The Didache: The Earliest Teachings of the Apostles | Book 524 of 553

The Didache —Bucket List Book Adventure Book 524 of 553

Dear Henry,

I decided to do something a little different with my Bucket List Book Adventure. Originally, I had planned to read the list in order, but after adding the Eastern Classics and the Early Christian writings, my list grew to a total of 553 books. To make sure I sample a bit of every genre (since you never know when the hour or the day will strike), I’ve decided to skip around.

That’s how I found myself at book number 524 - The Didache.

The Didache is one of the earliest non-biblical Christian texts. It claims to contain the teachings of Jesus as passed down by the Twelve Apostles and offers a glimpse into how the earliest Christians lived and worshiped. Most scholars date it to the first century A.D., making it a contemporary of the New Testament writings themselves. Some evidence suggests it was known to the author of the Epistle of Barnabas (written between 70 and 135 A.D.) and later referenced by early theologians like Clement of Alexandria (around 200 A.D.) and Origen (around 250 A.D.).

For centuries, however, the Didache was believed to be lost. Our only knowledge of it came through quotations in other works, until 1873, when Orthodox Archbishop Philotheos Bryennios discovered a copy in a manuscript known as the Codex Hierosolymitanus (also called the Bryennios Manuscript or the Jerusalem Codex). This 1056 manuscript contained several important early Christian works, such as the Epistle of Barnabas, the First and Second Epistles of Clement, and an extended version of the Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, as well as the only known complete copy of the Didache.

The Didache itself is a slim text of just sixteen chapters, likely written in Syria or Egypt. It served as a manual of instruction for those preparing to enter the Christian community. It outlines moral teachings (“the way of life and the way of death”), prayer, fasting, baptism, confession, and other essential practices. Although it does not delve deeply into the Eucharist, since it was intended primarily for catechumens, or those not yet baptized, it nonetheless became highly regarded. Early Church Fathers such as Origen, St. Clement, and St. Athanasius all recommended its study, and it went on to influence later works like the Didascalia Apostolorum, the Apostolic Constitutions, and the Ethiopic Didascalia.

I found The Didache deeply moving. There’s a real comfort in seeing how much of what we practice and pray today echoes what those earliest Christians did nearly two thousand years ago. It stands as living proof against the claim that the modern Catholic Church somehow diverged from the early Church. In particular, it challenges the false doctrine of “The Great Apostasy,” showing instead that the Church’s teachings have remained intact from the beginning.

What struck me most was the Didache’s emphasis on Tradition. Many see Tradition as something that holds the Church back, but it is, in fact, what keeps it anchored. Just as God’s nature is unchanging, so too should our worship remain constant. The moral teachings of the Didache, its “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” mirror those in the New Testament, especially the Gospel of Matthew. This continuity across centuries underscores the authenticity and enduring truth of the faith.

The Didache is a must-read for all Christians. I’m so glad I decided to include the early Christian writings in my Bucket List Book Adventure; they’ve added a richness and depth I hadn’t expected.

xoxo a.d. elliott 

P.S. Check out my YouTube Video here: https://youtu.be/-G1-3ppnK4I

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller based in Tontitown, Arkansas.

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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