Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (55 page)

10
Welcome whatever happens to you

ing from both sides of your mouth is a

as good, knowing that nothing occurs

deadly trap.

apart from God.

5
Your word must not be empty or

false.

My child, night and day remember

4

6
Do not be greedy, rapacious, hypothe one who speaks the word of critical, spiteful, or haughty. Do not en

God to you; honor him as the Lord. For

tertain a wicked plot against your

where his lordship is discussed, there the

neighbor.

Lord himself is.

7
Do not hate anyone—but reprove

2
Every day seek out the company of

some, pray for others, and love still others

the saints, that you may find comfort in

more than yourself.

their words.

3
Do not create a schism, but bring

My child, flee from all evil and

3

peace to those who are at odds. Give a

everything like it.

fair judgment; do not show favoritism

2
Do not be prone to anger, for anger

when you reproach others for their unleads to murder; nor be zealous, contenlawful acts.

tious, or irascible. For from all these are

4
Do not be of two minds, whether this

born acts of murder.

should happen or not.

3
My child, do not be filled with pas

5
Do not be one who reaches out your

sion, for passion leads to sexual immorhands to receive but draws them back ality; nor be foulmouthed or lecherous.

from giving.

For from all these are born acts of

6
If you acquire something with your

adultery.

hands, give it as a ransom for your sins.

4
My child, do not practice divination,c

7
Do not doubt whether to give, nor

since this leads to idolatry; nor use ingrumble while giving. For you should cantations or astrology or rites of purifirecognize the good paymaster of the cation, nor even wish to see or hear these

reward.

things. For from all these is born idolatry.

8
Do not shun a person in need, but

5
My child, do not be a liar, since lying

share all things with your brother and do

leads to robbery; nor be fond of money

not say that anything is your own.14 For

or vain. For from all these are born acts

of robbery.

6
My child, do not be a complainer,

since this leads to blasphemy; nor be

ci.e., through observing the flight of birds

insolent or evil-minded. For from all

these are born blasphemies.

13Matt 5:5; Ps 37:11. 14Acts 4:32.

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NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

if you are partners in what is immortal,

has fashioned, who turn their backs on

how much more in what is mortal?

the needy, oppress the afflicted, and

9
Do not remove your hand fromd your

support the wealthy. They are lawless

son or daughter, but from their youth

judges of the impoverished, altogether

teach them the reverential fear of God.

sinful. Be delivered, children, from all

10
Do not give orders to your male

such people.

slave or female servant—who hope in the

same God—out of bitterness, lest they

Take care that no one lead you

6

stop fearing the God who is over you

astray from the path of this teachboth. For he does not come to call those ing, since that one teaches you apart from

of high status, but those whom the Spirit

God.

has prepared.

2
For if you can bear the entire yoke

11
And you who are slaves must be

of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if

subject to your masters as to a replica of

you cannot, do as much as you can.

God, with respect and referential fear.

3
And concerning food, bear what you

12
Hate all hypocrisy and everything

can. But especially abstain from food

that is not pleasing to the Lord.

sacrificed to idols; for this is a ministry

13
Do not abandon the commandments

to dead gods.

of the Lord, but guard what you have

received, neither adding to them nor tak7

ing away.15

But with respect to baptism, baptize as follows. Having said all
14
Confess your unlawful acts in

these things in advance, baptize in the

church, and do not come to your prayer

name of the Father and of the Son and of

with an evil conscience. This is the path

the Holy Spirit,16 in running water.

of life.

2
But if you do not have running water,

baptize in some other water. And if you

5 And the path of death is this. First cannot baptize in cold water, use warm.

of all it is evil and filled with a

3
But if you have neither, pour water

curse: murders, adulteries, passions, sexon the head three times in the name of ual immoralities, robberies, idolatries,

Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

feats of magic, sorceries, rapacious acts,

4
But both the one baptizing and the

false testimonies, hypocrisies, split affecone being baptized should fast before the tion, deceit, arrogance, malice, insolence,

baptism, along with some others if they

greed, obscenity, jealousy, impertinence,

can. But command the one being bappride, haughtiness, irreverence.

tized to fast one or two days in advance.

2
It is filled with persecutors of the

good, haters of the truth, lovers of the lie,

8

who do not know the reward of right

And do not keep your fasts with

the hypocrites.17 For they fast on

eousness, nor cling to the good nor to a

Monday and Thursday; but you should

fair judgment, who are alert not to do

fast on Wednesday and Friday.

good but to do evil; from whom meek

2
Nor should you pray like the hyponess and patience are far removed. For they love what is vain and pursue a reward, showing no mercy to the poor nor dOr:
Do
not
refrain
from
disciplining;
or
Do
not
shirk
toiling for the oppressed nor knowing

your
responsibility
toward

the one who made them; murderers of

children and corruptors of what God

15Deut 4:2; 12:32. 16Matt 28:19. 17Cf. Matt 6:16.

THE DIDACHE

215

crites,18 but as the Lord commanded in

3
You, O Master Almighty, created all

his gospel, you should pray as follows:

things for the sake of your name, and

“Our Father in heaven, may your name

gave both food and drink to humans for

be kept holy, may your kingdom come,

their refreshment, that they might give

may your will be done on earth as in

you thanks. And you graciously provided

heaven. Give us today our daily bread.e

us with spiritual food and drink, and eter

And forgive us our debt, as we forgive

nal life through your child.

our debtors. And do not bring us into

4
Above all we thank you because you

temptation but deliver us from the evil

are powerful. To you be the glory forever.

one. For the power and the glory are

5
Remember your church, O Lord;

yours forever.”19

save it from all evil, and perfect it in your

3
Pray like this three times a day.

love. And gather it from the four winds

into your kingdom, which you prepared

9 And with respect to the thanksgiv for it. For yours is the power and the ing meal,f you shall give thanks as

glory forever.

follows.

6
May grace come and this world pass

2
First, with respect to the cup: “We

away. Hosanna to the God of David. If

give you thanks, our Father, for the holy

anyone is holy, let him come; if any one

vine of David, your child, which you

is not, let him repent. Maranatha!21

made known to us through Jesus your

Amen.”

child. To you be the glory forever.”

7
But permit the prophets to give

3
And with respect to the fragment of

thanksh as often as they wish.i

bread: “We give you thanks, our Father,

for the life and knowledge that you made

And so, welcome anyone who

11

known to us through Jesus your child. To

comes and teaches you everyyou be the glory forever.

thing mentioned above.

4
As this fragment of bread was scat

2
But if the teacher should himself turn

tered upon the mountains and was gathaway and teach something different, unered to become one, so may your church dermining these things, do not listen to

be gathered together from the ends of the

him. But if his teaching brings righteousearth into your kingdom. For the glory ness and the knowledge of the Lord, then

and the power are yours through Jesus

welcome him as the Lord.

Christ forever.”

3
But act towards the apostles and

5
But let no one eat or drink from your

prophets as the gospel decrees.

thanksgiving mealg unless they have been

4
Let every apostle who comes to you

baptized in the name of the Lord. For

be welcomed as the Lord.

also the Lord has said about this, “Do not

give what is holy to the dogs.”20

e

And when you have had

10

Or:
the
bread
that
we
need;
or:
our
bread
for
tomorrow
fLiterally:
eucharist
gLiterally:
eucharist
hOr: enough to eat, you should give

hold
the
eucharist
iTwo important witnesses add a thanks as follows: “We give you thanks,

verse (with variations);
But
concerning
the
matter
of
the
ointment,
give
thanks
as
follows,
saying,
“We
give
holy Father, for your holy name which

you
thanks,
O
Father,
for
the
ointment
you
have
made
you have made reside in our hearts, and

known
to
us
through
Jesus
your
child.
To
you
be
the
glory
forever,
Amen.”

for the knowledge, faith, and immortality

that you made known to us through Jesus

18Cf Matt 6:5. 19Matt 6:9–13. 20Matt 7:6. 21Cf. 1

your child. To you be the glory forever.

Cor 16:22.

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NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

5
But he should not remain more than

4
If he does not have a trade—use your

a day. If he must, he may stay one more.

foresight to determine how he as a Chris

But if he stays three days, he is a false

tian may live among you without being

prophet.

idle.j

6
When an apostle leaves he should

5
If he does not want to behave like

take nothing except bread, until he arthis, he is a Christmonger. Avoid such rives at his night’s lodging. If he asks for

people.

money, he is a false prophet.

7
Do not test or condemn a prophet

13

speaking in the Spirit. For every sin will

Every true prophet who wants

to settle down with you debe forgiven, but not this sin.22

serves his food.

8
Not everyone who speaks in the

2
So too a true teacher, like the worker,

Spirit is a prophet, but only one who

deserves his food.23

conducts himself like the Lord. Thus the

3
Therefore you shall take every first

false prophet and the prophet will both

portion of the produce from the wine vat

be known by their conduct.

and the threshing floor, and the first por

9
No prophet who orders a meal in the

tion of both cattle and sheep, and give it

Spirit eats of it; if he does, he is a false

to the prophets. For they are your high

prophet.

priests.

10
Every prophet who teaches the truth

4
If you do not have a prophet, then

but does not do what he himself teaches

give it to the poor.