Didache: The doctrine of teaching

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: [kjv]

και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους τους λογους τουτους εξεπλησσοντο οι οχλοι επι τη διδαχη αυτου [gnt]

… admirabantur … doctrinam … [v]

After Jesus "teaches" in Matthew 7, the people were astonished at his "teaching". What is the "Didache"?

The ancient Greek word "διδαχή" ≈ "teaching".
The modern Greek word "διδαχή" (thee-tha-KHEE) ≈ "teaching" from which we get the English words "didache", "didactic", etc.

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: [kjv]

και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους τους λογους τουτους εξεπλησσοντο οι οχλοι επι τη διδαχη αυτου [gnt]

And it was doon, whanne Jhesus hadde endid these wordis, the puple wondride on his techyng; [wy]

And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these saynges the people were astonnyed at hys doctryne. [ty]

Wycliffe says that the "wondride" (wondered) at his "techyng" (teaching).

At some point in history, the act of "teaching" by Jesus became his "doctrine" and then his "Doctrine" as each established church "hierarchy" decided which teaching or doctrine was their own accepted "Doctrine".

Matthew 7:28

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KJV: And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

Greek: και εγενετο οτε συνετελεσεν ετελεσεν ο ιησους τους λογους τουτους εξεπλησσοντο οι οχλοι επι τη διδαχη αυτου

Latin: et factum est cum consummasset Iesus verba haec admirabantur turbae super doctrinam eius

Wessex: Ða waes ge-worðen þa se haelend þas word laerde & ge-endode. þa wundrede þaet folc. hys lare.

Wycliffe: And it was doon, whanne Jhesus hadde endid these wordis, the puple wondride on his techyng;

Tyndale: And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these saynges the people were astonnyed at hys doctryne.

Gothic: jah warth, than ustauh iesus tho waurda, biabridedun manageins ana laiseinai is.

Luther: Und es begab sich, da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte, entsetzte sich das Volk über seine Lehre.

Spanish: Y fue que, cuando Jesús hubo acabado estas palabras, la gente se maravillaba de su doctrina;

Matthew 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. [kjv]

ην γαρ διδασκων αυτους ως εξουσιαν εχων και ουχ ως οι γραμματεις αυτων [gnt]

… docens … scribae … [v]

Matthew 7:29

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KJV: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Greek: ην γαρ διδασκων αυτους ως εξουσιαν εχων και ουχ ως οι γραμματεις αυτων

Latin: erat enim docens eos sicut potestatem habens non sicut scribae eorum et Pharisaei

Wessex: Soðlice he laerde swilce he anweald haefde. & na swa swa heore bokeras & sunder-halgan.

Wycliffe: for he tauyte hem, as he that hadde power, and not as the scribis`of hem, and the Farisees.

Gothic: was auk laisjands ins swe waldufni habands, jah ni swaswe bokarjos.

Luther: Denn er predigte gewaltig und nicht wie die Schriftgelehrten.

Matthew 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, [kjv]

και ανοιξας το στομα αυτου εδιδασκεν αυτους λεγων [gnt]

Teaching and learning are two viewpoints. In English, the following viewpoints are used.

The teacher teaches the student.
The student learns from the teacher.

In many settings, the teacher may learn things from the student.
The ancient Greek word "μαθητής" ≈ "learner, disciple" and which is translated in the GNT (Greek New Testament) as "disciple". A "disciple" is someone who "learns" from a teacher.

More: Teaching and learning and mathematics

English: There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways. (Holmes, p. 344)

The two ways appear to be "God's way" and "man's way" which can be called humanism, socialism, etc. Deceptions (Satan, etc.):

1. Did God really say? (create doubt, nothing bad will happen, etc.)
2. You can be as a god! (desire to be great, be a leader, influence people, have a legacy, etc.)

The "Didache" is a special Greek manuscript knowns as "The teaching of the twelve apostles". It is a short and early (first century A.D.) manuscript.

Greek: Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσί, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ μεταξὺ τῶν ὁδῶν. Didache [1.1]

The Didache was considered by some early church fathers as scripture but eventually was considered (by most) as highly authoritative but not at the level of scripture.

The very first line of the Didache states that there are two ways, one of life, one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. This is a nice top-down backward-chaining way of starting the text. Barnabas makes a similar statement.

More: Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there

The Didache forms the basis of catechism and many other Christian rituals.

The Didache was mentioned often in early church writings, but was lost until a Greek manuscript containing it was discovered in 1873. A lost Latin version was later discovered in 1900.

The ancient Greek word "διδαχή" ≈ "teaching" as in "didactic"

[fork in the road]
The start of the Didache (second sentence), sometimes called the Teaching of the Apostles, states the negative Golden Rule.

English: There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways. (Holmes, p. 344)
English: Now this is the way of life: First, you shall love God, who made you. Second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself; but whatever you do not wish to happen to you, do not do to another. (Holmes, p. 344)

Greek: Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσί, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ μεταξὺ τῶν ὁδῶν. Didache [1.1]
Greek: Ἡ μὲν οὖν ὁδὸς τῆς ζωῆς ἐστιν αὕτη· πρῶτον ἀγαπήσεις τὸν θεὸν τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, δεύτερον τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃς μὴ γίνεσθαί σοι, καὶ σὺ ἄλλῳ μὴ ποίει. Didache [1.2]

Might the writers of the Didache recognize that there are logical issues with the positive Golden Rule and, therefore, used the negative Golden Rule?

[Didache, negative version of love thy neighbor as yourself]

More: Matthew 7:12 Not so golden rules

More: Matthew 7:13-14 Strait talk about narrow and wide gates

English: … There are two ways of teaching and power, one of light and one of darkness, and there is a great difference between these two ways. (Holmes, p. 433)

Greek: Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσὶν διδαχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας, ἥ τε τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἡ τοῦ σκότους. διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ τῶν δύο ὁδῶν Epistle of Barnabas [18.1]

This same idea is stated in the opening lines of the Didache.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Yogi Berra

More: Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there

More: Yogi Berra

More: Epistle of Barnabas

English: Neither pray ye as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray ye: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debt, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever. Three times in the day pray ye so.

Greek: Μηδὲ προσεύχεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ἀλλ΄ ὡς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ αὐτοῦ, οὕτως προσεύχεσθε· Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς· τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον, καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ· ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας οὕτω προσεύχεσθε. Didache [8]

The Didache mirrors the TR (Textus Receptus) in many respects.

[hypocrites as actors, commanding as a leader, vain repetitions]

More: Matthew 6:9-13 Lord's Prayer in Matthew

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