Posted on by rschut1945

Judge Not Lest You Be Judged

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If you ever want to create a hostile environment in your Bible study class, just bring up this quote from Jesus and ask others for their opinion on what it means.  As a teacher I’ve had numerous people throw this scripture in my face, especially if I said something that they didn’t agree with. 

As a teacher I know that I’m fair game for such comments, but let’s take a look to see how the Christian is to behave when it comes to following this command from Jesus.

If we take Jesus literally, then what would happen to rapists, pedophiles, and murderers?  We’d have Jeffrey Dahrmer as our pastor and Charles Manson teaching Bible study.  But let’s overlook the extreme for a minute.

We have other seemingly contradictory statements made by both Jesus and Paul against taking it literally that we have to resolve first. 

In the same sermon where Jesus tells us not to judge, he says:

Matthew 7:6 (KJV)
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

I think that it requires a certain amount of judgement to consider which people are dogs and swine doesn’t it?

And in the opening sentences of his letter to the Galatians Paul says:

Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV)
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Notice that Paul even says this twice just to be sure that we get it.

But how does one decide if someone is accursed without judging them?

And once again we have Jesus himself commanding us:

Matthew 18:15-17 (NET1)
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone.  If he listens to you, you have regained your brother.  
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.  If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.

Jesus isn’t suggesting here that we simply ignore a person’s sins and let them carry on without interference.  He’s telling us to take action against the individual that might even wind up in excommunication or shunning. 

But, on the other hand, doesn’t Jesus tell us to love our neighbor as well as our enemy?

And we have Paul also speaking about love:

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NET1)
7 It (meaning love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

So, if we love others then we must believe everything that they say and endure whatever they do.  Right?

How then do we put these verses together to resolve these seemingly contradictory scriptures?  Is Paul exaggerating simply for effect?

These are not easy to resolve if we look at them as individual statements without any context.  So, to summarize, we can’t judge, yet we must be able to determine who are like dogs and swine.  And we can’t judge yet we must be able to declare someone as accursed and remove them from the congregation, if necessary.  

Let’s begin by looking carefully at what Jesus taught in Matthew in the context of the rest of his sermon.  But let’s look carefully at some of these other verses:

 Matthew 7:1-6 (KJV)
1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Right after Jesus tells us not to judge he clarifies what he means by that.  Several points are clear.  Jesus had a different way of handling sin then the Pharisees and the lawyers.  Instead of focusing on looking for the sin in the other person, determining their guilt, and then administering punishment as prescribed by the law, Jesus taught that we must first look for sin in ourselves.  This is an application of what we learned in the previous video on The Search for Truth.  Truth begins by looking into ourselves to be sure that we are walking in truth before we try to help others; otherwise, we are the blind simply leading the blind. 

If we find ourselves without guilt, we must then approach the sinner with the intention of helping them rid themselves of the sin rather than in the spirit of judgment.  There is no condemnation and punishment in Jesus’ approach. 

In other verses Jesus tells us that if the person rejects our offer, we are to simply withdraw from that person and have nothing more to do with them.  But if they should repent, we must forgive them and welcome them back into the church.  There is no punishment for their sin that must first be administered such as a fine or public scourging prior to restitution.

So, Jesus is not telling us that we shouldn’t recognize sin when we see it and then do nothing about it.  He is saying that we should first be sure that we know what the sin is and not be hypocritical by committing a worse sin ourselves.  But if we love our brother, we should offer them help so that they might confess and overcome their sin and be restored in faith. 

In Galatians Paul is completely correct and in agreement with Jesus in how he advises us to handle sinners or those who pervert the gospel.  We should keep away from them and have nothing to do with them if they ignore our correction and help. 

And on the question of love believing all things and enduring all things, we cannot simply take this scripture alone in isolation of other scriptures or life would become total chaos.  We learned that truth must come first if we walk with God.  And the same thing is true here.  We certainly must be motivated by love in order to help others, but love must be filtered by truth.  Truth filters out lies and deception.  In this way, we are not asked to believe all things including lies, but we must listen carefully to find out if it is truth or error. 

Paul says this in the verse right before this one:

6 It (meaning love) is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

So, when the JWs or Mormons come to the door, we are not commanded to believe everything that they tell us without question out of love.  We are commanded to determine if what they are telling us is true or false and only believe that which is true.    

So, Christian judgment comes from the spirit of truth, not from the spirit of judgment nor hypocrisy or even from revenge as it did with the Pharisees.  And our love for others is not blind love, but a love that sees things in the light, which is the light of truth. 

1 John 4:1 (KJV)
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

The Greek word try means to test its truthfulness and whether it comes from God.  Once again truth takes precedence over everything else.

1 John 4:6 (KJV)
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Here John is dividing knowledge into that which is truth and that which is error.  Because we are walking in truth, we are familiar with truth and know what truth sounds like and looks like so that we can judge truth over error.  This is how we can also judge those who are walking in truth or error.  True divination of truth and error comes from knowing and walking with God.

So according to scripture, truth must always take precedence in our judgment—even in our love.  In a way we are not judging the person but judging the truth.  Are they walking in the truth as they claim?  Are they teaching the truth as they claim?  We can’t avoid some form of judgment if we are seeking to follow after the truth.

Posted on by rschut1945

Search for the Truth

The reason that I want to write about the topic of truth is that as a minister of Christ I want to explore how people think.  I think that it’s important that we all understand more about this subject.  I want to know what makes people do the things that they do, but most of all why they believe the things that they believe.  And this also includes myself.

I want to find out what is beneath all the ceremony and pretense that people show, especially when it comes to religious beliefs and forms of worship. 

Of course, I can’t include everything that I know about this subject in a short paper such as this, nor do I know all that there is to know about this subject.  But I am trying to make a beginning and hope that someone who reads this will continue from where I leave off.

I will begin by asking a simple question.

What does Paul mean in I Corinthians 8:1 when he says that knowledge puffs us up?

I think that we get caught up in acquiring knowledge which can give us a false sense of having something that others don’t have.  This gives us an inflated sense of what others think about us and even what we think about ourselves. 

Truth, on the other hand, is not acquired in the same manner as knowledge.  It is more of a surrendering rather than acquiring.

Truth deflates or empties us so that we appear as we really are to others as well as to ourselves.

This is why Jesus and many other NT writers told us to seek after truth rather than after knowledge. 

Of course, during the pursuit of truth we also acquire knowledge, but knowledge must be submissive to truth.  Our goal must be truth and not knowledge alone.

We should even search through the scriptures in this same manner looking for truth rather than knowledge.  This is perfectly consistent with what the scriptures themselves teach us.

In my dealing with cults as well as churches, I found that some have become obsessed with the idea of acquiring knowledge rather than truth.  One sign of being puffed up is shown in the way that they declare their knowledge as “right,” “correct,” or even “true,” especially when it comes to their doctrine and beliefs.

They do this in a variety of ways.  One way is by having representatives of their church vote on a doctrine and declare the results of the election as being authorized by God.  Another way is by having it declared true by a group of elders who have been appointed and given some supernatural power to ordain or proclaim a belief to be divinely inspired.  And there’s a third way where someone claims to be or has been selected as a divine representative of God such as a prophet or an elder.  He has the sole power to pronounce the validity of one doctrine right over another.  His voice is taken to be the voice of God.   

What this actually does is give its members a false sense of confidence and self-assurance as well as boost their individual egos as they congratulate themselves for being smart enough to know which church to belong to and follow.  But the question I have for them all is whether they really have the power to declare what is right or true?

In my experience on this subject many confuse truth with fact.  Facts can be acquired through knowledge, but facts are not the same thing as truth.  Facts are like pieces of a puzzle that need to be assembled together in order to form a complete picture.  It is the complete picture that I am referring to here as truth.  Of course, one can always force pieces to fit a puzzle and come up with a completely different picture—and they certainly do that.

Truth doesn’t inflate our egos but actually deflates it.  It makes us realize how dependent we are upon God since he is the author of truth as he is truth himself.  We might believe that we can declare our beliefs as fact, but we certainly cannot declare them as truth.  Only God can do that.

Truth reveals us as we actually are and not as what we want to appear to be.  It humbles us and brings us into submission.  Anyone who has ever felt the power of truth already knows all of this.  But those who declare themselves as right never allow themselves to discover truth because it would only destroy their self-image and the faith that they have in their own private, self-defined system of truth.  But it seems that people are very comfortable declaring their beliefs as being true. 

Now it stands to reason that to declare anything as true one must first know what truth really is.  And according to Scripture to know what truth is, one must walk in truth.  And this begins with knowing the truth about ourselves.  And that means that we have to see ourselves as we really are.  I think that this is the main reason that people fear the truth.  They are afraid that others will see who they really are beneath all their pretenses and disguises.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TRUTH

I think that it’s important for us to know how people think so that we can avoid not getting drawn into a false understanding of self in exchange for the promise of belonging and being accepted into a certain group.  This is very common because it appeals not only to our need for certainty and our need to validate our beliefs as true, but also to give us a sense of belonging and being accepted by others.   

I believe that it is more important for us to walk in the truth even if we have to walk in it alone.  Because we are truly never really alone.  God is always with us if we walk in truth because God is truth. 

In John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.  Did Jesus mean that he lived the truth in purity?  Did he mean that he held nothing back or hid anything about himself?  Did he mean that he was completely transparent and did not put on a show or disguise of any kind for anyone?  And was he not telling us by his example that we ought to do the same thing if we wish to walk in truth?  In a sense, each of us should be able to say I am the truth.  We must allow ourselves to be transparent and open to everyone, especially to ourselves and most of all to God.  We should be able to say I am who I say I am—no more and no less.  What you see is exactly who I am.


It is the nature of God to be truthful.  In the letters of John he tells us that God is truth and there is no deception in him therefore there should be no deception in any of us if we say that we love God and have the nature of God in us.

1 John 1:5-7 (KJV)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

In these verses light is used as a reference to truth because truth illuminates what is there rather than hides it.

1 John 3:9-10 (KJV)
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

These verses refer to the nature of God that remains in us preventing us from sinning.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV)
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Even Peter understood that we are partakers of the divine nature of God that keeps us from the corruption of the world.

So, in conclusion, I have observed that it is easy for people to declare themselves as having the true doctrine and belonging to the true church or cult.  All this is done simply by giving someone the authority to make this pronouncement, which makes it appear to be true. 

But the only way for a doctrine or a church to be true is if it leads us into a walk of truth with God as God sees it.  It is a walk of truth as we stand before such a divine being who is all powerful and holy and just.  This truth begins by seeing ourselves as he sees us.  And the only way to do this is to see ourselves as we stand before Christ.  For it is his holiness by which truth will be judged and not by any other human being.

Posted on by rschut1945

Is Jesus The Name of God?

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The name of god as it relates to jesus

The purpose of this article is to emphasize the main theme of the Old Testament scriptures which was God’s revelation of himself as an existential being through the name of YHVH (Yahweh).  Throughout the Old Testament God’s name was revered as God himself. 

The New Testament writers, being Jews, understood and preserved this reverence and importance of the name by relating it to the name Jesus. 

In the years following the death of the apostles the importance of this connection diminished and was replaced by a more Gentile understanding gained through Greek philosophy and the influence of syncretic religions. 

My goal is to remind the serious truth-seeking Christian of the origin of our faith and its original purpose which was to glorify God through the name given to us.  And to see the identity of Jesus in light of that name.  Only through the context of the knowledge of the Jewish apostles and disciples can we come to an accurate understanding of the identity of Jesus and the importance of his name.

When we call someone’s name, we proclaim their existence.  This relationship between the name of God, Yahweh, and the name Jesus is very important because a name reveals and acknowledges the identity of a person.  When we call upon God by his name, we identify exactly who we mean when we call his name.  In our mind the name is the person.  In the name Jesus Christ, we find all the names of God that were revealed in the name Yahweh and therefore all the identities that personify him.  This creates a parallel understanding between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. 

At the end of this article, I include a table that shows that the name Jesus is equivalent to that of Yahweh, the name of God.  For further reading on this subject, I recommend the book “Names of God” written by Nathan Stone. 

English Bible quotations from the Septuagint were taken from various sources.  LORD is capitalized when the Hebrew uses the name YHVH (Yahweh) in that quotation.  This is done for the convenience of the reader and can be verified by most versions of the Old Testament where this convention is followed.

The Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Bible made approximately in the 3rd Century B.C.  It was used by the Jews during a time when the Hebrew language fell out of use in the Roman Empire.  Hebrew was replaced by Greek which was the standard language throughout the empire.  It was because of this that Paul referenced the Septuagint mainly in his writings. 

The English translation of the Septuagint used here is by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton, published in 1851, and is considered a long-time standard. For most of the years since its publication it has been the only one readily available and has continually been in print.  It is based primarily upon the Codex Vaticanus and contains the Greek and English texts in parallel columns.

An alternative translation can be found on https://www.elpenor.org/books/septuagint-genesis/default-en.asp.

The New Testament text is taken from various translations as noted in parentheses.

References also used: Pauline Christology, Gordon D. Fee, 2010.

                                    Names of God, Nathan Stone, 1944.

The table below contains verses from Paul’s letters that reveal his understanding of who Jesus was and his relationship to YHWH of the Old Testament.  Below this table I included another table that includes Bible verses taken from other authors of the New Testament revealing the same understanding as Paul’s.
NEW TESTAMENTOLD TESTAMENT
1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV)
. . . at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.		ZACH 14:5
. . . and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV)
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.		Psalm 47:5 (46:6)
6 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with a sound of a trumpet.
1 Thessalonians 1:8 (NKJV)
8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth,		Joel 1:1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.Genesis 15:1 
1 And after these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,   and many more (248 times)
1 Thessalonians 5:27-28 (NKJV) 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.		Genesis 24:3 
and I will adjure thee by the Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, 

1 Thessalonians 5:2 (KJV)
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.		Joel 1:15 (KJV)
15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 (KJV)
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night		Joel 2:1 (KJV)
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:		 
Philippians 1:10 (KJV)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;		 
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 (KJV)
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.		 
1 Thessalonians 4:6 (KJV)
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.		Psalm 94:1 (KJV)
1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (ASV)
10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.		Romans 14:10 (ASV)
10 But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (KJV)
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;		Psalm 31:24 (KJV)
25 Be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the LORD.   Psalm 32:22 (33:22)(LXX) 22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hoped in thee.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 (KJV)
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:		Isaiah 66:15 (LXX)
15 For, behold, the LORD will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire.    Isaiah 66:4 (LXX) 4 I also will choose their mockeries, and will recompense their sins upon them; because I called them, and they did not hearken to me; I spoke, and they heard not: and they did evil before me, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (KJV)
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;		Isaiah 2:10 (DRV)
10 Enter thou into the rock, and hide thee in the pit from the face of the fear of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty.
2 Thessalonians 1:12 (NET1)
12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to[18] the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.		Isaiah 66:5 (LXX)
5 Hear the words of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; speak ye, our brethren, to them that hate you and abominate you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, and may appear their joy; but they shall be ashamed. 
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (ASV)
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.		As explained by Gordon Fee, here Paul’s language brings together the full identity of the Son AND Spirit with the Father without losing monotheism.  (Pauline Christology p63).
2 Thessalonians 3:5 (ASV)
5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.  [The Lord directing must be Jesus, otherwise it should read into HIS love rather than naming God.]		1 Chr 29:18
O LORD God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, preserve these things in the thought of the heart of thy people for ever, and direct their hearts to thee.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ASV)
16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord (be) with you all.		Ruth 2:4
And, behold, Booz came from Bethleem, and said to the reapers, The LORD (be) with you: and they said to him, The LORD bless thee.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 (ASV)
6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us.    		Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall the saved one be as the LORD has said, and they that have glad tidings preached to them, whom the LORD has called.
2 Thessalonians 3:12 (ASV)
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.		 
1 Corinthians 1:2 (ASV)
2 unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:		Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall the saved one be as the LORD has said, and they that have glad tidings preached to them, whom the LORD has called.    
 Gen 12:8
And he departed thence to the mountain eastward of Baethel, and there he pitched his tent in Baethel near the sea, and Aggai toward the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord, and called on the name of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:30 (NKJV)
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption–31  that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”		Jer 9:23(24)
but let him that boasts boast in this, the understanding and knowing that I am the LORD that exercise mercy, and judgment, and righteousness, upon the earth; for in these things is my pleasure, saith the LORD.
1 Corinthians 10:21-22 (KJV)
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?		Deut 32:21 (ASV)
21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; They have provoked me to anger with their vanities: And I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
1 Corinthians 10:26 (KJV)
26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.		Psalm 23:1 (24:1)
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all that dwell in it.
2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (NKJV)
14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.		Exod 34:34
And whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak to him, he took off the veil till he went out, and he went forth and spoke to all the children of Israel whatsoever the LORD commanded him.
Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.		Joel 2:32 (3:5)
And it shall come to pass whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved:
Romans 14:10-11 (NKJV)
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”    		Isa 45:22-25
22 Turn ye to me, and ye shall be saved, ye that from the end of the earth: I am God, and there is none other. 23 By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God, 24 saying, Righteousness and glory shall come to him: and all that remove them from their borders shall be ashamed. 25 By the Lord shall they be justified, and in God shall all the seed of the children of Israel be glorified.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.		 
Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 		Isaiah 2:12 (NKJV)
12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up– And it shall be brought low–  
Philippians 1:10 (KJV)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;		Isaiah 13:6 (NKJV)
6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.  
Philippians 2:16 (KJV)
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.		Isaiah 13:9 (NKJV)
9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.  
1 Corinthians 5:5 (NKJV)
5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  		Isaiah 58:13, 14 (NKJV)
13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14  Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
2 Corinthians 1:14 (NKJV)
14 (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.		Jeremiah 46:10 (NKJV)
10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.
 Ezekiel 13:5 (NKJV)
5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.
 Ezekiel 30:3 (NKJV)
3 For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
 Joel 1:15 (NKJV)
15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
 Joel 2:11 (NKJV)
11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
 Joel 2:31 (NKJV)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
 Joel 3:14 (NKJV)
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
 Amos 5:18 (NKJV)
18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light.
 Obadiah 1:15 (NKJV)
15 “For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
 Zephaniah 1:7 (NKJV)
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.
 Zephaniah 1:14 (NKJV)
14 The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
 Zechariah 14:1 (NKJV)
1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
 Malachi 4:5 (NKJV) 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Philippians 1:20 (NKJV)
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.		Psalm 34:27 (35:27)
27 Let them that rejoice in my righteousness exult and be glad: and let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, who desire the peace of his servant.  
Acts 19:17 (NKJV)
17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.		 
Philippians 3:3 (KJV)
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.  		Jer 9:24
24 but let him that boasts boast in this, the understanding and knowing that I am the Lord that exercise mercy, and judgment, and righteousness, upon the earth; for in these things is my pleasure, saith the Lord.
Philippians 3:8 (KJV)
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,		 
Philippians 3:1-3 (KJV)
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.		Psalm 33:20-21 [32:20-21]
20 Our soul waits on the LORD; for he is our helper and defender. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, and we have hoped in his holy name. 22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we have hoped in thee.  
 Psalm 35:9 [34:9]
9 But my soul shall exult in the LORD: it shall delight in his salvation.
 Psalm 40:16 [39:17]
16 Let all those that seek thee, O LORD, exult and rejoice in thee; and let them that love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 
2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”  		Gen 12:8
And he departed thence to the mountain eastward of Baethel, and there he pitched his tent in Baethel near the sea, and Aggai toward the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord, and called on the name of the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV)
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.		Gen 13:4 4
to the place of the altar, which he built there at first, and Abram there called on the name of the Lord.
   Gen 26:25
25 And he built there an altar, and called on the name of the Lord,
2 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;		This opening verse of Paul’s shows that throughout this epistle his reference to Lord refers only to Jesus.
2Timothy 4:18 (KJV)
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.		Deut 32:36 (NKJV)
36 “For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
 Psalm 7:8 (NKJV)
8 The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me.
 Psalm 135:14 (NKJV)
14 For the LORD will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants.

The following references are taken from letters that were not written by Paul, although Paul is a candidate for the Letter to the Hebrews.  Some of these references do not have direct equivalents to LORD of the Old Testament but they help us to understand the use of the title Lord when referenced to Jesus.  They are important to our general understanding of who they considered Jesus to be and his relationship to God as Father.   Since many of these writers were Jews writing to a Jewish audience, I included the Old Testament texts from the Hebrew version.  However, there are some from the Septuagint as well. In those references I capitalized LORD where is refers to YHVH in the Hebrew version.  

Hebrews 1:8-10 (NKJV)
8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. 10 And: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.   The dialogue here is addressing the angels and the Son.  Specifically verses 8-10 are addressing the Son.

Psalm 102:25-27 (103:25-27) 25 In the beginning thou, O LORD, didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them, and they shall be changed. 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 
James 2:1 (NKJV)
1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.  		Psalm 23:7-10 (24:7-10) 7 Lift up your gates, ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this king of Glory? the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your gates, ye princes; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this king of glory?  The LORD of hosts, he is this king of glory.    

Psalm 137:5 (138:5) 5 And let them sing in the ways of the LORD; for great is the glory of the LORD.
In the following passage, James calls upon the church to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord.  We find Luke also mentions that the church had baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:16) linking the idea of “in the name of the Lord” with “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”    Paul also calls upon the name of the Lord to be used in baptism.  Linking Acts 8:16 with Acts 22:16 we come to the conclusion that they were baptized in the name of the Lord, which was equivalent to the Lord Jesus.   There are many other scriptures including Col 3:17 and Romans 10:13 which elevate the name of Jesus to the level of LORD.  
James 5:14 (NKJV) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.Acts 8:16 (NKJV) 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 22:16 (NKJV)
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.		Acts 19:5 (NKJV) 5 *When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Romans 10:13 (NKJV) 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”Colossians 3:17 (NKJV) 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Revelation 17:14 (NKJV) 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”Deuteronomy 10:17 (LXX) 17 For the LORD your God, he [is] God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, and strong, and terrible God, who does not accept persons, nor will he by any means accept a bribe: 
Revelation 19:16 (NKJV) 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.Psalm 136:1-3 (LXX) 1 [Alleluia.] Give thanks to the LORD: for he is good: for his mercy [endures] for ever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods; for his mercy [endures] for ever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy [endures] for ever. 
Acts 2:36 (NKJV)
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  		 

The title Lord and Savior is also unique.  Below we find several examples of it used in the New Testament where it is used of Jesus and in the Old Testament where it was used of God as LORD.
2 Peter 1:11 (NKJV) 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.        Isaiah 43:11 (KJV) 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.             
2 Peter 2:20 (NKJV) 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  Isaiah 45:21 (NKJV)
21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.  		 
2 Peter 3:2 (NKJV) 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,Isaiah 49:26 (NKJV) 26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” 
2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.Isaiah 60:16 (LXX) 16 And thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt eat the wealth of kings: and shalt know that I am the LORD that saves thee and delivers thee, the Holy One of Israel.   
 Hosea 13:4 (LXX) 4 But I am the LORD thy God that establishes the heaven, and creates the earth, whose hands have framed the whole host of heaven: but I shewed them not to thee that thou shouldest go after them: and I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God but me; and there is no Saviour beside me. 

TABLE OF NAMES EQUATING THE NAME JESUS WITH THE NAME OF GOD
This table is composed of the compounded names of God taken from the Old Testament and matched against the existential characters and qualities of Jesus as revealed in the New Testament.  
TITLECOMPOUNDED NAMEOLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMNT
PROVIDERJEHOVAH-JIREH YHWH-JIREH
יְהוָה ׀ יִרְאֶה		Genesis 22:14 (NKJV)
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided.” 		John 14:13 (ASV)
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  
HEALER JEHOVAH-ROPHE YHWH-ROPHE
יְהוָה רֹפְאֶֽךָ		Exodus 15:26 (NET1)
26  He said, “If you will diligently obey the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the LORD, am your healer.” 		Matthew 4:23 (NKJV)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
BANNER  
Not a flag, but a pole to be lifted or held up as Moses held up his rod for victory over the Amalekites. 		JEHOVAH-NISSI YAHWEH-NISSI
נִסִּֽי׃ יְהוָה		Exodus 17:15 (NET1)
15 Moses built an altar, and he called it “The LORD is my Banner,”[43]      		John 3:14 (NKJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,    
  Exodus 17:9 (NKJV)
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”  		1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
  Exodus 17:11 (NKJV)
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.		 
SANCTIFICATION JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH YHWH-M’KADDESH
יְהוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃		Leviticus 20:8 (KJV)
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.		Hebrews 7:26 (NKJV)
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
   1 Corinthians 1:30 (NKJV)
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
   Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV)
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
PEACE    JEHOVAH-SHALOM YHWH-SHALOM ‏יהוה שָׁלוֹם‎Judges 6:24 (NKJV)
24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 		John 14:27 (NKJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
   Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
   Acts 10:36 (KJV)
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
RIGHTEOUSNESS JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU YHWH-TSIDKENU
‏יהוה צִדְקֵנוּ‎		Jeremiah 23:6 (NKJV)
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 		1 Corinthians 1:30 (NKJV)
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
   Acts 3:14 (KJV)
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
   2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
   Philippians 3:9 (KJV)
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
SHEPHERD JEHOVAH-ROHI YHWH-ROHI
‏רָעָה יהוה		Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 		John 10:11 (KJV)
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
   1 Peter 2:25 (KJV)
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
PRESENCEJEHOVAH-SHAMMAH YHWH-SHAMMAH
‏יהוה שָׁמָּה‎		Ezekiel 48:35 (KJV)
35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.		Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  
   Colossians 1:19 (NKJV)
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,  
   Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
   John 1:14 (NKJV)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
   Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Posted on by rschut1945

The Didache (The Teaching)

The Didache is a document that was discovered in 1873 in the library of Constantinople belonging to the Patriarch of Jerusalem.  This manuscript also contained the epistles of Clement and Barnabas.  The document was mentioned by Eusebius and by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.  The name of the document is The Didache which is short for the Greek title (Διδαχὴ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), which means the Teachings of the Lord Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations.  But the short name is The Didache which simply means the Teaching.

It is composed of 2 parts or sections.  The first is called the Two Ways and is drawn upon the teachings of Christ.  The second section is composed of the worship and discipline of this early Christian community.  It contains sections on how to baptize, fasting, daily prayer, and the practice of the Eucharist.  Also in the second part there is a section on how to deal with bishops and deacons as well as Sunday worship service.

Scholars believe that the primitive practice of these rites indicates a very early date of authorship.  Some assign it to the latter half of the first century.  This is a very early date considering that Galatians was written around 48 A.D. and Revelation sometime in the 90s.   Some scholars believe that the primitiveness of the document is contrived and would place it in the second century or even later.

It may have been written in either Egypt or Syria, and the authorship is unknown.

Why should we even study this manuscript since it isn’t even in the Bible?  Well, it gives us insight into what was going on in the very early church and how they practiced the faith without complete copies of the New Testament. 

Since I spent a lot of time studying cults and heresies throughout the history of the church, it helps me to see how easy it was for communities to drift away from good teaching and fall into practices that might lead them into some of the early heresies. 

So, let’s begin with a look at the “The Two Ways.”

The Two Ways

  1. A Way of Life
  2. A Way of Death

The Didache says that the first way leads to life.  It contains some of the teachings of Christ that are written in the Gospel of Matthew.  I’m sure that you will recognize many of them as we proceed. 

One of the first commandments given is Thou shalt love first the Lord thy Creator, and secondly they neighbour as thyself; and thou shalt do nothing to any man that thou wouldst not wish to be done to thyself.

The Teaching continues by telling them to bless those who curse them, and pray for their enemies and what merit is there if you love only those who love you?  It also contains the instruction given by Jesus to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and give your shirt to the one who takes your coat. 

Here’s a list of other commandments that were given in this teaching:

  • Do not murder, commit adultery, sodomy, fornication, or theft. 
  • Do not practice magic, sorcery, abortion, or infanticide. 
  • Do not bear false witness, slander, or malice.  And resist hypocrisy, spitefulness, or superiority. 
  • Stay away from bad people and never give way to anger, for anger leads to homicide. 
  • Do not be fanatics, quarrel, or have a hot temper. 
  • Do not look for omens because that leads to idolatry.  (Omens are signs concerning future events).
  • Do not lie or be overanxious to become rich or admired.  That’s good advice even for today.  
  • Don’t complain, be opinionated, or harbor thoughts of wickedness because these things can lead to blasphemy. 
  • Be meek because the meek will inherit the earth.
  • But do not associate with famous people, but with honest and humble folk. 
  • Honor those who speak the word of God to you.
  • Don’t turn away the needy and share everything you have with your brother.
  • It gives advice that might be hard to take today on how to raise children.  It says do not hold back your hand from your son or daughter but bring them up in the fear of God.
  • Hate everything that doesn’t please the Lord.
  • And keep the commandments of the Lord without adding or subtracting from them.

What can we learn from these sayings? 

Many of these sayings are found in Matthew and in some cases found word for word.  There are also similarities to some of Paul’s lists of moral behavior as found in Romans and Galatians.  

Were these sayings then taken from an earlier copy of Matthew called proto-Matthew (a theoretical document that preceded his final gospel) or were these simply oral sayings that were passed down to believers by Christian evangelists and teachers?  Unfortunately, there is no way to tell for sure.

THE WAY OF DEATH

The Didache says that The Way of Death is evil and contains murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcraft, sorceries (drugs), robberies, perjuries, hypocrisies, duplicities, deceit, pride, malice, self-will, avarice, foul language, jealousy, insolence, arrogance, and boastfulness.  They are bent on their own advantage. 

In its final words of wisdom and advice in this section it says that if you can do all these things, you will be perfect.  And if you can’t, then just do the best that you can.  It then adds that you should stay away from food offered to idols. 

It might seem like The Didache is more demanding than what we are accustomed to in our local churches, but I don’t think that one actually had to memorize all these commandments in order to be a good Christian.  At the basis of all these commandments is the first one mentioned which was to love God and love your neighbor and also love yourself in the sense that we must do no harm to ourselves.  In this way we can love our neighbor as ourselves. 

However, with all that said, I do see a problem with the theology behind this advice.  This is a version of Jesus being the author of a great and wonderful code of ethics that we all ought to live by.  And if we can’t live by them, at least we should try our best.  Its basic premise is the motto, “We do our best and God does the rest.”  This can easily be transformed into Pelagianism, which is a form of work’s righteousness.  There is very little, if anything, about the atonement of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross or how to achieve this perfect obedience other than through human will-power.

This is a good example of what the church would have been like if Paul had never been able to clarify the teachings and the very purpose of Jesus’ life and death.  This is what can also happen to the church today that does not truly understand Paul’s Christology about the purpose of Christ’s death on the cross and how it relates to baptism and communion and our holy behavior. 

We will see more of this in the next section when we discuss the meaning of the Eucharist and Baptism. 

CHURCH MANUAL

BAPTISM

The Didache recommends using running water for baptism, but if running water is not available, use ordinary water.  It should be cold, if possible, but otherwise warm.  If that is still not available, pour water three times on the head.  In all cases the Baptismal Formula is to baptize “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” More on This Baptismal Formula.

Both the baptizer and the baptized should fast before the baptism.  The baptized ought to fast for one or two days prior to their baptism.

Note that the baptismal formula used here differs from the formula used elsewhere in the New Testament by the apostles. 

In Acts 19:4-6, Luke says that when Paul told believers to be baptized,  they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

In Acts 8:14-17, Peter and John were sent to Samaria where Luke said that these believers had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and did not yet have the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:38 (KJV), Peter told the Judeans to “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In Acts 10:48 (NKJV), Peter commanded Cornelius and those around him “to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”

And in I Corinthians 1:10-17 Paul implies that the only true baptism is to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

In neither case was anyone ever baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, literally.  I think that the formula that was used in the Didache was taken from Matthew 28:19 where Jesus tells his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  For further information click here: What The Bible Really Says About the Trinity

I think that this is interesting because it may be showing that the only scroll that they had access to was Matthew or proto-Matthew.  This statement by Jesus does not appear anywhere else in the New Testament.  A conclusion could be that Matthew was written earlier than the date thought by many (85 A.D).[1]

I think that we can at least conclude that they did not have a copy of Acts which was written by Luke around 60 or 62 AD. 

FASTING

The community was encouraged to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays because the hypocrites fasted on Mondays and Thursdays.[2]

They are then told to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.  A copy of the Lord’s Prayer is included in the Didache to recite.  It is the same version taken from Matthew 6:9—almost word for word. 

THE EUCHARIST

Eucharist means Thanksgiving.  It was the term that they used for the Thanksgiving meal eaten together by the community.

It is significant to mention the prayer that was spoken when drinking the wine:

“We give thanks to thee, our father, for the Holy Vine of the thy servant David, which thou hast made known to us through thy servant Jesus.”

Note that there is no mention of this being the blood of Christ, either actual or symbolic.  The same is also true of the prayer recited over the bread.  The meal is only a thanksgiving meal and does not appear to be linked to the body and blood of Christ offered in sacrifice for us. 

There are other prayers of thanksgiving offered after the meal and only those who were baptized were permitted to partake in this event. 

OF APOSTLES AND PROPHETS

The community should welcome teachers who teach them righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, but not listen to those who bring a different teaching.

Apostles are only permitted to stay one day or two days if necessary.  If he stays for three days, he is a false prophet.  He is to accept nothing except enough to last him one night’s lodging.  If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.

A prophet must be judged not by what he says alone, but by his conduct and behavior.  There are also some other strange ideas about judging prophets.  If they ask for something to eat while in the spirit, he should not eat it.  If he does, he is a false prophet. 

If he should ask for money while in the spirit, do not give it to him.

They were not to allow visitors to come into the group for more than a day or two and if they wanted to become a member, they must have a skill and be willing to work. 

A teacher is to be treated as though he were like a High Priest. They are entitled to receive the tithes of the community.

OF SUNDAY WORSHIP

The correct interpretation from the Greek is not Sunday, but The Lord’s Day. It was on this day that they were told to assemble and dine as well as offer the Eucharist, but only after making a confession of sins or faults.

They were also told that they must settle any differences that they have with their brother or sister. 

OF LOCAL OFFICIALS

They were told to choose bishops and deacons who are humble and not eager for money, but sincere and approved.

There is also an instruction to shun or not converse with anyone who has injured his neighbor.

In the last verse in this section, they are told to be guided by what they read in the Gospel of our Lord. This could be a clue that they did have some written form of Matthew or a gospel like it.  There may have been copies of a gospel that we just don’t know about today. 

ESCHATOLOGY (FUTURE EVENTS)

They do mention that the Lord is going to return at any time, so they ought to be ready.  There is also a warning that false prophets and deceivers will abound, and sheep will become wolves.  Lawlessness will grow and there will be persecution and betrayal.

In the end the Deceiver of the World will show himself, pretending to be a Son of God.  He will deceive the earth.  And then the trial will take place.

Then the signs of the truth will appear and the trumpet’s voice and the rising of the dead.  And finally, the Lord himself will descend riding on the clouds of heaven. 

At this point the book abruptly breaks off.  Much of this sounds very familiar.  Parts of this may be echoes of I and 2Thessolonians or even Revelation.  Could this simply be echoes of the teachings of Paul or another evangelist who visited the region? 

We do know from Acts that Apollos was a native from Alexandria which is a main city in Egypt and when he came to the church in Ephesus, Aquilla and Priscilla corrected his theology or as Luke put it:

Acts 18:26 (KJV)
26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

So, this might support the idea that it was written in Alexandria. 

From all that we read from The Didache, it appears that they had limited knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus and did not fully understand exactly what the Gospel was about, but instead limited it to an ethical system taught by Jesus.  Whether they even believed that he was the Son of God in a divine sense is missing from the work as well as many other teachings found in the completed New Testament.  It even referred to Jesus as a servant rather than the Son of God.

So, there is much mystery surrounding the Didache as far as the author and source of information.  Perhaps someday there will be more discoveries made that might bring more light to this very interesting manuscript of the early church. 

I hope that you found this both informative and interesting.  I have always found the history of the church to be a very interesting subject and very eye-opening to say the least. 

Here is a link to an online copy: The Didache

[1] Matthew – Earliest date is 40s or 50s according to N.T. Wright and John Wenham, but others date it much later around 85 A.D.  This presents a problem if the Didache is dated as early as some say since it contains what appears to be quotations from Matthew.  Of course. we don’t know exactly what form the Gospel of Matthew took originally as it may have been compiled later from smaller pieces such as the Sermon on the Mount, the Miracles of Jesus, and the Resurrection of Jesus.  I have even heard that it was first published much earlier in Aramaic rather than Greek.  So, there is a wide area of variation when it comes to dating. 

[2] According to the notes in the Cambridge Bible on Luke 8:12, it was the Pharisees who fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. 

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