Apostolic Tradition

Content

The Apostolic Tradition, as the other Church Orders, has the aim to offer authoritative "apostolic" prescriptions on matters of moral conduct, liturgy and Church organization. It can be divided in a prologue (chaper 1) and three main sections.

The first section, chapters 2 to 14, deals with the rituals of the organization of the Church, and it follows a hierarchical order starting from the bishops up to the lower levels of the structure. The content can be so summarized:

chapters 2 and 3: the election and the liturgical ordination of the bishop;
chapter 4: the Eucharist at the consecration of the bishop. It is the well-known Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition;
chapters 5 and 6: the liturgical offering of oil, cheese and olives;
chapter 7: the ordination of presbyters;
chapter 8: the ordination of deacons;
chapter 9: about the confessors of faith;
chapter 10: about the widows;
chapters 11 to 14: the reader, the virgin, the subdeacon, the gift of healing.

The second section, chapters 15 to 21, is about the catechumenate and the baptism:

chapter 15: the first step in the catechumenate: the questions about marriage status and whether they are slave or free;
chapter 16: the questions about occupation and moral conduct. Some works are not considered compatible with the Christian life: these works include also the sculptor, painter, actor, teacher of children, charioteer and gladiator.
chapter 17: the length of the preliminary instruction, about three years;
chapters 18 and 19: the ritual at the end of the preliminary instruction;
chapter 20: the final examination and the preparation in the days before the baptism;
chapter 21: the detailed description of the baptismal liturgy.

The last section, chapters 22 to 43, is a compilation of rules about the community, listed without a clear order:

chapter 22: about the distribution of the Communion;
chapter 23: about fasting;
chapter 24: about the distribution of the Communion to sick persons;
chapters 25 and 26: description of a liturgical dinner;
chapters 27 to 30: more prescriptions about the liturgical dinner;
chapters 31 and 32: about the offering to the bishop of the first-fruits;
chapter 33: about fasting at Easter;
chapter 34: the deacons shall stay near the bishop;
chapter 35: the prayer in the morning before beginning work;
chapters 36 to 38: about eating and keeping the Eucharist;
chapter 39: everyday meetings of presbyters and deacons;
chapter 40: about the burial places;
chapter 41: about daily prayer of all the believers;
chapter 42: about the Sign of the Cross;
chapter 43: conclusion.

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Apostolic Tradition - Content

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