Bulletized

• Lost Bible: The Didache
  • One of the earliest books not included in the New Testament canon.
  • Greek for "the teachings," also known as "the teachings of the 12 apostles."
  • Considered the second most important New Testament book to be excluded, after the sayings Gospel of Thomas.
• New Testament Canon
  • Consists of four Gospels, the Book of Acts, 21 letters, and one apocalypse (Revelation).
  • Gospels are theological books, not biographies or eyewitness accounts, focusing primarily on Jesus's last week.
  • The Book of Acts, written by the same author as Luke, describes the early church's growth.
  • Letters cover a variety of random topics, some seemingly odd inclusions (e.g., Paul's letter about a runaway slave).
  • Notably lacks a "rule book" or "administrator's guide" for running a church.
• Absence of a Church Manual
  • Early Christian writings, especially Paul's letters, indicate small congregations existed across the Roman Empire.
  • However, no New Testament texts provide basic instructions for Sunday worship, church structure, or leadership roles.
  • Paul's letters primarily react to problems, offering implicit guidance rather than proactive rules.
• Protestant Reformation and the Canon
  • Protestants rejected other sources of authority like tradition and apostolic succession, focusing solely on the biblical text.
  • This led to a new emphasis on interpreting the Bible for oneself, unlike prior Christian practices.
  • The lack of a church manual in the New Testament contributed to the division of Protestantism into numerous denominations due to varying interpretations of governance.
• Joseph Smith and New Scripture
  • Joseph Smith, struggling with sectarian divisions in the early American Republic, sought to fill gaps in the Bible.
  • The Book of Mormon, for example, provides authoritative answers to questions not found in the Bible, including rules for running a church (e.g., communion prayers, priesthood officers).
• Ancient Church Orders
  • Early Christians recognized the need for rules regarding sacraments and priesthood roles.
  • This led to the genre of "ancient church orders" – rulebooks or handbooks for Christian conduct and congregational life.
  • The Didache is the earliest surviving text of this genre, with components possibly dating back to the mid-first century.
• Formation of the New Testament Canon
  • The canon was not pre-planned but developed over centuries.
  • Books were not originally written to be part of a Bible.
  • Paul and Jesus, when referring to "scriptures," were speaking of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), specifically the Septuagint translation.
  • The earliest known canon was created by Marcion in the second century, which was largely rejected by the proto-orthodox tradition.
  • The final list of 27 books first appeared in a letter by Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria in 367 AD.
  • Augustine and councils in North Africa accepted these 27 books in 393 AD, leading to Jerome's Latin Vulgate translation.
  • The Book of Revelation was the last book to be universally accepted, almost not making it into the canon.
• Texts Left Out of the Canon
  • Many texts, some very similar to those included, did not make it into the canon.
  • Decisions were sometimes "haphazard and arbitrary."
  • Factors for inclusion:
    • Antiquity: Older texts generally survived, but equally old "lost texts" exist.
    • Apostolic Authority: Attributed to an apostle or apostolic companion (real or putative), even if not authentically written by them (e.g., 2 Peter).
    • Audience Success: Addressed to communities that became dominant in later Christianity (proto-orthodox).
    • Doctrinal Consistency: Teachings aligned with later Christian orthodoxy.
  • Factors for exclusion:
    • Lack of Apostolic Authority: Written by important early Christian leaders, but not apostles (e.g., Clement, Ignatius).
    • Audience Died Out: Addressed to communities labeled as heretical (e.g., Gnostics, Ebionites).
    • Heretical Teachings: Contained doctrines rejected by later orthodoxy (e.g., Docetism, Adoptionism).
    • Too Fanciful: Stories considered unbelievable, despite some fanciful elements in the Bible (e.g., Infancy Gospel of Thomas).
    • Obvious Forgeries: Texts clearly not written by their attributed authors (e.g., Paul's letters to Seneca).
• The Didache: Contents and Significance
  • Earliest Surviving Church Order: Most scholars date it to the first or second century, with early components from the 60s.
  • Rediscovery: Lost for centuries, rediscovered in 1873 by Bishop Philotheos Bryennios in a Constantinople monastery.
  • Structure:
    • Chapters 1-6: "The Two Ways": Rules of do's and don'ts, possibly derived from a pre-Christian Jewish text. Emphasizes loving God and neighbor, and a negative version of the Golden Rule. Includes maxims attributed to Jesus but not explicitly so. Lists prohibitions similar to the Ten Commandments.
    • Chapters 7-10: Instructions on Sacraments:
      • Baptism: Ideally by immersion in cold, running water, but flexible (warm water, sprinkling) if not possible. Requires fasting beforehand for the baptizer and baptized.
      • Prayer: Teaches praying the Lord's Prayer (Matthew's version with doxology) three times a day.
      • Eucharist: To be celebrated every Sunday ("Lord's day"). Requires confessing sins and reconciling with neighbors before partaking. Formula for Eucharist prayers is unfamiliar and in a different order (wine then bread) than New Testament accounts. Assumes Eucharist is a shared meal, not just symbolic bread and wine. Advocates for "closed communion" (only for the baptized).
    • Chapters 11-15: Church Offices/Roles:
      • Teachers (Apostles and Prophets): To be welcomed as the Lord, but not to stay beyond one or two days, and not to ask for money beyond travel needs.
      • Apostles: "One who was sent forth," a messenger or ambassador. Many more than the 12. Sent out in pairs, proclaiming good news, healing, and taking nothing with them (Mark, Luke).
      • Support for Mendicant Apostles: Communities advised to give first fruits of vintage, harvest, and livestock to prophets (who are like high priests), or to the general poor if no prophet is present.
      • Warnings Against Abuse: The Didache recognizes "false prophets" who stay too long, demand excessive money, or fail to practice what they preach. It offers "crib notes" to identify phonies (e.g., if they ask for money for themselves).
      • Local Officials (Bishops and Deacons): To be elected by the community, credited to the Lord, gentle, generous, faithful, and well-tried. Their ministry is identical to prophets and teachers, and they should be honored. This reflects an important transitional moment in early Christianity, as the role of itinerant apostles declined and fixed communities with local leadership emerged.
    • Chapter 16: End Times Prophecy: Calls readers to be vigilant and ready for the Lord's coming, warning of false prophets, seducers, and increasing iniquity.
• Conclusion on the Didache
  • A very interesting and important text left out of the canon.
  • Provides insight into the evolution of earliest Christian institutions and practices (sacraments, church structure).
  • Shows overlap with Judaism (commandment lists) and parallels with the Qumran community (Dead Sea Scrolls).
• Q&A Highlights
  • Peter's Literacy: Early church fathers (like Jerome) debated Peter's ability to write, suggesting secretaries for his attributed letters, though modern scholarship disputes their authenticity.
  • Confession: The practice of confessing sins and reconciling with the community before Eucharist was present in the first century (Didache) and evolved into the Catholic sacrament of confession.
  • Didache's Integration Today: Unlikely to be integrated into modern Christian practices as it was lost until the late 19th century and most denominations' practices were already established.
  • Paul and Didache's Rules for Apostles: The Didache's rules about staying brief for apostles may not negatively view Paul, as he often worked to support himself (e.g., as a tentmaker) rather than solely relying on hospitality.
  • Communion Frequency: The New Testament doesn't specify how often communion should be celebrated, leading to varied practices (weekly, monthly, quarterly) across denominations.

Didache's Rabbinic Connection: The Didache's rule lists are more comparable to pre-rabbinic, Second Temple Judaism (like the Essenes at Qumran) rather