Spiritual Apostolic Fathers: The Didache. V1. 22-Jan-2011

[weatherwax]

The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (Didache means "Teaching") is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first/early second century. The first line of this treatise is "Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles (or Nations) by the Twelve Apostles".
The text, parts of which may have constituted the first written catechism, has three main sections dealing with Christian lessons, rituals such as baptism and Eucharist, and Church organization. It is considered the first treatise of the genre of the Church Orders.
It was considered by some of the Church Fathers as part of the New Testament but rejected as spurious or non-canonical by others, eventually not accepted into the New Testament canon. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church "broader canon" includes the Didascalia which was based on the Didache.
Lost for several centuries, the Didache was rediscovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios, Metropolitan of Nicomedia in the Codex Hierosolymitanus. An English translation was first published in 1883. It is considered part of the collection of Apostolic Fathers.

The book has been posted here in several formats, epub was still missing.

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[GA Russell]

Thanks weatherwax! I've wanted to read this for years.

[ahem]

What is the difference between “Apostolic Fathers” and “Church Orders?”

[amo]

Originally Posted by ahem

What is the difference between “Apostolic Fathers” and “Church Orders?”

The Apostolic Fathers are who wrote it, the Church Orders are what they wrote. (I think)

[boekarest]

Thanks!!