Didascalia Apostolorum 4.5–5.6

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

That it ts not right to receive gifts of alms from reprehensible persons. Do you the bishops and the deacons be constant therefore in the ministry of the altar of Christ,—we mean the widows and the orphans,—so that with all care and with all diligence you make it your endeavour to search out concerning the things that are given, (and to learn) of what manner is the conversation of him, or of her, who gives for the nourishment—we say again—of ‘the altar’. For when widows are nourished from (the fruits of) righteous labour, they will offer a holy and acceptable ministry before Almighty God through His beloved Son and His holy Spirit: to whom be glory and honour for evermore. Make it your care and endeavour therefore to minister to widows out of the ministry of a clean conscience, that what they ask and request may be granted them at once upon their praying for it. But if there be bishops who are careless and give no heed to these matters, through respect of persons, or for the sake of filthy lucre, or because they neglect to make 2-4 Cf. Hermas Mand. ii 4-6, Didache i 5. 2-4 But he... is innocent] Cf. Herm. Mand. ii 6 6 d:d0vds adads eariv : and Didache i diols... yap 6 praised] Lani o struction. The writer insists on his identification of widows and orphans with the altar, and so explains how it is that he can speak of the nourishment’ of the altar. 16-18 through, etc.] dia rod vio) abro) "Incod Xpiorod rod kupiov Hav, de ob 1 dda TH Oe@ ev mvevpare kai dAnOeia inquiry; they shall render no ordinary account.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

For they receive, forsooth, to administer for the nourishment of orphans and widows, from rich persons who keep men shut up in prison, or ill-treat their slaves, or behave with cruelty in their cities, or oppress the poor ; or from the lewd, and those who abuse their bodies; or from evildoers; or from forgers ; or from dishonest advocates, or false accusers ; or from hypocritical lawyers; or from painters of pictures; or from makers of idols ; or from workers of gold and silver and bronze (who are) thieves ; or from dishonest tax-gatherers; or from spectators of shows; or from those who alter weights or measure deceitfully; or from inn-keepers who mingle water (with their wine) ; or from soldiers who act lawlessly ; or from murderers ; or from spies who procure condemnations ; or from any Roman officials, who are defiled with wars and have shed innocent blood without trial : perverters of judgement who, in order to rob them, deal unjustly and deceitfully with the peasantry and with all the poor; and from idolaters; or from the unclean; or from those who practise usury, and extortioners. Now they who nourish widows from these (sources) shall be found guilty in judgement in the day of the Lord ; for the Scripture has said: Better is a supper of herbs with love and amity than the slaughter of fatted oxen with hatred. For ifa widow be nourished with bread only from the labour of righteousness, it shall even be abundant for her; but if much be given her from (the proceeds) of iniquity it shall be insufficient for her. But again, if she be nourished from (the proceeds) of iniquity, she cannot offer her ministry and her intercession with purity before God ; and even though she be righteous and pray for the wicked, her intercession for them will not be heard, but that for herself alone; for God makes trial of the hearts in judgement, and receives intercessions with discernment. But if they pray for those who have sinned and repent, their prayers will be heard. But those who are in sin, and do not repent, not only are they not heard when they pray, but they even call to remembrance their transgressions before the Lord.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

Wherefore, O bishops, fly and avoid such ministra- tions ; for it is written: There shall not go up upon the altar of the Lord (that which cometh) of the price of a dog,or of the hire of a harlot. For if widows pray for fornicators and transgressors through your blindness, and be not heard, not receiving their requests, you will perforce bring blasphemy upon the word through your evil management, as though God were not good and ready to give. Take good heed therefore that you minister not to the altar of God out of the ministrations of transgression. For you have no pretext to say, ‘We do not know’ ; for you have heard that which the Scripture saith: Depart from an evil man, and thou shalt not fear; and trembling shall not come nigh unto thee. iv. 8] But if you say: ‘ These are they alone who give alms; and if we receive not of them, from whence shall the orphans and widows and those in distress be provided?’ God saith to you: ‘ To this end did you receive the gifts of the Levites, the firstfruits and offerings of your people, that you might be sustained and even have over and above, that you might not be constrained to receive from evil persons.’ But if the Churches are so poor that those in want must needs be supported by such, it were better for you rather to be wasted with famine than to receive from evil persons. Search out and make trial, therefore, that you may be receiving from the faithful, who communicate with the 13-14 be not heard, not receiving their requests] The sense suggests ‘ be not heard: whereas they do not receive’, etc., but the punctuation and Churches and conduct themselves well, (wherewithal) to nourish those in distress, and may not receive from those who are expelled from the Church until they are found worthy to be members of the Church. But if you are in want, tell the brethren, and let them treat together and give; and thus per- form your ministrations in righteousness.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

And teach your people and tell them that it is written: Honour the Lord with (the fruits of) righteous labour, and with the chiefest of all your increase. Wherefore, nourish and clothe those in want from the righteous labour of the faithful; and those things which are given by them, as we have already said, bestow for the ransom of the faithful ; and redeem slaves and captives and prisoners, and those who are treated with violence, and those condemned by the mob, and those sentenced to fight with beasts, or to the mines, or to exile, and those condemned to ;; the games. And let the deacons go in to those who are in distress, and let them visit each one and provide him with what he lacks.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

But if ever it should happen that you are constrained and receive unwillingly some pieces of money from any evil person, you shall not employ them for (the purchase of) food ; but if they be few, spend them on firewood for yourselves and for the widows, lest a widow, receiving of them, be forced to buy her some food with them. And so, unsullied by iniquity, the widows will pray and receive from God all good things for which they ask and make petition, all of them together and each one severally: and you also will not be reproached with these sins.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

And teach your children crafts that are agreeable and befitting to religion, lest through idleness they give themselves to wantonness, For if they are not corrected by their parents, they will do those things that are evil, like the heathen. Therefore spare not to rebuke and correct and teach them ; for you will not kill them by chastising them, but rather save them alive: as our Lord also teaches us in Wisdom, saying thus: Chasten thy son, that there may be hope Jor him: for thou shalt strike him with a rod, and deliver his soul from Sheol, And He saith again: Whosoever spareth his vod, hateth his son. Now our rod is the Word of God, Jesus Christ: even as Jeremiah also saw Him (as) an almond rod. Every man accordingly who spares to speak a word of rebuke to his son, hates his son. Therefore teach your sons the word of the Lord, and punish them with stripes, and bring them into subjection from their youth by your word of religion. And give them no liberty to set themselves up against you their parents; and let them do nothing without your counsel, lest they go with those of their own age and meet together and carouse ; for in this way they learn mischief, and are caught and fall into fornication. Now, whether this happen to them without their parents, their parents themselves will be accountable before God for the judgement of their souls; or whether again by your licence they are undisciplined and sin, you their parents will likewise be guilty on their account before God. Therefore be careful to take wives for them, and have them married when their time is come, lest in their early age by the ardour of youth they commit fornication like the heathen, and you have to render an account to the Lord God in the day of judgement.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

That it is a duty to take care of those who for the name of Christ suffer affliction as Martyrs. You shall not turn away your eyes from a Christian who for the name of God and for His faith and love is condemned to the games, or to the beasts, or to the mines; but of your labour and of the sweat of your face do you send to him for nourishment, and for a payment to the soldiers that guard him, that he may have relief and that care may be taken of him, so that your blessed brother be not utterly afflicted. For let him that is condemned for the name ofthe Lord God be esteemed of by you as a holy martyr, an angel of God, or God upon earth, even one that is spiritually clothed with the Holy Spirit of God ; for through him you see the Lord our Saviour, inasmuch as he has been found worthy of the incorruptible crown, and has renewed again the witness of (His) passion. To those therefore who are bearing witness it is the duty of all you the faithful to minister with care, and to refresh them out of your possessions through your bishop. But if there be a man who has nothing, let him fast, and that which would have been spent by him that day let him give for his brethren. But if thou art rich, thou must minister to them according to [9] ur thy power, or even give thy whole possession and redeem them from bonds; for they it is who are worthy of God, and the sons who perform His will; as the Lord has said: Every one that shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father. And you shall not be ashamed to go to them where they are imprisoned. And when you do these things, you shall inherit everlasting life, for you become sharers of their martyrdom. For let us learn how our Lord said in the Gospel: Come unto me, all ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom which was prepared for you from before the foundations of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; and I was thirsty, and ye gave me to drink; Iwasa stranger, and ye gathered me ; and I was naked, and ye covered me; I was sick, and ye visited me; and I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then will the righteous answer and say: Our Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and gave thee to eat? or thirsty, and gave thee to drink? or naked, and covered thee ? or sick, and did visit thee? or a stranger, and gathered thee? or in prison, and came unto thee? And he will answer and say to them: All that ye did to one of these little and mean ones, ye did it to me. And then skall they go into life everlasting.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

But if there be one who is called a Christian, and he fall away and be tempted by Satan, and be convicted of evil deeds and condemned for (his) deeds, whether of theft or murder: avoid such persons, lest any one of you be put on trial by those who seize him. For if one seize thee and question thee, and say to thee: ‘Art thou also a Christian, like this man?’ thou canst not deny that thou art a Christian, but must needs confess it. But thou wilt not be condemned as a Christian, but punished as a malefactor. For he asks thee whether thou art ‘like this man’: and thy confession is rendered void. But if thou deny, thou hast also denied the Lord. Therefore avoid them, that you may be without offence. But the faithful who are violently and unjustly seized and imprisoned as evildoers, or even bound, help (as) your members with abundant care and with much pains, that you may deliver them from the hand of evil men. But if any man come near to them and be seized with them, and for no offence suffer or affliction for his brother's sake, blessed is he in being called a Christian; for he has confessed the Lord, and he shall live before God. For if a man come near to those who are bound for the name of the Lord and be seized with them, he shall be blessed in being found worthy of such company.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

And those again who are persecuted for the faith and pass from city to city, according to the Lord's command, do you receive and refresh; and when you receive them, rejoice, for you are made sharers of their persecution. For our Lord ro spoke concerning them in the Gospel thus: Blessed are ye, when they shall persecute you and revile you for my names sake. For when a Christian is persecuted and bears witness and is slain for the faith, he becomes a man of God; and he is now no more persecuted by any man, for he has won him 17 not persecuted] H: S omits the negative: ody er save his life, by denying, shall lose it. For what shall a man be profited if he acquire the whole world, and forfeit his soul? or what shall he give in exchange for his soul? And again: Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear me rather, that am able to destroy soul and body in hell.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

Now every one who learns any craft watches his master and sees how by his skill and his knowledge he executes the work of his craft; and he himself copies him and executes the work which he has set him, that he rnay not be ill spoken of by him. But if he abate anything of the (tasks) set him, he is not perfect. We, then, who have our Lord for master and teacher, why do not we imitate His teaching and His conversation? For Heleft riches and favour, and power and glory, and came thus in poverty ; and moreover He parted with Mary His blessed mother, and with His brethren, and with His life itself, and endured persecution even unto the cross. And these things He endured for our sake, that He might redeem us, who are of the People, from the bonds of *the Second Legislation*, of which we have already spoken, and might redeem you also, who are of the Gentiles, from the worship of idols and from all ungodliness, and get you for an inheritance. If then He suffered thus for our sake, to redeem us who believe in Him, and was not ashamed, why do not we also imitate His sufferings, while He gives us endurance ?—and this for our own sake, fear me, etc.] A striking alteration of the Gospel words, due no doubt to - uo that we may be delivered from the death of fire. For He endured for our sake, but we for our own sake. Or has our Lord any need that we should suffer for Him? Rather it is this alone that He desires, to make proof of the love of our faith, and of our free will.

English translation by R. H. Connolly (1929); the original is not shown

Let us then part with our parents and our kinsfolk, and with all that is in this world, and even with our life. We must indeed pray that we come not into temptation ; yet if we be called to martyrdom, let us confess when we are ro interrogated, and when we suffer let us endure, and when we are afflicted let us rejoice, and when we are persecuted let us not grieve; for so doing, not only shall we deliver ourselves from hell, but we shall also teach those who are young in the faith, and the hearers, to do the like: and they shall live before God. But if we fail in faith towards the Lord, and deny through the infirmity of the body—as our Lord said : The spirit is willing and ready, but the body is weak—we shall not only destroy ourselves, but shall kill also our brethren with us. For when they see our denial, they will think that ao they have been made disciples of an erring doctrine; and when they stumble, we shall render an account for them as well as for ourselves, every one of us, to the Lord in the day of judgement. But if thou be taken and brought before the authority, and deny the hope that thou hast towards the Lord by thy holy faith, and thou be set at large to-day, but to-morrow fall sick of a fever and take to thy bed; or if thy stomach ail thee and retain no food, but vomit it out with grievous pains; or thou be afflicted with a disease of the belly, or with a disease in one of thy members; or thou bring up blood and bile from within thee by reason of dire disorders; or thou have an ulcer in one of thy members and be cut by the hands of physicians, and die in manifold afflictions and torments: what then will thy denial have availed thee which thou hast denied, Oman? For behold, thy soul has inherited pains and afflictions, and thou hast destroyed thy life for ever before God ; and thou shalt burn and be tormented without respite everlastingly: even as the Lord has said: Every one that loveth his life, shall lose it; and every one that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find tt. Now a Christian who denies, loves his life for a little while in this world, that he may not die for the name of the Lord God; but he has destroyed himself for ever in fire, for he has to fallen of himself into Gehenna. For Christ has denied him, as He said in the Gospel: Whosoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven; but those whom the Lord has denied they put forth and cast into the outer darkness: and there ts their weeping 13 and their gnashing of teeth. For He said: Every one that loveth his life more than me, is not worthy of me. Let us be earnest then to commit ourselves to the Lord God; and if any man be found worthy of martyrdom, let him accept of it with joy, seeing that he has been counted worthy of so great a crown, and that his departure from this world is by martyrdom. For the Lord our Saviour has said: There zs no disciple better than his master: but every one shall be perfected as his master. Now our Lord consented to all these His sufferings that He might save us; and He submitted to be beaten, and that men should blaspheme Him and spit in His face, and to drink vinegar and gall; and at last He endured even to be hanged upon the cross. Let us therefore, who are His disciples, be also His imitators. For if He bore and endured all things for us, even to the sufferings (of His passion), how much more ought we, for our own sakes, to be patient when we suffer? And we ought not to doubt; for so He has promised us, that if we should be burned with coals of fire, while we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in God His Father, the Lord God Almighty, and in His Holy Spirit, —to whom be glory and honour for evermore, Amen. —