What Does the Didache Teach About Christian Living?
1. The Didache and the Pattern of Christian Life
The Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is one of the earliest noncanonical writings in Christianity. It was written to provide practical guidance for how believers should live as disciples of Jesus. While the Bible is God’s inspired Word, the Didache functions as a community manual, showing how the first generations of Christians understood moral conduct, worship, and daily faith.
At its core, the Didache emphasizes that Christian living involves walking in the way of life and rejecting the way of death. This theme echoes biblical teaching, where Moses set before Israel “life and death, blessing and curse” (Deuteronomy 30:19). It also reflects Jesus’ own words: “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction… How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
The Didache’s instruction is not Scripture, but it reveals how early Christians grounded their lives in the Word of God and sought to obey Christ in everyday matters.
2. The Two Ways: Life and Death
The first six chapters of the Didache describe what has often been called the “Two Ways” teaching. This section lays out the way of life and the way of death.
The Way of Life is marked by love of God and love of neighbor. It repeats the biblical command: “You shall love God who made you; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” It exhorts believers to follow the words of Jesus, blessing those who curse them and praying for their enemies (Matthew 5:44).
The Way of Death is characterized by murder, greed, deceit, idolatry, and hypocrisy. The Didache lists these sins to show what must be rejected if one is to live as a follower of Christ.
This teaching reflects the moral seriousness of Christian living. Believers were to be different from the surrounding world, not conformed to its ways (Romans 12:2). In this sense, the Didache reminds the church that discipleship involves both positive obedience and decisive rejection of sin.
3. Baptism, Fasting, and Prayer
The Didache also gives instructions for the practices that shaped Christian living.
Baptism is presented as the rite of entry into the Christian community. It directs that baptism should be performed “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” echoing Matthew 28:19. Baptism symbolizes repentance and new life, as Paul writes: “We were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… so we too may walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
Fasting is commanded twice a week, though distinct from the fasting days of the Jews. This illustrates how early Christians sought to live disciplined lives of devotion. Jesus assumed his disciples would fast (Matthew 6:16–18), and the Didache continues this expectation.
Prayer is highlighted through the use of the Lord’s Prayer. The Didache instructs believers to pray it three times a day. This practice aligns daily life with the kingdom of God, echoing Jesus’ command: “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy” (Matthew 6:9).
These practices show that Christian living was not only about belief but also about embodied habits that shaped the community’s life before God.
4. Worship and the Lord’s Supper
The Didache also provides guidance for how Christians worshiped together. It contains prayers for the cup and the bread, expressing thanksgiving to God for life, knowledge, and eternal salvation revealed through Jesus.
Unlike later liturgies, the Didache’s prayers do not explicitly reference Christ’s death on the cross, but they assume the saving work of Christ and emphasize thanksgiving. This reflects the biblical command to “do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25).
The Didache also connects worship with holiness. It warns that only the baptized should partake of the Lord’s Supper, for Christian living required purity of heart and faith in Christ. In this way, the Didache reinforces what Scripture teaches: “Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).
5. Leadership and Community Life
Another area where the Didache instructs Christian living is in leadership and community structure. It mentions itinerant apostles, prophets, and teachers, as well as the appointment of local bishops and deacons. These leaders were tasked with maintaining order, teaching sound doctrine, and caring for the community.
The Didache emphasizes discernment, warning that not every prophet is genuine. Believers must test the spirits, just as John instructs: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 4:1).
Christian living was not an individual pursuit but a shared life. The Didache shows that early Christians were deeply communal, supporting one another materially, spiritually, and morally. This reflects the biblical vision that the church is one body with many members (1 Corinthians 12:12–27).
6. Watchfulness and the Coming Kingdom
The Didache concludes with an exhortation to remain watchful for the return of Christ. It describes times of tribulation, false prophets, and the coming of the Lord. The faithful are called to endure to the end.
This eschatological vision ties Christian living to hope in God’s kingdom. Believers are to remain steadfast, knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Christian living, according to the Didache, is not simply about rules or rituals. It is about persevering in faith until the day when Christ comes to make all things new. The hope of the kingdom fuels holiness, endurance, and love in the present.
Conclusion
The Didache is not part of the Bible, but it provides a valuable portrait of how early Christians understood discipleship. It teaches that Christian living involves walking in the way of life, practicing baptism, fasting, and prayer, worshiping together at the Lord’s Table, living in community, and remaining watchful for Christ’s return.
Most importantly, the Didache reflects the central truth of the Gospel—that God’s people are called to live under the reign of Christ, shaped by his Word and empowered by his Spirit. The church today can still learn from this ancient manual, while always recognizing that Scripture alone is the inspired authority for life and godliness.
