Ethics

Christian conduct and moral teaching generally.

Passages that substantially address this topic, in date order.

• Didache 1.1Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · There are two ways, of life and of death.
• Didache 1.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · The way of life: love God and neighbor, and do not do to others what you would not want done to you.
• Didache 1.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Bless and pray for enemies, and love those who hate you.
• Didache 1.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Turn the other cheek, go the second mile, and do not demand back what is taken.
• Didache 1.5Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Give freely; those who receive without need will answer for it.
• Didache 1.6Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Give with care, knowing to whom you give.
• Didache 11.12Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Ignore a prophet who asks for money for himself.
• Didache 12.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Help travelers, but only for two or three days.
• Didache 12.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Settlers with a trade must work for their food.
• Didache 12.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Find work for settlers without a trade.
• Didache 12.5Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Those unwilling to work are exploiting Christ.
• Didache 13.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Without a prophet, give the firstfruits to the poor.
• Didache 13.7Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Give a firstfruit of money, clothing, and all possessions.
• Didache 14.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Be reconciled before joining the gathering.
• Didache 15.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Correct one another peacefully; shun the unrepentant.
• Didache 2.1Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · The second commandment begins.
• Didache 2.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Commandments against murder, adultery, abuse of boys, sexual immorality, theft, magic, abortion, and infanticide.
• Didache 2.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · No perjury, false witness, slander, or grudges.
• Didache 2.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Do not be double-minded or two-faced in speech.
• Didache 2.5Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Let your words be true and matched by deeds.
• Didache 2.6Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Do not be greedy, hypocritical, or arrogant, or plot against your neighbor.
• Didache 2.7Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Hate no one; reprove some, pray for others, and love some more than your own life.
• Didache 3.1Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Flee evil and all that resembles it.
• Didache 3.10Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Accept what happens as good, since nothing happens without God.
• Didache 3.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Anger and jealousy lead to murder.
• Didache 3.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Lust, foul talk, and roving eyes lead to sexual sin.
• Didache 3.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Omens, spells, astrology, and magical purifications lead to idolatry.
• Didache 3.5Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Lying and love of money lead to theft.
• Didache 3.6Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Grumbling leads to blasphemy.
• Didache 3.7Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Be meek, for the meek will inherit the earth.
• Didache 3.8Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Be patient, merciful, and gentle, and revere God's words.
• Didache 3.9Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Be humble and keep company with the humble.
• Didache 4.10Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Do not treat slaves harshly, since God is over both master and slave.
• Didache 4.11Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Slaves are to obey their masters with reverence.
• Didache 4.12Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Hate hypocrisy and all that displeases the Lord.
• Didache 4.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Seek the company of fellow believers daily.
• Didache 4.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Make peace and judge fairly.
• Didache 4.4Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Do not waver in doubt.
• Didache 4.5Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Do not be eager to take but slow to give.
• Didache 4.6Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Give from your earnings as a ransom for your sins.
• Didache 4.7Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Give without hesitation or grumbling; God will repay.
• Didache 4.8Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Share everything with fellow believers, as you share in immortal things.
• Didache 4.9Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Discipline your children and teach them the fear of God from youth.
• Didache 5.1Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · The way of death: a catalogue of sins.
• Didache 5.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Those on the way of death oppress the poor and kill children.
• Didache 6.2Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Bear the Lord's whole yoke if you can; otherwise do what you can.
• Didache 6.3Anonymous · ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) · Keep food rules as you can, but never eat food offered to idols.
• 1 Clement 13.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Be humble, boasting only in the Lord, and remember Jesus's teaching.
• 1 Clement 13.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Jesus's sayings on mercy, forgiveness, and judgment.
• 1 Clement 14.3Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Be kind, as God is kind.
• 1 Clement 16.17Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · If the Lord was so humble, how much more should we be.
• 1 Clement 19.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The humility of the saints has benefited every generation.
• 1 Clement 2.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The Corinthians were humble, generous, and attentive to Christ's words and sufferings.
• 1 Clement 2.5Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · They bore no grudges.
• 1 Clement 2.6Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · They hated division and shared one another's failings.
• 1 Clement 2.7Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · They were always ready to do good.
• 1 Clement 2.8Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · God's commandments were written on their hearts.
• 1 Clement 21.8Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Children should be raised in Christ's discipline.
• 1 Clement 3.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Pride bred jealousy, strife, and disorder.
• 1 Clement 3.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Jealousy, through which death entered the world, has driven out peace.
• 1 Clement 30.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · As God's holy portion, flee slander, impurity, drunkenness, rebellion, adultery, and pride.
• 1 Clement 30.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.
• 1 Clement 30.3Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Be humble and self-controlled, justified by deeds, not words.
• 1 Clement 30.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Much talk does not make one righteous.
• 1 Clement 30.5Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Do not use many words.
• 1 Clement 30.6Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Seek praise from God, not self.
• 1 Clement 30.7Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Let others testify to our good deeds.
• 1 Clement 30.8Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Arrogance marks the cursed; humility, the blessed.
• 1 Clement 33.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Faith is no excuse for idleness; hurry to do good.
• 1 Clement 33.7Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The righteous and God himself are adorned with good works.
• 1 Clement 33.8Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Do the work of righteousness with all your strength.
• 1 Clement 34.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The good worker has confidence before his employer.
• 1 Clement 34.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Be eager to do good.
• 1 Clement 34.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Do not be idle in good works.
• 1 Clement 35.5Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Keep your mind on God and cast away all sin.
• 1 Clement 35.6Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Those who do or approve of these sins are hateful to God.
• 1 Clement 35.8Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The hypocrite's sins.
• 1 Clement 38.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Strong and weak, rich and poor, wise and humble should serve one another without boasting.
• 1 Clement 4.7Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Jealousy led to fratricide.
• 1 Clement 48.6Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · —the greater one is, the humbler one should be.
• 1 Clement 49.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Love keeps Christ's commandments.
• 1 Clement 49.5Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · A hymn to love, which unites, forgives, and makes perfect.
• 1 Clement 53.5Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Moses's great love for his people.
• 1 Clement 55.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Pagan rulers gave their lives or went into exile for their people.
• 1 Clement 55.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Christians have given themselves up to free or feed others.
• 1 Clement 59.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Intercession for the afflicted, the sick, the hungry, and prisoners.
• 1 Clement 6.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Jealousy has destroyed cities and nations.
• 1 Clement 62.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Summary of the letter: faith, repentance, love, self-control, and concord.
• Epistle of Barnabas 10.4Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Birds of prey stand for people who live by robbing others.
• Epistle of Barnabas 10.6Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The hare stands for corrupters of boys.
• Epistle of Barnabas 10.7Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The hyena stands for adulterers and corrupters.
• Epistle of Barnabas 10.8Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The weasel stands for those who commit impure acts with the mouth.
• Epistle of Barnabas 18.1Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The Two Ways: light and darkness, with their angels.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.10Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Remember the judgment; seek the saints; work to save souls or give for your sins.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.11Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Give without grumbling; keep the teaching unaltered; judge justly.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.12Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Make peace, confess sins, and pray with a clean conscience.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.2Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Love, fear, and glorify God; hate hypocrisy.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.3Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Be humble; plot no evil against a neighbor.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.4Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · No sexual immorality, adultery, or abuse of boys; be gentle and forgiving.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.5Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Love your neighbor; do not kill a child by abortion or after birth; teach children to fear God.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.6Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Do not covet; keep company with the humble; accept what comes as from God.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.7Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Slaves respect masters; masters must not treat slaves harshly.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.8Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Share everything; guard the tongue; keep pure.
• Epistle of Barnabas 19.9Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Be generous; cherish those who teach you God's word.
• Epistle of Barnabas 2.2Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Faith's helpers: fear, endurance, patience, self-control.
• Epistle of Barnabas 20.1Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The way of darkness: a list of vices leading to eternal death.
• Epistle of Barnabas 20.2Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Those on the way of darkness oppress the poor and kill children.
• Epistle of Barnabas 21.2Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · An appeal to the well-off to do good to those among them.
• Epistle of Barnabas 3.3Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · The true fast: justice, freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry.
• Epistle of Barnabas 3.5Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · God will answer those who show mercy.
• Epistle of Barnabas 4.10Anonymous · ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) · Do not live in isolation; gather and seek the common good.
• 2 Clement 10.1Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Pursue virtue and flee vice and ungodliness.
• 2 Clement 11.1Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Serve God with a pure heart and trust his promise.
• 2 Clement 12.5Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · “Neither male nor female”: brothers and sisters without lustful thoughts.
• 2 Clement 13.1Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Repent, and live so that outsiders do not blaspheme God's name.
• 2 Clement 13.4Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Outsiders laugh when Christians fail to love even their friends.
• 2 Clement 14.3Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Keep the flesh pure, the copy, to share in the Spirit, the original.
• 2 Clement 15.1Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Following this counsel on self-control saves both hearer and preacher.
• 2 Clement 16.2Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Master evil desires, and share in the mercy of Jesus.
• 2 Clement 16.4Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Almsgiving, fasting, prayer, and love: almsgiving lightens sin.
• 2 Clement 17.2Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Help the weak and admonish one another so that all are saved.
• 2 Clement 18.2Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · The preacher confesses he is a sinner still striving for righteousness.
• 2 Clement 3.4Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · We confess Christ by obeying him wholeheartedly.
• 2 Clement 4.3Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Confess Christ by works of love, purity, and generosity.
• 2 Clement 5.6Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Live holy lives and do not desire worldly things.
• 2 Clement 6.1Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · No one can serve God and money.
• 2 Clement 6.4Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · This age urges vice; the coming age renounces it.
• 2 Clement 6.9Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · If even the righteous cannot save others, we must keep our baptism pure.
• 2 Clement 8.4Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Do God's will, keep the flesh pure, and receive eternal life.
• 2 Clement 8.6Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Keep the flesh pure and the seal of baptism unstained.
• 2 Clement 9.3Anonymous · ca. 100–150 · Guard the flesh as God's temple.
• To the Ephesians 10.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Answer hostility with gentleness, humility, and prayer.
• To the Ephesians 10.3Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Imitate the Lord, who suffered wrong more than anyone, and remain pure.
• To the Ephesians 14.1Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Faith is the beginning of life and love its goal; together they are of God.
• To the Ephesians 14.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Christians are known by their deeds, not their words.
• To the Ephesians 16.1Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Those who destroy households will not inherit God's kingdom.
• To the Ephesians 8.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Because they act in Christ, even the Ephesians' bodily actions are spiritual.
• To Polycarp 4.1Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · The bishop must care for widows and oversee everything in the church.
• To Polycarp 4.3Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Slaves and masters should both avoid pride; slaves should seek God's freedom rather than church-funded release.
• To Polycarp 6.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Christians are soldiers of God, armed with baptism, faith, love, and endurance, and rewarded for their works.
• To the Smyrnaeans 6.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · The false teachers show no love or care for those in need.
• To the Trallians 8.2Ignatius of Antioch · ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) · Avoid quarrels that give outsiders reason to blaspheme God's name.
• To the Philippians 10.1Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Stand firm and follow the Lord's example, loving one another and despising no one.
• To the Philippians 10.2Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Do good without delay, since almsgiving delivers from death, and live blamelessly so that the Lord is not blasphemed.
• To the Philippians 10.3Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Woe to anyone who brings the Lord's name into contempt; teach and practice sober living.
• To the Philippians 11.1Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Polycarp grieves over Valens, a presbyter at Philippi who misused his office, and warns the church against greed.
• To the Philippians 11.2Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · A leader who cannot control his own greed cannot teach others, for greed is idolatry and the saints will judge the world.
• To the Philippians 12.1Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Polycarp trusts the Philippians' knowledge of Scripture and reminds them to be angry without sinning and not to let the sun go down on their anger.
• To the Philippians 2.2Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · God will raise us as he raised Christ if we do his will, love what he loved, and refuse to repay evil for evil.
• To the Philippians 2.3Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Polycarp quotes Jesus's teaching on not judging, on forgiving, and on the blessedness of the poor and the persecuted.
• To the Philippians 3.3Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Faith is the mother of us all, followed by hope and led by love, and whoever loves has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness.
• To the Philippians 4.1Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Love of money is the root of every trouble, so believers should arm themselves with righteousness and first learn to keep the Lord's commandment themselves.
• To the Philippians 4.2Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Wives are to be taught to live in faith, love, and purity, to cherish their husbands, and to raise their children in the fear of God.
• To the Philippians 4.3Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Widows are to pray constantly and avoid slander and greed, knowing that they are God's altar and that God sees every secret thought.
• To the Philippians 5.1Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Because God is not mocked, believers must live worthily of his commandment.
• To the Philippians 5.3Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Young men must live pure lives, because the sexually immoral will not inherit God's kingdom, and they must be subject to the presbyters and deacons; the virgins must keep a pure conscience.
• To the Philippians 6.2Polycarp of Smyrna · ca. 110–135 · Those who ask forgiveness must forgive, since all will stand before Christ's judgment seat.
• To Diognetus 10.4Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · Loving God, one becomes an imitator of his kindness.
• To Diognetus 10.5Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · Imitating God is not domination or wealth.
• To Diognetus 10.6Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · Whoever carries others' burdens and gives to the needy imitates God.
• To Diognetus 5.10Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · They obey the laws and live above them.
• To Diognetus 5.6Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · They marry and have children, but do not abandon infants.
• To Diognetus 5.7Anonymous · ca. 150–200 (disputed) · They share meals, but not beds.
• Martyrdom of Polycarp 10.2Anonymous · ca. 156–160 · Polycarp was willing to explain himself to the governing authority, but not to the mob.