Don't Forget to
Didache is the Greek word for 'training' or 'teaching' and is the name given to a document that was recently discovered and verified to be an authentic first century document written by the believers in Yeshua as a training manual for converts coming into the faith from a Gentile background. Written somewhere between 50AD-100AD puts this document being written around the same time that the Gospels were put on paper and is the oldest known "Christian" document. While it was initially ignored after its discovery in the late 1800s due to it being too "Jewish", it has recently come back into the spotlight of scholarship and is giving us a unique look into the training method that Gentile converts to the faith went through in order to be able to function within the community.
Hebrews 5:11-14 mentions the concept of such a training program when it talks about needing again someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God and those who are mature because of practice in discerning good from evil.
In this 5 hour teaching, we will go chapter by chapter through this document and discuss the implications to understanding the faith originally taught by the Apostles as well as learning about the challenges that the early communities faced in the hostile Greco-Roman world.
Before watching this teaching, please take time to read over the Didache document provided in the "PPT" tab below. This translation is based on a modern translation of the text but I have analyzed the text against the original Greek text and have made some key changes that will be marked in this document with footnotes.
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Resources
The following is a list of recommended resources for this teaching:
- The Didache (Translation by Ryan White)
- The Teaching of the 12: Believing and Practicing Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community by Tony Jones
- Ritual Process and Ritual Symbol in Didache 7-10 by Jonathan Draper
- The Didache by Aaron Milavec
- The Didache: A Window on the Earliest Christians by Thomas O'Loughlin
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18 thoughts on “The Didache: First Century Discipleship Complete Series”
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Thank you ryan. I dont reply much on here but I want you to know I have been listening to many of your teachings and you have quickly become one of my favorite teachers. I will most likely be joining rooted in torah so I can hear the teachings not posted on here. And Thank you thank you thank you for the audio only option. It enables me to listen to teachings all day at work. Video teachings stop when my phone screen goes off and ise too much data.
Thanks brother! I am going to be adding audio to a lot of the teachings on this website too in the coming months, we’re trying to update and fix a lot of the postings.
Shabbat Shalom!
Ryan, you did and outstanding job on conveying this tiny little almost unknown document into something useful. I had heard of the name Didache but didn’t know what it was or care to even look at it because I had no idea what it was. So much to learn and have to choose wisely on what to study next. You intrigued me at first with 5 lessons for such a small document, but I know how thorough you are in your research and study. Thus I opted to study this with you.
Gained a lot of information and I have already incorporated some of these things in my life and will use some of this document for future Kingdom building.
Thanks for this teaching and as always look forward to your next teaching.
Tim Vining
Shalom my Brother. We have enjoyed this teaching. We found it to be very insightful. How fitting we would finish it on Shabbat when you mentioned the Shabbat. Thank you and may Yah bless you. Rich Shade
the audio cuts off and is scattered
Hi,
Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t realize that there is a couple minute segment in part 4 where the audio goes bad. I’m not sure that I am able to fix it though, I don’t have a separate audio source. I have learned since then to record with 2 audio sources.
We make too much of dietary laws. Food is the easiest, keeping anger, jealosy, envy from the heart now that’s hard, or controlling words from the mouth – that’s tough.
All kinds of delicious varieties of food available. It’s not about “giving up” it’s about learning the process of change. To buy Kosher from Jewish; that can be expensive – the bible doesn’t not say we have to have circle K = simply refrain from eating animals who eat up the garbage of waters, or other dead stuff, and those that claw and tear their kill. Don’t make it a big deal.
So true Behira!! Agree totally with food is the easiest and the others are harder. Todah for your insight!!
Had just read Tobit last week and noticed that. Glad you were able to expand upon it. Thanks
I am really enjoying this study Ryan. Is there a commentary on the Didache that you would recommend? Perhaps with the Hebrew perspective rather than the conventional Catholic approach.
Here are the two I would recommend. They are not necessarily from a Hebrew perspective, but they do treat the text fairly for the most part and offer some good insight. You just have to discern when they start going into something that is opinion vs. fact, like the Sunday vs. Saturday Shabbat since we know historically that nobody was observing Sunday (not even pagans) until around 150-200AD
The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis, and Commentary by Aaron Milavec
The Teaching of the Twelve: Believing & Practicing the Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community by Tony Jones
was enjoying the teaching but the audio is not working properly
Yes, it came to my attention that around the 24 minute mark on part 4 that there is a 3-4 minute part where the audio gets very bad. I will try to see if I can do a voice over of the video, but not sure I’ll be able to fix it. My apologies on the matter
I am learning here. Thanks, Ryan. I have found several other copies of the Didache document online. They are quick reads. They do need some editing, but we have our filters. Also, it is interesting to read what others are saying about this ancient subject having new light shed upon it. Several bloggers are bothered by what it would mean if this was used more widely. If the masses hate it, it might be good.
Thanks for next 3 or 4 parts, too. I will be here waiting.
Lol, yeah. I imagine that stereotypical Christian bloggers would be uncomfortable with the idea of implementation. No longer basing faith on a credal statement during an altar call but having to learn how to walk out the faith of Yeshua before baptism. That would certainly reduce the
tithescongregation sizeRyan,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for your research. I will listen again, with pen and paper. You brought out several very important points of information that we should all have memorized.
BLessings,
Linda
That was great information Ryan I look forward to the next part. Shalom, Shalom. Carrol
What! No part two! We are all jacked up to watch em all today for Sabbath!
That’s just wrong to do something so good & leave us hanging Ryan!