Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
10
Welcome whatever happens to you
ing from both sides of your mouth is a
as good, knowing that nothing occurs
deadly trap.
apart from God.
5
Your word must not be empty or
false.
My child, night and day remember
4
6
Do not be greedy, rapacious, hypothe one who speaks the word of critical, spiteful, or haughty. Do not en
God to you; honor him as the Lord. For
tertain a wicked plot against your
where his lordship is discussed, there the
neighbor.
Lord himself is.
7
Do not hate anyone—but reprove
2
Every day seek out the company of
some, pray for others, and love still others
the saints, that you may find comfort in
more than yourself.
their words.
3
Do not create a schism, but bring
My child, flee from all evil and
3
peace to those who are at odds. Give a
everything like it.
fair judgment; do not show favoritism
2
Do not be prone to anger, for anger
when you reproach others for their unleads to murder; nor be zealous, contenlawful acts.
tious, or irascible. For from all these are
4
Do not be of two minds, whether this
born acts of murder.
should happen or not.
3
My child, do not be filled with pas
5
Do not be one who reaches out your
sion, for passion leads to sexual immorhands to receive but draws them back ality; nor be foulmouthed or lecherous.
from giving.
For from all these are born acts of
6
If you acquire something with your
adultery.
hands, give it as a ransom for your sins.
4
My child, do not practice divination,c
7
Do not doubt whether to give, nor
since this leads to idolatry; nor use ingrumble while giving. For you should cantations or astrology or rites of purifirecognize the good paymaster of the cation, nor even wish to see or hear these
reward.
things. For from all these is born idolatry.
8
Do not shun a person in need, but
5
My child, do not be a liar, since lying
share all things with your brother and do
leads to robbery; nor be fond of money
not say that anything is your own.14 For
or vain. For from all these are born acts
of robbery.
6
My child, do not be a complainer,
since this leads to blasphemy; nor be
ci.e., through observing the flight of birds
insolent or evil-minded. For from all
these are born blasphemies.
13Matt 5:5; Ps 37:11. 14Acts 4:32.
214
NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS
if you are partners in what is immortal,
has fashioned, who turn their backs on
how much more in what is mortal?
the needy, oppress the afflicted, and
9
Do not remove your hand fromd your
support the wealthy. They are lawless
son or daughter, but from their youth
judges of the impoverished, altogether
teach them the reverential fear of God.
sinful. Be delivered, children, from all
10
Do not give orders to your male
such people.
slave or female servant—who hope in the
same God—out of bitterness, lest they
Take care that no one lead you
6
stop fearing the God who is over you
astray from the path of this teachboth. For he does not come to call those ing, since that one teaches you apart from
of high status, but those whom the Spirit
God.
has prepared.
2
For if you can bear the entire yoke
11
And you who are slaves must be
of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if
subject to your masters as to a replica of
you cannot, do as much as you can.
God, with respect and referential fear.
3
And concerning food, bear what you
12
Hate all hypocrisy and everything
can. But especially abstain from food
that is not pleasing to the Lord.
sacrificed to idols; for this is a ministry
13
Do not abandon the commandments
to dead gods.
of the Lord, but guard what you have
received, neither adding to them nor tak7
ing away.15
But with respect to baptism, baptize as follows. Having said all
14
Confess your unlawful acts in
these things in advance, baptize in the
church, and do not come to your prayer
name of the Father and of the Son and of
with an evil conscience. This is the path
the Holy Spirit,16 in running water.
of life.
2
But if you do not have running water,
baptize in some other water. And if you
5 And the path of death is this. First cannot baptize in cold water, use warm.
of all it is evil and filled with a
3
But if you have neither, pour water
curse: murders, adulteries, passions, sexon the head three times in the name of ual immoralities, robberies, idolatries,
Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
feats of magic, sorceries, rapacious acts,
4
But both the one baptizing and the
false testimonies, hypocrisies, split affecone being baptized should fast before the tion, deceit, arrogance, malice, insolence,
baptism, along with some others if they
greed, obscenity, jealousy, impertinence,
can. But command the one being bappride, haughtiness, irreverence.
tized to fast one or two days in advance.
2
It is filled with persecutors of the
good, haters of the truth, lovers of the lie,
8
who do not know the reward of right
And do not keep your fasts with
the hypocrites.17 For they fast on
eousness, nor cling to the good nor to a
Monday and Thursday; but you should
fair judgment, who are alert not to do
fast on Wednesday and Friday.
good but to do evil; from whom meek
2
Nor should you pray like the hyponess and patience are far removed. For they love what is vain and pursue a reward, showing no mercy to the poor nor dOr:
Do
not
refrain
from
disciplining;
or
Do
not
shirk
toiling for the oppressed nor knowing
your
responsibility
toward
the one who made them; murderers of
children and corruptors of what God
15Deut 4:2; 12:32. 16Matt 28:19. 17Cf. Matt 6:16.
THE DIDACHE
215
crites,18 but as the Lord commanded in
3
You, O Master Almighty, created all
his gospel, you should pray as follows:
things for the sake of your name, and
“Our Father in heaven, may your name
gave both food and drink to humans for
be kept holy, may your kingdom come,
their refreshment, that they might give
may your will be done on earth as in
you thanks. And you graciously provided
heaven. Give us today our daily bread.e
us with spiritual food and drink, and eter
And forgive us our debt, as we forgive
nal life through your child.
our debtors. And do not bring us into
4
Above all we thank you because you
temptation but deliver us from the evil
are powerful. To you be the glory forever.
one. For the power and the glory are
5
Remember your church, O Lord;
yours forever.”19
save it from all evil, and perfect it in your
3
Pray like this three times a day.
love. And gather it from the four winds
into your kingdom, which you prepared
9 And with respect to the thanksgiv for it. For yours is the power and the ing meal,f you shall give thanks as
glory forever.
follows.
6
May grace come and this world pass
2
First, with respect to the cup: “We
away. Hosanna to the God of David. If
give you thanks, our Father, for the holy
anyone is holy, let him come; if any one
vine of David, your child, which you
is not, let him repent. Maranatha!21
made known to us through Jesus your
Amen.”
child. To you be the glory forever.”
7
But permit the prophets to give
3
And with respect to the fragment of
thanksh as often as they wish.i
bread: “We give you thanks, our Father,
for the life and knowledge that you made
And so, welcome anyone who
11
known to us through Jesus your child. To
comes and teaches you everyyou be the glory forever.
thing mentioned above.
4
As this fragment of bread was scat
2
But if the teacher should himself turn
tered upon the mountains and was gathaway and teach something different, unered to become one, so may your church dermining these things, do not listen to
be gathered together from the ends of the
him. But if his teaching brings righteousearth into your kingdom. For the glory ness and the knowledge of the Lord, then
and the power are yours through Jesus
welcome him as the Lord.
Christ forever.”
3
But act towards the apostles and
5
But let no one eat or drink from your
prophets as the gospel decrees.
thanksgiving mealg unless they have been
4
Let every apostle who comes to you
baptized in the name of the Lord. For
be welcomed as the Lord.
also the Lord has said about this, “Do not
give what is holy to the dogs.”20
e
And when you have had
10
Or:
the
bread
that
we
need;
or:
our
bread
for
tomorrow
fLiterally:
eucharist
gLiterally:
eucharist
hOr: enough to eat, you should give
hold
the
eucharist
iTwo important witnesses add a thanks as follows: “We give you thanks,
verse (with variations);
But
concerning
the
matter
of
the
ointment,
give
thanks
as
follows,
saying,
“We
give
holy Father, for your holy name which
you
thanks,
O
Father,
for
the
ointment
you
have
made
you have made reside in our hearts, and
known
to
us
through
Jesus
your
child.
To
you
be
the
glory
forever,
Amen.”
for the knowledge, faith, and immortality
that you made known to us through Jesus
18Cf Matt 6:5. 19Matt 6:9–13. 20Matt 7:6. 21Cf. 1
your child. To you be the glory forever.
Cor 16:22.
216
NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS
5
But he should not remain more than
4
If he does not have a trade—use your
a day. If he must, he may stay one more.
foresight to determine how he as a Chris
But if he stays three days, he is a false
tian may live among you without being
prophet.
idle.j
6
When an apostle leaves he should
5
If he does not want to behave like
take nothing except bread, until he arthis, he is a Christmonger. Avoid such rives at his night’s lodging. If he asks for
people.
money, he is a false prophet.
7
Do not test or condemn a prophet
13
speaking in the Spirit. For every sin will
Every true prophet who wants
to settle down with you debe forgiven, but not this sin.22
serves his food.
8
Not everyone who speaks in the
2
So too a true teacher, like the worker,
Spirit is a prophet, but only one who
deserves his food.23
conducts himself like the Lord. Thus the
3
Therefore you shall take every first
false prophet and the prophet will both
portion of the produce from the wine vat
be known by their conduct.
and the threshing floor, and the first por
9
No prophet who orders a meal in the
tion of both cattle and sheep, and give it
Spirit eats of it; if he does, he is a false
to the prophets. For they are your high
prophet.
priests.
10
Every prophet who teaches the truth
4
If you do not have a prophet, then
but does not do what he himself teaches
give it to the poor.