other – but back to back. Both had important parts of the gospel that they are known for – but their ere gospel is the same – accept the sacrifice – and become a living sacrifice. I love the simple gospel. Thank you Martha, and God bless and keep you.
“Become a living sacrifice . . .” Yes! That’s what all of us must strive to be in our Christian walk.
God bless, dear Craig!
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