Short Paper II – The Didache

Based on the theological and ethical teachings of the Didache, what historical facts
can we deduce about the structure, organization, and concerns of the community
that it comes from? To what extent can we say that this community represents a
“normal” church from around 100 CE?

Ohahimere David Ibhaluobe

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to show some historical facts about the concerns, structure and organization

of the ordinary Christian community around when Didache’s theology and ethical teachings were

written and how these churches can be compared to the ideal church around 100 CE. The church

at this time didn’t fully represent the normal church from the 100 CE but we can say that the church

at this time was a church that evolved from the normal church from the 100 CE: the apostolic age.

As discussed in this paper, this church was extreme in their practices.

INTRODUCTION

Didache’s theological and ethical teachings were written for ordinary Christians to show how a

Christian’s life should look in relation to their environment, which in turn would define their

relationship with their fellow Christians, non-Christians and the state, in this case the Roman

empire. These laid down rules and regulations are supposed to regulate the church’s life cycle as

well as those who manage the church’s affairs such as the Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons1 (Greek

diakonos – meaning servant or messenger – used for men and women) and later Deaconess (female

Deacons) as the church continued to grow rapidly around 100 to 300 CE. Majority of these

1
Prof. Matthew Dougherty. “Week 5 Lecture.”
ordinary Christians around these times were in the “lowest level in social statues according to

sociological studies”2. This implied that most of the Christian did not go to school and cannot read

and write which could imply that Didache theological and ethical teachings was transmitted to the

individual church orally by the Bishops or Presbyter or Deacons presiding over the church

community.

HISTORICAL FACTS

Didache’s theological and ethical teachings were derived from some form of the Gospels, not sure

if current Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke and John) were already available at that time but we can

assume they were because his teachings are almost literally the Gospels word for word. An

example is his first command “you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as

yourself, and do not do to another what you would not want done to you.” Which can be found in

Matthew 22:37-393, Mark 12:21 and Matthew 7:124. At that time church were meeting to

fellowship together in joyous manner in private places but not necessary hiding from authorities

because it was around this time the great “apologist” was trying to make audacious statements to

the authorities “that their faith was not opposed to imperial policies” Justo L. González.

2
Justo L. Gonzale, The Story of Christianity Volume 1: Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation (Revised &
Updated Version: HarperCollins Publisher, 2010), 105.

3
Cf: NIV “37Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’”
4
Cf: NIV “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and
the Prophets.”
For us to be able to deduce proper historical facts from Didache’s teachings about the structure

and organization of the community, it is important to look at the teachings closely and the areas

his ethical theology touched that we could find as part of the life of the church. We can see from

his teachings that Didache talks about how the eucharist (communion) should be administered

which was a big part of the Christian gathering at that time and the prayers after the communion.

Another important aspect he talked about was baptism, fasting and prayer (the Lord’s Prayer)

which was a major practice in their worship service during this time, as well as the roles of Bishops

and Deacons in the life of the church. For the purpose of this paper, our focus would be on the

Eucharist and Baptism.

The Structure and Organization Around the Eucharist or Lord’s Super.

The point at which Christians of all social status had a common ground or experience was their

worship services. According to González Only records left behind by Christian leaders can be

trusted since most of the common Christians who partook of these services were not educated

enough to document their own experiences.

The Eucharist or Lord’s Super was an important event in the Christian life cycle during their time

and still relevant today, but they were not necessarily concerned about the theology behind it in

the beginning. This practice can be dated back to the early church after Jesus’s resurrection as told

in the book of Acts “that the early church had a tradition of convening on the first day of the week

for the breaking of bread” Justo L. González. Acts described “the gathering as a joyful occasion

because it was a day set apart not to summon the faithful to repentance or to make them conscious

of the gravity of their sins, but to celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection and the promise that

resurrection was the seal of salvation” Justo L. González. As they ate their supper with joy and
generosity, thanking God and having the good will of the people, it was a joyful occasion because

every believer brought what they could. When they are done with the common meal, a special

prayer is said over the bread and wine probably as described in Didache teachings. According to

González’s remarks, by the beginning of 2nd century the common meal was done away with due

to the fear of persecution, or in order to put an end to the rumours about orgiastic “love feast”.

Only the baptized Christians were allowing to take part in the communion service while the

Catechumens (a Christian convert under instruction before baptism) were sent out. González

remarks that by the second century, Christians began to use the communion service as an avenue

to know the Bible. Scripture readings and commentaries were read to them, with prayers and

singing of hymn as the first main part of the service. At that time, it was almost impossible for an

individual Christian to possess a copy of scriptures. This first part of the service was usually long.

The second part then begins after sending away the non-baptized Christians with a prayer and

blessing. The second phase of the service begins with a kiss of peace, after which the bread and

wine element is delivered to the presiding officer, who then prays over it. The story of God's

salvation was generally retold in the prayer, which made it rather long, and the Holy Spirit's power

was invoked into the bread and wine. They then broke the bread and shared it, as well as passing

the common cup around, before concluding the ritual with benediction. They also used this service

to distribute the donations to others in need.

We can see that Didache’s theological and ethical teachings contained in them some historical

facts as to how Christians conduct their practices with regards to communion and how prayers are

offered over the Eucharist and the prayers after the communion service. We could deduce that the

Christian community looked somewhat like the “normal” church from 100 CE but not a full

representation because they had evolved in their practices due to the increase of Gentile converts.
The Structure and Organization Around Baptism.

Another important aspect of the Christian’s worship practices at that time was baptism which we

can also see as part of Didache’s teachings. It was an important aspect of the believer’s Faith after

conversion to Christianity. It represents one of the two symbols’ believers used as total separation

from the world; while the other was communion as earlier explained. Brotherhood and sisterhood

were acknowledged and defined after baptism as a symbol that two people who were not related

by birth can now legitimate call and see each other as brothers and sisters. González’s remarks in

retelling Justin, informed us that “We take those who have believed to where those who are called

brothers and sisters are assembled to offer intense prayers for ourselves, the recently illumined,

and all others all around the world after they have been washed and joined us.” Here we see that

baptism was a serious ritual ceremony that gave convert access into the brotherhood, which was a

qualification to partake in communion. Then after they introduced the newly baptized convert to

their brothers and sisters in Christ, a kiss of peace and communion service will be conducted to

welcome the newly baptized. Before the ceremony of baptism, new converts were immersed into

an instructional phase called catechesis5; during which a person is called catechumen. “Before

beginning their Christian education, catechumens were anointed with oil, had salt placed under

their tongues, and an act of exorcism performed in some churches. Catechesis can last up to three

years in most cases. During this time, the individual would not only be instructed, but also

inspected by the community” Prof. Matthew Dougherty. This practice of these churches was

different from the early church as described in the book of Acts where people were baptized

immediately after conversion to Christianity. According to González’s remarks, this was possible

at that time because most of the new converts were converting from Judaism or had been

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Prof. Matthew Dougherty. “Week 5 Lecture.”
influenced in some way by Judaism, so they had a rudimentary concept of Christian living and

proclamation.

Baptism was traditionally done once a year, on Easter Sunday. It was common practise in the early

third century for persons who were ready to be baptised to fast on Friday and Saturday and to be

baptised extremely early on Sunday morning, which was the time of Jesus Christ's resurrection.

The participants were entirely naked, with the males and females separated. The newbies were

given white robes when they emerged from the waters, as a symbol of their new life in Jesus Christ.

They were then anointed, so becoming members of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

The teaching of Didache prefers baptism to be done in living water, i.e., running water, but it can

also be done by pouring water on the head in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if

there is no running water. This compromise about where to baptize new converts was not in the

church from 100 CE, it was strictly running water (living water). This shows that the church had

evolved. Scholars to this day according to González are still divided on whether the early church

baptised infants, however some writings from the late second and early third centuries show that

some Christian parents were baptised as infants.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Justo L. González. The Story of Christianity Volume: Early Church to the Dawn of the

Reformation. Revised & Updated Version: HarperCollins Publisher, 2010. 105 – 113.

2. Prof. Matthew Dougherty. “The History of Christianity EMH1010 Lecture Feed Week 5.”

Podcast November 23, 2021.