What Scripture says
The New Testament gives instructions on baptism (Matthew 28:19, ESV), the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23–26) and prayer (Matthew 6:9–13), and warns about testing prophets (1 John 4:1, Matthew 7:15–20). The Didache builds on these. It doesn’t claim to be apostolic Scripture itself.
What the evidence says
History
What it is
The Didache (Greek for “teaching”), full title “The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles through the Twelve Apostles”, is a short church manual of 16 chapters. It was known by name from ancient writers, but lost for centuries until a manuscript, copied in 1056, was found in a library in Constantinople and published in 1883.
What it contains
The Two Ways (chapters 1–6). A moral teaching contrasting “the way of life” and “the way of death”, drawing heavily on Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: love God and neighbour, bless those who curse you, give to everyone who asks. It forbids abortion and infanticide, among the earliest Christian texts to do so explicitly.
Church practice (chapters 7–15):
- Baptism in “living” (running) water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; if none is available, other water, or pouring water on the head three times.
- Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays (not Mondays and Thursdays, as “the hypocrites” do).
- Prayer: the Lord’s Prayer, three times a day.
- The Eucharist, with some of the earliest Christian eucharistic prayers.
- Travelling apostles and prophets: welcome them, but test them. A prophet who stays more than two days, or asks for money, is a false prophet.
- Sunday worship and choosing bishops and deacons.
The end times (chapter 16): a short warning to watch for the Lord’s coming.
Date
Scholars date it between about AD 50 and 120, making it one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament. Some parts may be older than others.
Why it wasn’t Scripture
Its title connects it with the apostles’ teaching, but it doesn’t claim to be written by an apostle, and reads as a compilation. Eusebius listed it among spurious books, and Athanasius in 367 listed it among books useful for new believers, but separate from the canon.
| Feature | Didache |
|---|---|
| Date | c. AD 50–120 |
| Type | Church manual |
| Claims apostolic authorship? | No; claims to pass on apostolic teaching |
| Status | Valued instruction, not Scripture |
Where they meet
The Didache is a priceless window into early Christian worship and ethics, and it shows how closely early churches followed Jesus’ teaching. It was treasured but never placed among the apostolic writings.
What’s still open
Its exact date and place of origin (Syria and Egypt are both proposed).
Bottom line
The Didache is a church manual from around AD 50–120 on baptism, prayer and the Lord’s Supper. It was treasured, but never claimed apostolic authorship, so leaving it out is rated Settled.