Didache

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The Didache (stressed on the E, ancient Greek Διδαχὴ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων Didache Tõn Dodeka Apostolon , Teaching of the Twelve Apostles', latin Doctrina duodecim apostolorum ) - also the teaching of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles , just Twelve Apostles doctrine called - is an early Christian Scripture probably written in Syria by various unknown authors . The two titles of the font are likely to be later additions. It is probably the earliest church order in Christianity, the time of which is now mainly settled in the 1st century AD (earlier research dated the work to the end of the 2nd century). For a long time it was counted among the canonical writings - it was not until Eusebius of Caesarea (* 260/64; † 339 or 340) counted it among the inauthentic scriptures.

The Didache was not rediscovered until 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios in the library of the Jerusalem Metochion in Constantinople ( Istanbul ) in the Codex Hierosolymitanus , a composite manuscript of genuine and inauthentic early Christian texts written in the 11th century, and has since gained great importance for theological research. To date, no other complete Didache manuscripts are known, only two fragments (verses 1: 3c – 4a; 2: 7–3: 2) were found among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (No. 1782), as well as a Latin translation of the first five Chapter.

The very primitive community conditions that appear in the text and the lack of reference to later theological issues are generally considered evidence that the text in the manuscript is essentially unchanged.

As Didache is generally referred to the instruction of the faithful after baptism, in contrast to the Kerygma , the instruction of catechumens before baptism.

structure

The work is divided into 16 chapters, each with three parts and a conclusion .

  • Chapters 1-6: Overview of Christian Morals in Two Paths: Path of Life and Death
  • Chapters 7–10: Sacraments liturgy (baptism, Eucharist, fasting, prayer)
  • Chapters 11–15: Disciplinary instructions, church order (traveling teachers, prophets, worship, community elections)
  • Chapter 16: Final Chapter: Eschatology

Some scholars consider the sudden break-off of the last chapter without an ending to be a sign that the real ending of Scripture has been lost; but this view is not generally held.

content

The work is a brief summary of the doctrine that is valid for all Christian churches, i.e. Catholic (καθολικός = all-encompassing, total) doctrine with liturgical and disciplinary instructions. "Catholic" here has the original Greek meaning of the word, not that of the Bishop of Rome. Above all, the Didache contains what the catechumens needed to know before baptism .

Long before the ecclesiastical schismas, the (δοκέω), i.e. orthodox behavior, considered correct (ορθός), i.e. orthodox behavior, is presented in brief statements in the manner of a community order . Individual topics are dealt with systematically, many of which are still relevant today for different discussions between the denominations.

There are several references in the Didache to “the Gospel” (8.2; ​​11.3; 15.3.4) without any reference to an author. This is probably the Gospel of Matthew , since no other gospel is mentioned in the text.

Text examples

For example, on the biblical prohibition of killing:

  • Section 2.1: You should not kill, you should not commit adultery, you should not desecrate boys, you should not whore, you should not steal, you should not practice magic, you should not mix poison, you should not murder a child by abortion, and you shall not kill the newborn.

Regarding admission to the Eucharist:

  • Section 9.5: But no one shall eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord. For the Lord has spoken about this too: Do ​​not give what is holy to dogs.
  • Section 14.1: On every Lord's Day, when you come together, break the bread and give thanks, having previously known your wrongdoings, so that your sacrifice may be pure.

It is noticeable that the author uses the word sacrifice three times in the instruction on the true celebration of the Eucharist to describe the common term Eucharist :

On the day of the Lord, gather together, break bread, and give thanks, having first confessed your sins, so that your sacrifice may be clean. But everyone who has a quarrel with his friend should not come to you until they are reconciled, so that your sacrifice is not desecrated. For this is the saying of the Lord: "In every place and at every time they shall offer me a pure sacrifice, because I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful with the peoples." (14, 1– 3)

Amazingly, there is no reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus or to the Last Supper. In the Roman Catholic Church, the celebration of the Eucharist is understood to this day as an offering of the Mass .

Remarks

  1. ^ Didache ( English ) In: The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church . Oxford University Press. P. 482. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ Klaus Wengst : Didache (apostle theory), Barnabas letter, Second Klemens letter, writing to Diognet , SUCII, Darmstadt Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 1984, p. 25ff.
  3. ↑ also not in chapter 9 ; Findings at Lexicon: bibelwissenschaft.de, Point 1.2

expenditure

  • Emil von Renesse : The Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, translation and detailed explanation along with studies of the origin and processing of the Didache in the later writings , Hofbuchdr. v. A. Ludwig, 3rd edition, Giessen 1897.
  • Didache or the apostolic teaching . Translated by Franz Zeller; in: Library of the Church Fathers , 1st row, Bd. 35. Munich 1918 online edition
  • André Tuilier , Willy Rordorf (ed.): La Doctrine des douze apôtres . Le Cerf, Paris 1978, second edition 1998 ( Sources Chrétiennes , 248). Review by Pierre Nautin, in: Revue de l'histoire des religions, 197, 1980, p. 99 ( online ).
  • Didache (apostolic teaching) . Translated by Klaus Wengst ; in: Writings of early Christianity. Kösel, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-466-20252-3 .
  • Didache / Twelve Apostles Teaching ( Fontes Christiani , Vol. 1). Greek and German, translated by Georg Schöllgen . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1991, ISBN 3-451-22101-2 .

literature

  • Adolf Jülicher : Didache . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume V, 1, Stuttgart 1903, Col. 392-394.
  • André Tuilier: Didache . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie 8 (1981), pp. 731-736.
  • André Tuilier: La Didachè et leproblemème synoptique. In: Clayton N. Jefford: The Didache in Context: Essays on Its Text, History, and Transmission. Brill, Leiden 1995, pp. 110-130 ( excerpts online ).
  • Kurt Niederwimmer: The Didache . KAV 1. Göttingen 1993, ISBN 3-525-51677-0 .
  • Robert A. Kraft: The Apostolic Fathers , Vol. 3, Barnabas and the Didache, ed. v. Robert Grant. Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York 1965 ( updated online edition ).
  • Ferdinand R. Prostmeier: Differentiating action. Fasting and baptizing according to Did 7.4 and 8.1 . In: ΦΙΛΟΦΡΟΝΗΣΙΣ. Graz Theological Studies, Vol. 19, ed. v. Johannes B. Bauer. Publishing house of the Institute for Ecumenical Theology and Patrology at the University of Graz, Graz 1995, pp. 55–75.

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