Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (56 page)

is a false prophet.

5
If you make bread, take the first por

11
You are not to condemn any prophet

tion and give it according to the

who has been approved and is true, and

commandment.

who acts on behalf of the earthly mystery

6
So too if you open a jar of wine or

of the church, even if he does not teach

oil, take the first portion of it and give it

others to do what he himself does, since

to the prophets.

he has his judgment with God. For even

7
And take the first portion of your

the ancient prophets behaved in this way.

money, clothing, and everything you

12
Do not listen to anyone who says

own, as it seems good to you, and give it

in the Spirit, “Give me money” (or someaccording to the commandment.

thing else). But if he tells you to give to

others who are in need, let no one judge

14

him.

On the Lord’s own day, when

you gather together, break

bread and give thanksk after you have

12 Everyone who comes in the confessed your unlawful deeds, that your name of the Lord should be

sacrifice may be pure.

welcomed. Then, when you exercise your

2
Let no one quarreling with his neighcritical judgment, you will know him; for bor join you until they are reconciled,

you understand what is true and what is

that your sacrifice may not be defiled.24

false.

3
For this is the sacrifice mentioned by

2
If the one who comes is simply passing through, help him as much as you can. He should not stay with you more

jOr:
through
your
understanding
you
should
know
in
advance
that
no
idle
Christian
is
to
live
among
you
than two or three days, if need be.

kOr:
celebrate
the
eucharist

3
If he wants to remain with you, and

is a tradesman, let him work and eat.

22Cf. Matt 12:31. 23Matt 10:10. 24Cf. Matt 5:23–24.

THE DIDACHE

217

the Lord: “In every place and time, bring

3
For in the final days the false prophme a pure sacrifice. For I am a great King, ets and corruptors of the faith will be

says the Lord, and my name is considered

multiplied. The sheep will be turned into

marvelous among the Gentilesl.”25

wolves, and love into hatred.

4
For when lawlessness increases they

And so, elect for yourselves

15

will hate, persecute, and betray one an-

bishops and deacons who are

other.27 Then the world-deceiver will be

worthy of the Lord, gentle men who are

manifest as a son of God. He will perform

not fond of money, who are true and

signs and wonders,28 and the earth will

approved. For these also conduct the minbe delivered over into his hands. He will istry of the prophets and teachers among

perform lawless deeds, unlike anything

you.

done from eternity.

2
And so, do not disregard them. For

5
Then all human creation will come

these are the ones who have found honor

to the fire of testing, and many will fall

among you, along with the prophets and

away and perish, but those who endure

teachers.

in their faith will be saved29 by the curse

3
Do not reprimand one another in anitself.

ger, but in peace, as you have learned

6
Then the signs of truth will be man-

from the gospel. Let no one speak with a

ifest:30 first a sign of a rip in the sky, then

person who has committed a sin against

a sign of the sound of a trumpet,31 and

his neighbor, nor let him hear anything

third a resurrection of the dead.

from you, until he repents.

7
But not of all the dead. For as it has

4
But say your prayers, give to charity,

been said, “The Lord will come and all

and engage in all your activities as you

of his holy ones with him.32

have learned in the gospel of our Lord.

8
Then the world will see the Lord

coming on the clouds of the sky. . . .”33 m

16 Be watchful for your life. Do

not let your lamps be extinguished or your robes be loosed; but be prepared. For you do not know the hour

when our Lord is coming.26

lOr:
nations
mThe conclusion is evidently lost

2
Gather together frequently, seeking

what is appropriate for your souls. For

25Mal 1:11, 14. 26Cf. Matt 24:42; Luke 12:40; cf.

the entire time of your faith will be of no

Mark 13:35, 37. 27Cf. Matt 24:10–12. 28Cf. Mark

use to you if you are not found perfect at

13:22. 29Cf. Matt 24:10, 13. 30Cf. Matt 24:30.

31Cf. Matt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16. 32Zech

the final moment.

14:5; 1 Thess 3:13. 33Cf. Matt 24:30.

212

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

The book concludes with a kind of “apocalyptic discourse,” an exhortation to be prepared for the imminent end of the world, to be brought by

“the Lord coming on the clouds of the sky” (16:7).

The Didache’s anonymous author appears to be familiar with earlier Christian traditions such as those embodied in Matthew’s Gospel, but he does not evidence any familiarity with the rigid form of church hierarchy that had developed later in the second century (even though he speaks of bishops and deacons). For these reasons, scholars tend to date the book around 100 or 120 ce. It is probable, though, that the author compiled his account from several sources written at earlier times.

The teaching of the Lord through the

wants everyone to be given something

twelve apostles to the Gentiles.a

from the gracious gifts he himself provides. How fortunate is the one who gives There are two paths, one of life

according to the commandment, for he is

1 and one of death, and the differ- without fault. Woe to the one who reence between the two paths is great.

ceives. For if anyone receives because he

2
This then is the path of life. First,

is in need, he is without fault. But the

love the God who made you, and second,

one who receives without a need will

your neighbor as yourself.2 And whatever

have to testify why he received what he

you do not want to happen to you, do not

did, and for what purpose. And he will

do to another.3

be thrown in prison and interrogated

3
This is the teaching relating to these

about what he did; and he will not get

matters: Bless those who curse you, pray

out until he pays back every last cent.10

for your enemies, and fast for those who

6
For it has also been said concerning

persecute you. For why is it so great to

this: “Let your gift to charity sweat in

love those who love you? Do the Gen-

your hands until you know to whom to

tilesb not do this as well? But you should

give it.”11

love those who hate you4—then you will

have no enemy.

And now the second command2

4

Abstain from fleshly passions.5 If

ment of the teaching.

anyone slaps your right cheek, turn the

2
Do not murder, do not commit adulother to him as well6—and you will be tery,12 do not engage in pederasty, do not

perfect.7 If anyone compels you to go one

mile, go with him two. If anyone takes

aOr:
nations
bOr:
nations

your cloak, give him your shirt as well.

If anyone seizes what is yours, do not

2Matt 22:37–39; Mark 12:30–31; Luke 10:27; Deut 6:

5; Lev 19:18. 3Cf. Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31. 4Cf. Matt

ask for it back,8 for you will not be able

5:44, 46–47; Luke 6:28, 32–33, 35. 51 Pet 2:11.

to get it.

6Matt 5:39. 7Matt 5:48. 8Matt 4:41, 40; Luke 6:29–

5
Give to everyone who asks, and do

30. 9Luke 6:30. 10Cf. Matt 5:26; Luke 12:59.

11Source unknown. 12The following passage elabonot ask for anything back.9 For the Father rates Exod 20:13–17; cf. Matt 19:18; 5:33.

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The Letter of Barnabas

The Letter of Barnabas was one of the most important writings for protoorthodox Christianity.1 Some churches regarded it as part of the New Testament canon; it is included among the books of the New Testament in the fourth-century Greek manuscript, codex Sinaiticus.

The book has traditionally been called an epistle, even though its opening contains only a greeting, with neither its author nor its recipients named (the latter features were consistently found in ancient letters). The writing appears, therefore, to be a theological treatise sent out to interested readers. The second- and third-century Christians who refer to the book attribute it to Barnabas, the companion of the apostle Paul. But this may have involved little more than guesswork on the part of Christians who were eager to have the book read and accepted as “apostolic.”

The book in fact was written long after Barnabas himself would have died: it mentions, for example, the destruction of the Temple (70 ce) and refers to the possibility of its soon being rebuilt (16:3–4). This possibility was very much alive in the early decades of the second century, but evaporated when the Emperor Hadrian (117–38 ce) had a Roman shrine constructed over the Temple’s ruins. Most scholars have concluded, on these grounds, that the book was written sometime during the first half of the second century, possibly around 130 ce.

The book is principally concerned with the relationship of Judaism and Christianity. Its basic thrust is that Judaism is, and always has been, a false religion. According to this author, Jews violated God’s covenant from the very beginning (4:6–8); they have, as a result, never been God’s people or understood their own Scriptures. For this author, the Jewish Scriptures can be understood only in light of Christ; indeed, for him, the Old Testament is a Christian, not a Jewish, book.

As a corollary, Jews who claim that their religion was given by God have been misled by an evil angel, who persuaded them to take the laws of Moses literally (9:5). In fact, claims the author, the laws of sabbath obser1See Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
145–48.

Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, in
The
Apostolic
Fathers,
vol. 1 (Loeb Classical Library; Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2003); used with permission.

219

220

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

vance, kosher foods, and circumcision were meant not as literal descriptions of how the Jewish people were to live, but as figurative pointers to Christ and the religion that he was to establish (chaps. 9–10, 15). A good deal of this book, therefore, tries to show how Christ and the Christian religion were foreshadowed in the Old Testament Scriptures.

The book ends on a different note, by describing the Christian doctrine of the “Two Paths”: the morally upright path of “light” and the morally perverse path of “darkness” (chaps. 18–20; see Introduction to the Didache).

All people must choose between these two ways, following the righteous practices of the one or the moral improprieties of the other.

1 Greetings, sons and daughters, in

6
There are three firm teachings of the

the name of the Lord who loved

Lord of life: hope, which is the beginning

us, in peace.

and end of our faith; righteousness,

2
So great and abundant are the righ-

which is the beginning and end of judgteous acts of God toward you that I am ment; and love, which is a testament to

exceedingly overjoyed, beyond measure,

our joy and gladness in upright deeds.

by your blessed and glorious spirits. For

7
For through the prophets the Master

you have received such a measure of his

has made known to us what has happened

grace planted within you, the spiritual

and what now is; and he has given us the

gift!

first fruits of the taste of what is yet to

3
And so I share your joy all the more

be. And as we see that each and every

within myself,a hoping to be saved; for

thing has happened just as he indicated,

truly I see that, in your midst, the Spirit

we should make a more abundant and

has been poured out upon you from the

exalted offering in awe of him.

abundance of the Lord’s fountain—so

8
But I will show a few matters to you,

amazed have I been by the sight of your

not as a teacher but as one of your own;