In 1880 Greek Orthodox archbishop Philotheos Bryennios rediscovered the Didache in a monastery in Istanbul. The Didache enjoyed wide circulation in the early church and some even considered it canonical. Numerous church writers mention the text but somewhere around the fifth century the work disappeared. So when Bishop Bryennios found the book in 1880, the Didache had been missing for about 1400 years.
The Didache picks up right where the Apostolic Decree leaves off, teaching and clarifying for Gentiles their relationship to the Torah and place in Messianic Judaism. It was written by the early Jewish believers in Yeshua and contains teaching that claims to have its origin with the twelve apostles.
Some scholars feel its earliest version might have been written as early as 50 CE, which places it within the first generation of disciples of Yeshua. It may even contain material older than many of Paul’s epistles and the Gospel of John. It also contains teachings of Yeshua that are not found in the canonical Gospels.
The Didache offers us an incredible window into the daily life of believers at a time when Christianity still functioned as a sect within Judaism and not a separate religion. It shows us practical life in early Messianic Judaism.
The Way of Life, Features
- Casebound hardcover, 600 pages
- The Didache, a new parallel Greek/English translation
- Comprehensive verse-by-verse commentary on the text of the Didache
- Extensive notes and cross-references to scriptural and Jewish sources
- Numerous practical instructions for modern believers based on the text
