The Didache

<p>The Didache was possibly written around 65 - 80 A.D. and is supposed to be what the twelve apostles taught to the Gentiles concerning life and death church order fasting baptism prayer etc.  There is debate as to its authenticity.</p><p>In the Babel of conflicting opinions it is best to notice first the obvious internal phenomena. The first part of the Teaching (now distinguished as chaps. i.-vi.) sets forth the duty of the Christian; in chaps. vii.-x. xiv. we find a directory for worship; chaps. xi.-xiii. xv. give advice respecting church officers extraordinary and local and the reception of Christians; the closing chapter (xvi.) enjoins watchfulness in view of the coming of Christ which is then described.</p><p>The most striking internal phenomena are however the correspondences of this document with early Christian writings from a.d. 125 to the fourth century. With the so-called Epistle to Barnabas chaps. xviii.-xx. the resemblances are so marked as to demand a critical theory which can account for them.</p>