Didache

The Teaching of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles.

There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.

Now the way of life is this: first, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbor as yourself; and whatever you would not want to happen to you, do not do to another either.

And the teaching of these words is this: bless those who curse you and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what credit is it if you love those who love you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But love those who hate you, and you will not have an enemy.

Abstain from fleshly and bodily desires. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well, and you will be perfect. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. If someone takes your cloak, give him your tunic as well. If someone takes from you what is yours, do not demand it back; for you cannot.

Give to everyone who asks you, and do not demand it back; for the Father wants to give to everyone from his own gifts. Blessed is the one who gives according to the commandment, for he is guiltless. Woe to the one who receives: if someone receives because he is in need, he will be guiltless; but the one who is not in need will give account of why he received and for what purpose. Held in custody, he will be questioned about what he did, and he will not come out from there until he has paid back the last penny.

But concerning this it has also been said: “Let your alms sweat in your hands until you know to whom to give.”

The second commandment of the teaching:

You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt boys; you shall not commit sexual immorality; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shall not use sorcery; you shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill one that has been born; you shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

You shall not swear falsely; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not speak evil; you shall not bear grudges.

You shall not be double-minded or double-tongued, for double-tonguedness is a snare of death.

Your word shall not be false or empty, but fulfilled in action.

You shall not be greedy or grasping or a hypocrite or malicious or arrogant. You shall not plot evil against your neighbor.

You shall not hate anyone; but some you shall reprove, and for some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life.

My child, flee from every evil and from everything like it.

Do not be prone to anger, for anger leads to murder; nor jealous nor quarrelsome nor hot-tempered, for from all these, murders are born.

My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to sexual immorality; nor foul-mouthed nor one whose eyes roam, for from all these, adulteries are born.

My child, do not be an interpreter of omens, since it leads to idolatry; nor an enchanter nor an astrologer nor one who performs purifications; do not even wish to look at these things, for from all these, idolatry is born.

My child, do not be a liar, since lying leads to theft; nor a lover of money nor vain, for from all these, thefts are born.

My child, do not be a grumbler, since it leads to blasphemy; nor self-willed nor evil-minded, for from all these, blasphemies are born.

But be meek, since “the meek will inherit the earth.”

Be patient and merciful and innocent and quiet and good, and always tremble at the words you have heard.

You shall not exalt yourself, nor give your soul boldness. Your soul shall not join itself to the lofty, but you shall live with the righteous and the humble.

Accept the things that happen to you as good, knowing that apart from God nothing happens.

My child, you shall remember night and day the one who speaks the word of God to you, and you shall honor him as the Lord; for where the Lord's lordship is spoken of, there the Lord is.

And you shall seek out every day the company of the saints, so that you may find rest in their words.

You shall not desire division, but you shall make peace between those who are fighting. You shall judge justly; you shall not show partiality in reproving transgressions.

You shall not be double-minded about whether it will be or not.

Do not be one who stretches out his hands to receive but draws them back when it comes to giving.

If you have anything through the work of your hands, you shall give a ransom for your sins.

You shall not hesitate to give, nor grumble when you give; for you will know who is the good paymaster of the reward.

You shall not turn away the needy, but you shall share all things with your brother and not say that they are your own. For if you are sharers in what is immortal, how much more in what is mortal?

You shall not withhold your hand from your son or your daughter, but from their youth you shall teach them the fear of God.

You shall not give orders in bitterness to your male or female slave, who hope in the same God, lest they cease to fear the God who is over you both; for he does not come to call people according to their standing, but those whom the Spirit has prepared.

And you slaves shall be subject to your masters as to a representation of God, in reverence and fear.

You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord.

You shall not forsake the commandments of the Lord, but you shall keep what you have received, neither adding nor taking away.

In the assembly you shall confess your transgressions, and you shall not come to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life.

But the way of death is this: first of all, it is evil and full of curse: murders, adulteries, lusts, sexual immoralities, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, sorceries, robberies, false testimonies, hypocrisies, duplicity, deceit, arrogance, malice, self-will, greed, foul speech, jealousy, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulness;

persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of falsehood, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not holding fast to what is good or to just judgment, watchful not for what is good but for what is evil; far from them are meekness and patience; loving vanities, pursuing reward, having no pity for the poor, not toiling for the oppressed, not knowing the one who made them, murderers of children, destroyers of God's handiwork, turning away the needy, oppressing the afflicted, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, utterly sinful. May you be delivered, children, from all these.

See that no one leads you astray from this way of the teaching, since he teaches you apart from God.

For if you are able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you are not able, do what you can.

And concerning food, bear what you are able; but keep strictly away from food offered to idols, for it is worship of dead gods.

Concerning baptism, baptize in this way: having first said all these things, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living water.

If you do not have living water, baptize in other water; and if you cannot in cold, then in warm.

If you have neither, pour water on the head three times in the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Before the baptism, let the one who baptizes and the one being baptized fast, and any others who can; and you shall instruct the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.

Do not let your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week, but you are to fast on the fourth day and on the day of Preparation.

Nor pray as the hypocrites do, but as the Lord commanded in his gospel, pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, as in heaven so also on earth. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debt, as we also forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the power and the glory forever.”

Pray like this three times a day.

Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks in this way.

First, concerning the cup: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your Servant. To you be the glory forever.”

And concerning the broken bread: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge that you made known to us through Jesus your Servant. To you be the glory forever.”

“As this broken bread was scattered over the mountains and, when brought together, became one, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.”

Let no one eat or drink from your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs.”

And after you have been filled, give thanks in this way:

“We give you thanks, holy Father, for your holy name, which you have made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality that you made known to us through Jesus your Servant. To you be the glory forever.

You, almighty Master, created all things for your name's sake, and gave food and drink to human beings to enjoy, so that they might give you thanks; but to us you have graciously given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your Servant.

Above all we give you thanks because you are mighty. To you be the glory forever.

Remember, Lord, your church, to deliver it from every evil and to make it perfect in your love; and gather it, made holy, from the four winds into your kingdom, which you have prepared for it. For yours is the power and the glory forever.

Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.”

But allow the prophets to give thanks as much as they wish.

Whoever, then, comes and teaches you all these things that have been said above, receive him.

But if the teacher himself turns and teaches another teaching so as to destroy these things, do not listen to him; but if he teaches so as to increase righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.

Concerning the apostles and prophets, act according to the decree of the gospel, as follows.

Let every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord.

But he shall not stay more than one day, and if there is need, a second as well; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet.

And when the apostle leaves, let him take nothing but bread until he finds his next lodging; but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.

And you shall not test or judge any prophet who speaks in the Spirit; for every sin will be forgiven, but this sin will not be forgiven.

But not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, only one who has the ways of the Lord. So by their ways the false prophet and the prophet will be known.

And no prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit shall eat from it; if he does, he is a false prophet.

Every prophet who teaches the truth, if he does not do what he teaches, is a false prophet.

Every prophet who has been proved genuine, who acts for the earthly mystery of the church but does not teach others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged by you; for his judgment is with God. For the ancient prophets also did the same.

But whoever says in the Spirit, “Give me money,” or anything else, you shall not listen to him; but if he tells you to give for others who are in need, let no one judge him.

Let everyone who comes in the name of the Lord be received; and then, when you have tested him, you will know him, for you will have understanding of right and left.

If the one who comes is a traveler, help him as much as you can; but he shall not stay with you more than two or three days, if necessary.

But if he wishes to settle among you and is a craftsman, let him work and eat.

But if he has no craft, use your understanding to provide that no Christian lives among you idle.

But if he is not willing to do this, he is making a trade of Christ; beware of such people.

But every genuine prophet who wishes to settle among you is worthy of his food.

Likewise a genuine teacher is himself worthy, like the worker, of his food.

So you shall take every firstfruit of the produce of winepress and threshing floor, of cattle and of sheep, and give the firstfruit to the prophets; for they are your high priests.

But if you have no prophet, give to the poor.

If you make bread, take the firstfruit and give according to the commandment.

Likewise when you open a jar of wine or oil, take the firstfruit and give it to the prophets.

And of money and clothing and every possession, take the firstfruit as seems good to you, and give according to the commandment.

On the Lord's own day, gather together, break bread and give thanks, having first confessed your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure.

Let no one who has a quarrel with his companion join you until they are reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be defiled.

For this is what was spoken by the Lord: “In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.”

Appoint, then, for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are gentle and not lovers of money, truthful and proven; for they too perform for you the ministry of the prophets and teachers.

So do not look down on them; for they are your honored ones, together with the prophets and teachers.

Reprove one another, not in anger but in peace, as you have it in the gospel; and let no one speak to anyone who has wronged another, nor let him hear anything from you, until he repents.

And your prayers and your almsgiving and all your deeds, do them as you have it in the gospel of our Lord.

Keep watch over your life. Let your lamps not go out, and let your loins not be ungirded, but be ready; for you do not know the hour in which our Lord is coming.

Gather together frequently, seeking what is fitting for your souls; for the whole time of your faith will not profit you unless you are made perfect in the last time.

For in the last days the false prophets and the corrupters will be multiplied, and the sheep will be turned into wolves, and love will be turned into hate.

For as lawlessness increases, they will hate one another and persecute and betray; and then the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God, and will do signs and wonders, and the earth will be delivered into his hands, and he will commit lawless deeds such as have never been done since time began.

Then the human creation will come into the fire of testing, and many will fall away and perish; but those who endure in their faith will be saved by the curse itself.

And then the signs of the truth will appear: first the sign of an opening in heaven, then the sign of the sound of a trumpet, and third the resurrection of the dead;

yet not of all, but as it was said, “The Lord will come, and all his holy ones with him.”

Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.