Didascalia Apostolorum - Contents

Contents

The Latin title Didascalia Apostolorum means "Teaching of the Apostles" and the full title given in Syriac is: "Didascalia, that is, the teaching of the twelve Apostles and the holy disciples of our Lord". The text, as typical of Ancient Church Orders, is badly put together, without logic, but not without some good sense. It never touches upon dogma but concerns itself entirely with practice. In comparison with the Didache, the Didascalia moved the main focus from the moral issues to liturgical practice and church organization.

The content can be so summarized:

• Admonitions about Christian life, prayer, orphans, martyrdom (chapters 1-3, 13, 17, 19-20)
• Rules about bishops' qualifications, conduct, duties, alms (chapters 4-11, 18)
• Rules about male and female deacons and widows (chapters 14-16)
• Liturgical rules about the proper place in the church-building and about fasting (chapters 12, 21)
• The education of children and the denouncement of heresy (chapters 22-23)
• The claim of the composition of the treatise by the Twelve Apostles and the refuse of the Jewish ritual practices (chapter 24-26)

The church officials are bishops, deacons, priests, widows (and orphans); deaconesses are also added, in one place rectors, and once subdeacons (these last may have been interpolated). Especially noticeable is the treatment which bishops are ordered to give to penitents. Even great sinners, on repentance, are to be received with kindness, no sins are excepted. The canonical penance is to be of two to seven weeks.

The heresies mentioned are those of Simon Magus and Cleobius (this name is given also by Hegesippus), with Gnostics and Ebionites. Against these, Christians must believe in the Trinity, the Scriptures and the Resurrection. The original Law of Moses (specifically the Ten Commandments) is to be observed, but not the Talmudic Second Law, Mishnah, which was given to the Jews on account of the hardness of their hearts. In addition, the Sabbath rest is given a symbolic content, and the Christians are admonished to instead treat every day as belonging to the Lord, but not to keep the rest literally.

The Old Testament is frequently quoted, and often at great length. The Gospel is cited by name, usually that of Matthew, the other evangelists less often, and that of John least of all. The Acts of the Apostles and nearly all the Epistles are freely employed, including the Epistle to the Hebrews, but the Apocalypse is not cited. None of these could be named. Besides the Didache, the Didascalia utilizes also other ancient Christian documents as the Acts of Paul and the Gospel of Peter.