The Didache: Ancient Voices of Apostolic Prayer and the Two Ways

Introduction

The Didache, translated as “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” is one of the earliest Christian books to have been written independent of the New Testament. Most biblical historians believe that it was created between the years 50 CE to 120 CE. The Didache’s author(s) is unknown, but many biblical historians believe that it was produced by a group of Christians or possibly by a synagogue in Syria, Palestine or surrounding areas.

The Didache provides an unusual peek at how the early Christians prayed, worshipped and held visions of their spiritual beliefs through the liturgies they created. While nothing is known about the author of the Didache, the document itself provides significant insight into the spiritual practice of the early Christians and illustrates the ways that early Christians prayed, meditated on the scriptures and viewed the Holy Communion.

The Mystery of Authorship and Historical Context

The Didache is claimed to be “The Teaching of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles.” As stated above, the Didache is an anonymous document and the historical accuracy of its claims of authorship cannot be verified. There is agreement among modern biblists that the authorship of the Didache was probably not during the period of the Apostles, but was instead authored by an unknown Christian teacher (or multiple teachers) who compiled, organised and systematised an oral tradition for the purpose of educating new converts to Christianity.

The Didache was lost for many centuries until it was rediscovered in 1873 by the Metropolitan Philotheos Bryennios in a monastery library in Constantinople. Its rediscovery reminded Christians that the Didache was one of the most frequently quoted texts by the Fathers of the Church, including Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Origen, and Athanasius. Many early Christians felt that the Didache was a text which could have been included in the New Testament, and, in many of their societies, the Didache was read publicly alongside other Christian Holy Writings.

The Didache’s authorship is placed in the midst of a vibrant Jewish-Christian environment. Thus, the Didache is very similar to the Gospels in that it reflects a Jewish environment and was familiar with Jewish religious practices and ethical teachings. The Didache’s authors were likely located in regions closest to Judaism and would have lived close to the apostles, and therefore can be considered to have preserved some of the traditions of the earliest Christian community. Because of their Jewish origin and Christian beliefs, the authors’ spiritual practices were both distinctly Jewish and distinctly Christian.

The Didache was written for a community at the time that was transitioning from its oral teachings given to them by the apostles to a written format of instruction. In addition to transitioning from oral to written, this community was transitioning from the use of a purely charismatic leadership (a system of appointment based on the Holy Spirit) to a more formal method of organisation (the written letter of the Church). This was also a period of transition for the Church from a community that was primarily composed of Jewish Christians to a community that was rapidly growing to be composed of Gentiles. The Didache was created for a transitional community and was an extremely valuable document in regard to understanding the manner in which early Christians prayed, worshipped and spiritually matured.

The Two Ways: A Contemplative Framework for Life

Didache begins with one of the earliest and most influential teachings of the Christian Faith: the Two Ways. “There are two ways,” the author begins, “one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.” The idea that there are two ways to live, and that choosing one of these two ways is an important decision that needs to be made regularly is the way the Didache’s authors structured the prompts and meditations for the entirety of the readers’ spiritual life.

The Way of Life is initiated with the double commandment of Christ’s greatest commandments: “First, you shall love God who made you; second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The author of the Didache expands this commandment through meditation on Christ’s teachings, including those from the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. The expansion of the “Love of Neighbour” includes: bless those who curse you, pray for enemies, fast for persecutors, give to everyone who asks, share possessions, avoid anger and lust, refuse to swear oaths, turn the other cheek.

The authors of the Didache encouraged the reader(s) to meditate on the above commandments, reflecting on the meaning of loving one’s enemies, as well as what it means to be a disciple of Christ. The Way of Life requires interior transformation, not just external compliance. One must therefore view and picture the loving example of Christ for one’s life daily. By doing so, one will ultimately be inspired and moved to replicate Christ in his or her own life.

The Way of Death, in contrast to the Way of Life, contains a list of vices, including: murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magical arts, robberies, false testimonies, hypocrisies, duplicity, deceit, pride, malice, self-will, greed, filthy talking, jealousy, audacity, arrogance, boastfulness. As the author meditates on the relationship between the above-mentioned vices, we can see that there is a close interconnection between the connection between one vice and another and that when one embraces one vice; it leads to the multiplicative increase of evil.

The contemplative meditation on virtue and vice represented in the Didache is foundational to all later Christian spirituality and meditation. The teaching of the Two Ways appears in a number of other early Christian writings, including monastic “Rules,” catechetical instruction and spiritual guidance. The insight of the Didache’s authors is that our spiritual growth and development consist of making choices and discerning between two radically different paths of spiritual choice.

Furthermore, the Two Ways framework must be continually meditated on and is not a one-time choice made and then forgotten. The Way of Life is a continual choice that must be made constantly; thus, a daily, hourly discernment must be made concerning each thought and action. You must be continually meditative and evaluating how your actions are in accordance with the teachings of Christ, as well as your awareness of the paths on which you are walking.

The Lord’s Prayer: The Pattern of Christian Contemplation

From early Christian writings called the Didache, we see evidence of how Christians prayed. An important part of that is the statement:

Do not pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in his Gospel, pray thus: 'Our Father in heaven...

he Didache then provides what appears to be a version of the Lord’s Prayer that closely resembles what we find in the book of Matthew, with the directive:

Pray thus three times a day.

This simple command to pray three times each day is very revealing as to the spiritual life and teaching of the Didache’s author. The three-times-daily repetition would establish a regular rhythm for daily prayers, providing a consistent return to God throughout the course of each day. Praying three times daily should not be considered just a pious custom, but is also an opportunity to practice contemplative disciplines by stepping outside the worldly concerns we all have and reorienting our minds and hearts to serve God’s will.

While three-times-daily prayer may have corresponded to when Jews prayed—morning, noon, and night—the three-times-daily prayer ritual added a distinctly Christian element to Jewish devotional practices. In other words, it helped establish the “custody of the heart,” which was to provide Christians with ongoing awareness of God’s presence while engaging in their daily routines.

The statement, “as the Lord commanded” rather than “as the hypocrites” indicates the author’s concerns for authentic prayer rather than empty repetition of formalistic texts. The author probably knew that the mere recitation of words did not equal authentic prayer—real prayer requires a sincere engagement with God: when we call upon God in prayer, we truly desire him to be involved in our lives and to help us fulfill the purposes for which he created us.

Within the Didache’s framework, the Lord’s Prayer served as an instrument of contemplation: What are the meaning and importance of hallowing God’s name? What does it mean to seek God? What are the various elements of God’s will for my life? In regard to “daily bread”; is it physical sustenance, spiritual nourishment, or the Eucharist? What does it mean to forgive? What types of tests do I encounter? What is the evil I must be delivered from?

To pray this prayer three times a day means we must continue to think about the answers to these questions, to have them in our minds throughout the entire day, so that they shape what we want and ultimately mold our hearts. The Lord’s Prayer becomes not some words that we have said but an actual, alive way we experience our faith; it serves as a contemplative residence from which we will view all things as God sees them.

The author’s imposition of three-times-daily prayers also suggests communal prayer. While private prayers are enforced through public instruction, the Didache is a communal document that indicates prayers are to be offered together as a community. Congregational prayer through the Lord’s Prayer has provided unity for those praying together, as all are addressing God with the same request for the same kingdom and the same need for dependence upon him.

Fasting: Contemplative Discipline and Spiritual Warfare

Within the Didache we have the particulars regarding fasting, as well as the author’s understanding of fasting as a contemplative discipline and a means of waging spiritual war:

Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays, but do you fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

While the primary emphasis appears to be on a matter of timing, buried deep within this directive is an understanding of what contemplative discipline is meant to accomplish, as well as about the identity into which the author had introduced him or herself.

When the Didache author gave the directive to fast on different days than the “hypocrites,” it was not a matter of being superior or being better than the others, but rather a way of differentiating the early Christians from those who practiced fasting as a method to obtain standing with God. Furthermore, by establishing the time of fasting as different from the non-believing Jewish community, Christians stressed their distinct identity by re-establishing a fasting rhythm while still holding on to their ancient practice of fasting. The Didache author understood that the spiritual practices shape identity, and that exercises that are shared create ties of solidarity.

More importantly, by giving instruction to fast on two separate days, the Didache author indicates that fasting was a regular practice of the early Christian community. To have fasted twice a week surely was part of a person’s normal Christian life; thus, fasting was a contemplative exercise embedded in the fabric of every week and accessible to all believers, not just reserved for select individuals or for the spiritually elite.

Although the Didache does not highlight the spiritual purpose for fasting, it is safe to assume that the author of the Didache believed the early Church community was already aware of the purpose and meaning of fasting within the context of early Christianity’s broader teaching regarding fasting and contemplation. Reflections of repentance and humility toward God, humanity’s need for God’s grace. Fasting lays the foundation for the development of self-control over bodily desires, the will of God, and growing in spiritual warfare. It gives rise to a stronger awareness of God and encourages spiritual sensitivity in the interior of the person.

Fast occurs; that is, Christians’ practice of fasting in solidarity with those who are poor and fast out of necessity. By fasting, Christians enter experientially into deprivation and recognize the experience of many people at all times. This is not just an act of empathy; it is a bodily way to carry the burden of others. Fast also includes the contemplative aspect of fasting, which includes meditating on hunger as a metaphor—longing for justice, recognizing the need for bread from heaven, and realizing that humans cannot live by bread alone.

Fasting occurred on Wednesdays and Fridays. These fasts take on symbolic meaning that later traditions have developed. Wednesday commemorates the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, whereas Friday commemorates his crucifixion. Fasting on these days allows Christians to enter into, in contemplation, the paschal mystery and to unite their own small sufferings with the larger suffering of Christ. Fasting once a week (Wednesdays & Fridays) keeps Christ’s passion continually in believers’ minds, creating an awareness that the crucifixion is not a past event, but is now, through contemplation, an ongoing reality.

Baptism: Mystical Initiation and New Creation

The Didache’s instructions concerning baptism represent the Didache’s author’s understanding that baptism is the mystical initiation into Christ and the Church. The Didache states that candidates for baptism should be instructed in the Two Ways prior to their baptism, that they should fast prior to their baptism, and that they should be baptized using “living” (flowing) water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If flow water is not available, any available water may be used; if candidates cannot be immersed in the water, they may be poured over three times.

While these practical directives would be understood as practical, they also carry significant contemplative theology. The necessity for candidates to learn the Two Ways prior to being baptized indicates that the Didache’s author understands Christian initiation to be an intentional choice of turning away from the Way of Death to take hold of the Way of Life. The act of baptism itself is not simply an external activity that magically changes the candidate, but is an expression of the internal conversion already initiated by the contemplation of Christ.

Additionally, fasting before baptism serves several purposes from a spiritual view. Fasting expresses the seriousness of the candidate’s intent, displays the candidate’s willingness to accept Christian discipline, enables the candidate to participate physically in the sacramental event, and creates greater spiritual sensitivity in them to God. The candidate approaches the water used for baptism having emptied themselves through fasting and is now full of the Holy Spirit.

By preferring to use “living water,” or flowing waters (streams/rivers), to baptize, the Didache connects the use of living water with Jewish purity customs, as well as the rich symbolic meaning associated with living water; which symbolizes: the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal life, and represents Christ as the “Source” of living water. Immersed in flowing waters is to become part of God’s very life and to be lifted up in the activity of limitless Divine Love, to be cleansed by the waters of Heaven, which flow continually.

The Trinitarian formula “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”—places baptism in explicitly theological context. The candidate is initiated not into a philosophy or ethical system but into a relationship with the three-personed God. Baptism becomes mystical union with the Trinity, entrance into the divine life that the Father, Son, and Spirit eternally share.

The act of immersion three times (three times pouring) has contemplative significance. The candidate dies to self, enters into death with Christ, stays in the grave (moment submerged in, or submerged under the water), and is then resurrected to new life (coming out of the water). This death/burial/resurrection pattern (Paschal Mystery) is the foundation for the rhythm of a Christian’s life as the person enters continually into the Divine Life provided through contemplation of the meanings of baptism.

The practical options given by the Didache show the Didache’s commitment to the pastoral care of the candidates. The spiritual nature of baptism is independent of the perfect conditions of external form but rather is based on faith, good intentions, and valid form. This combination of high standards with pastoral flexibility is a group trait of the Didache’s spirituality expressed continually throughout the Didache.

The Eucharist: Mystical Meal and Eschatological Feast

The Eucharistic prayers in the Didache give insight into how the earliest Christians celebrated and understood the Lord’s Supper. The prayers reflect a very deep contemplative and mystical perspective about the Eucharist as expectancy of the heavenly banquet, the participation in the life of Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Church.

The prayer over the cup begins:

We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be glory forever.

This prayer contemplates the Eucharist through the types of the Old Testament, so that there can be continuity between David’s kingdom and the kingdom of Christ and between the vine of Israel, which is the true vine Jesus.

The prayer for the bread concludes with:

We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be glory forever. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom.

As previously stated, this prayer develops several contemplative themes. First of all, it acknowledges the posture of the Eucharist (thanksgiving, eucharistia) as the essence of Christian prayer. The Eucharist is a gift from God to man, since it comes from him. One responds to it with gratitude. Secondly, it acknowledges the duality of life and knowledge as revealed by Jesus. Life and knowledge are not in themselves, but are transformative participation in the divine life itself.

The last two themes drawn from the prayer for the broken bread are that of the Church. The author meditates upon how the grain that was previously dispersed over the mountain is collected; it is ground, baked, and made into one loaf. This also serves as an analogy for the Church, as God has gathered together many individuals from all different places into one body, the body of Christ, through Christ. The Eucharist does not only symbolize the unity of the Church but it creates this oneness as the Church is what it eats — the body of Christ.

The post-Communion Prayer expands on contemplative themes and continues as follows:

We give you thanks, holy Father, for your holy name which you made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you made known to us through Jesus your servant.

The author contemplates how God’s name dwells within believers, how divine presence inhabits the interior temple of the heart.

The prayer culminates in eschatological longing:

Let grace come and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let them come; if anyone is not, let them repent. Maranatha! Amen.

This eschatological dimension reveals the author’s mystical vision. The Eucharist isn’t only a memorial of past events or present communion but anticipation of future fulfillment, foretaste of the heavenly banquet when Christ returns in glory.

The Aramaic cry “Maranatha” (“Our Lord, come!”) especially reveals the contemplative and mystical character of early eucharistic worship. In the midst of the sacred meal, believers cry out for Christ’s return, expressing both longing for his presence and confidence in his promise. This cry bridges past (Christ has come), present (Christ comes in the Eucharist), and future (Christ will come in glory).

The Didache also insists that only the baptized may participate in the Eucharist, showing the author’s understanding of sacramental progression. One must first be initiated through baptism into Christ and his Church before participating in the mystical meal. The Eucharist is a family meal for those already born into God’s family through baptismal rebirth.

Sunday Worship: The Lord’s Day and Eschatological Anticipation

The Didache instructs:

On the Lord's day of the Lord, come together, break bread, and give thanks, having first confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.

This one-line instruction has profound insights from contemplative reflections regarding Sunday worship, confession, and Christian sacrifice. First, the term “Lord’s day” (kyriake hemera) indicates that Sunday is Christ’s day. It, therefore, is not part of the cycle of ordinary time but rather is viewed as Sacred Time, a time to gather before Christ, his presence. Contemplatively, the author understands that Sunday is the Eighth Day, the day following the six days of creation and therefore is understood as the day of the New Creation by the resurrection of Jesus. By gathering on Sunday and not on the Jewish Sabbath day, the Christians have established their identity as the resurrection people or those who live in the New Order which began with Jesus’ Resurrection.

The instruction “to come together” reiterates that the worship of Christ is physical and shared. Though each member of the Body of Christ has great need of private prayer, there is a unique offering of the entire congregation for all Christians together in prayer before God. This gathered Body of Christ is the Church visible in the world, and the author is a product of ecclesial spirituality, which is the spirituality of those in communion with the Body of Christ.

“Break bread and give thanks” is reminiscent of the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles. To “break bread” signifies a memorial action (remembrance of the body of Christ broken on the cross) and participation by virtue of the sacramental reception of the body of Christ. Thanksgiving for the Eucharistic bread makes the meal into the “Sacrifice of Praise,” which offers God gratitude for his Gift of Jesus.

The expectation came with the necessity to confess transgressions before participating in the mystical encounter with Jesus. There are no exceptions to this requirement to offer confession. The act of confession prepares the heart to be pure and removes any barriers to receiving Christ. Moreover, confession restores the right relationship of the believer with God and with the other believers.

The confession of sins followed an individual moral preparation and an assembly through communes. There is an individual examination of conscience and a communal examination of the entire assembly. The author expresses the reality of a wrong relationship with God and the assembly will also provide an example of a higher level of accountability and humility.

The author meditates on the designation of the Eucharist as a sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary is one of eternal and infinite effect and is sufficient for all. The Church’s Eucharistic offering participates in the Eucharistic Sacrifice in a sacramental way and enables the Church to unite her worship with the eternal worship offered to God before his throne.

Сhurch Order and Spiritual Discernment

The Didache’s directions on how to welcome and deal with the apostolic ministry of travel and prophecy demonstrate a depth of spiritual discernment, using an ongoing testing or “discerning of spirits” to separate authentic from false teaching as well as natural or humanly driven teachers from those who are authentic and driven by God.

The Didache contains practical instruction about several very important fundamentals to this process of discernment. For instance, if someone is sent to you from God as a traveling apostle, it is appropriate to treat them as if they were Jesus Christ Himself. However, they should only be allowed to remain with you for a maximum of two days. If during this time they ask you for money, that reveals them as a false prophet. On the other hand, if they come to your community to settle down and are authentic prophets, you should offer them support. If they live in a manner contrary to their own teachings, they are false prophets. It is important to understand that anyone who claims to have been prompted by the Spirit to say to you “give me money” is also a false prophet.

From a contemplative perspective, the practice of discernment is rooted in wisdom about human nature, spiritual warfare, and the characteristics of true holiness. The Didache’s author demonstrates knowledge of the counterfeiting of spiritual gifts and the way religious language can sometimes serve as a mask for selfishness. The author also understands how real or legitimate charismata exist alongside human weaknesses, therefore it is necessary to penetrate beyond the surface of what people do to perceive the interior reality of who they are. The discernment process is based on the understanding of the phrase “by their fruits you will know them.” True prophets will have the characteristics of Jesus, such as humility, generosity, and consistency between their teaching and their lives. False prophets, on the other hand, will exhibit the characteristics of greed, pride, living off others without working, and hypocrisy.

The Didache’s instruction to provide for the needs of those who are authentic prophets or teachers living in the community indicates that the author also had an understanding that contemplative gifts and teaching gifts would require the material means of support from the community. Individuals who are involved in prayer, prophecy, and teaching will need to have the means to continue their work within the community. Providing for someone’s means of support is not equivalent to paying for someone to perform a spiritual service; this is providing an environment for the gifted individual to use his or her charismata for the benefit of the entire community.

The Didache’s provisions regarding the appointment of bishops (overseers) and deacons indicates that the early Church was transforming from a purely charismatic leadership model to an institutional model. The Didache’s author does not consider the two different models of leadership to be mutually exclusive; rather, he sees the two different types of leadership as complementary. Appointed local leaders work alongside the traveling charismatic ministers. Both appointed and unappointed leaders need to have the spiritual discernment and the Way of Life reflected in their lives.

In addition, this section provides valuable insights into the contemplative practice of communal discernment. The Church, as a body, discerns truth from error by testing the claims of individuals, observing their lifestyle, discerning the spiritual realm of influence in their lives, and making a decision to accept or reject them as members of the community.

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving: The Three Pillars

While the Didache does not explicitly state that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of asceticism, it does establish these three disciplines as the most comprehensive balance for a healthy spiritual life, within the totality of the human experience: spirit, body, and possessions.

The Didache’s author exhibits great wisdom in that he recommends practicing all three disciplines regularly and with moderation, rather than encouraging an extreme emphasis on one discipline or the other. Prayer = our conscious relationship with our Creator; Fasting = our discipline of our body and will; Almsgiving = our breaking the bondage of our possessions, while serving the needs of our neighbour. All three practices address the primary attachments of humanity that act as barriers to spiritual growth, namely: self-will (which is countered by prayer); bodily desires (which are countered by fasting); and material possessions (which are countered by almsgiving).

From a contemplative perspective, the integrated practice of the three disciplines interacts with and reinforces the others. Prayer reveals the need for fasting and self-control, therefore, motivating us to fast; fasting heightens our ability to be sensitive to the Spirit, thereby deepening our prayers; both prayer and fasting reveal our attachments/attachments to our possessions; and finally, almsgiving expresses our love for our neighbour in a way that is grounded in prayer, backed by fasting.

The Didache’s author possesses an insight into the transformation process of spiritual formation: in order to grow spiritually, we must not merely contemplate and have an emotional experience but also have a disciplined lifestyle in conjunction with our actions in the physical world. If we are limited to just praying, we will be disconnected from God. If we are limited to just fasting, we may become an ascetic with no relationship to Christ. If we are limited to just giving alms, we may develop a false sense of righteousness. When we practice all three in unison, we develop a balance that creates a holistic spiritual life engaging our entire being.

The integration of all three pillars of asceticism prevents extremes of asceticism and permissiveness. The Didache does not advocate for ascetic practices like fasting for heroic lengths of time, nor does it advise people to take the extreme step of eliminating all possessions from their lives; rather, it encourages all members of the community to practice fasting two times each week and to be generous in providing help to those who are less fortunate. The moderate emphasis enables the believer to be able to continue in the practice of the three pillars and prevents “burnouts” that often develop when someone practices extremes.

Eschatological Watchfulness: Contemplating Christ’s Return

The Didache concludes with an apocalyptic section urging watchfulness for Christ’s return.

Watch over your life; let your lamps be not quenched and your loins be not ungirded, but be ready, for you do not know the hour in which our Lord comes.

This exhortation to vigilance represents a crucial contemplative practice—living in constant awareness of Christ’s coming.

The author describes a number of signs of the coming of Christ, including an increase in lawlessness, an increase in false prophets, persecution of believers, signs of the end from the heavens, and ultimately, the appearance of the deceiver. Rather than using eschatology to merely predict future events, this author uses it to set the context for current experience. Contemplating the return of Christ gives us a sense of urgency to remain faithful and encourages us to persevere through our suffering, while at the same time, gives us a perspective on our suffering by relativizing it to the expectation of the glory to come when Christ returns.

The Didache’s exhortation to “keep your lamps burning” and to “gird your loins” uses vocabulary that echoes that of the parable of the ten virgins and other Gospel passages that speak regarding the importance of readiness. The contemplative practice of maintaining spiritual watchfulness is essential to remain mindful of the eternal reality of the return of Christ and keeping the distractions of everyday life and of the culture from dulling our awareness of eternity. In order to maintain the vigilant attitude, a regularly scheduled examination of our spiritual readiness must also take place. Am I prepared? Is my life being lived in accordance to what Jesus satisfied? Am I living the Way of Life?

The document ends with a vision of Christ’s return:

Then shall the sign of the Son of Man appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And then shall the trumpet sound, and he shall send his angels and gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

This contemplation of Christ’s glorious return in clouds and power provides hope that balances the stern warnings. The author invites readers to imagine this moment—the heavens opening, Christ descending, angels gathering the faithful, the culmination of salvation history. This mystical vision shapes present living, offering perspective that earthly sufferings are temporary while coming glory is eternal.

The Didache’s Legacy for Christian Spirituality

Although the Didache is a short document, it continues to have a profound impact on how Christians pray and contemplate their faith. The Didache’s teachings about the Two Ways served as the basis for catechetical instruction for hundreds of years and provided a way to understand conversion and moral development. The order of ethical teaching, worship, and eschatology has become the standard for future guides and books about spirituality.

The Didache helped to shape the way early Christians worshiped. Many of the liturgies of the early church were based on the material from the Didache, demonstrating how this early Christian document shaped the way Christians worship as a community. The Didache’s emphasis on the Eucharist and its importance as an act of thanksgiving and unity with God and one another helped to shape the development of sacramental theology.

The balance of spirituality in the Didache – prayer, fasting and almsgiving; instructions and sacraments; individual faith and corporate faith; present faith and future hope – served as a model for a balanced Christian life. While later spiritual traditions would emphasise different aspects of spirituality, the comprehensive nature of the Didache served as the standard for Christian spirituality, reminding Christians that authentic spirituality encompasses each dimension of life.

The community discernment teachings in the Didache shaped how the church made decisions and judged teachers. The ways that communities tested teachers, appointed leaders, and balanced charismatic and institutional authority shaped the structure of the early church while maintaining appreciation for the Spirit’s ability to work in spontaneous ways.

Above all, the Didache preserves the voice of the apostolic age and connects later Christians to the practices and perspectives of the very earliest Christians. In an age when the church is continually tempted to innovate or return to archaic practices, the Didache serves as a reminder of the ancient foundation of the church while demonstrating that these foundational teachings were lived out in vibrant and practical expressions of belief rather than assumptions or theories.

Conclusion: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Seekers

The anonymous author(s) of the Didache has provided today’s Christians with a valuable resource for discovering the prayer life and spiritual practice of the apostolic age. While we have no personal information about the author(s), the content of this document speaks eloquently about contemplative wisdom, liturgical prayer, moral development, and eschatological hope.

The spirituality of the Didache is rooted in foundational choices, expressed most clearly in the Two Ways which serve as the foundation for all aspects of the Christian life – the daily choice to walk toward life and away from death. This moral clarity is the basis for a contemplative life, establishing the ethical requirements necessary for a genuine mystical encounter with God. A person cannot truly pray if he or she has resentments towards others that are not forgiven, cannot participate in the Eucharist if he or she clings to unconfessed sin, and cannot love God and hate one’s neighbour at the same time.

The liturgical instructions in the Didache – preparation for baptism, the prayers for the Eucharist, and the Sunday service – describe how the early Christian community encountered Christ through sacramental participation. The liturgy was not simply a series of rituals, but a mystical reality where heaven and earth met, where the community of believers participated in eternal realities through temporal representations. The author’s spirituality was profoundly sacramental in that he understood the divine to be expressed through material objects and communal acts.

Finally, the rhythm of fasting and prayer prescribed by the Didache provided a way for all Christians to sustain contemplative practice. The practice of praying the Lord’s Prayer three times a day and fasting two days a week is not an immense asceticism, but a normal level of devotion for those who are serious about their Christianity. This spiritual approach promotes the view that deep communion with God is possible for everyone and is not just for the elite monks.

The eschatological concern of the Didache challenges complacent Christians. The author understood the return of Christ to not be merely a future Christian hope, but rather an imminent event requiring present readiness. This eschatological tension between what has already happened and what has not yet happened creates a holy suspense that exists between the present and the future, between what is known and what is not known.

Therefore, the Didache holds several important gifts for seekers today. First, it shows that true spirituality is not about complex techniques or bizarre secrets, but faithful practice of the core spiritual disciplines – prayer, fasting, almsgiving, sacramental practice, communal worship, and living ethically. Second, it illustrates how spirituality integrates action and contemplation; external actions and internal prayer; personal devotion and communal worship. Third, it provides specific guidelines for spiritual practices that are as relevant to believers in the twenty-first century as they are to first-century Christians.

Most importantly, the Didache is a reminder that authentic Christian spirituality has its roots in the times of the apostles. Through the utilisation of the Lord’s Prayer, fasting prior to the Eucharist, and examining oneself in accordance with the Two Ways, Christians today can connect with the thousands of generations of believers who have existed since the beginning of Christianity’s existence. This communion of believers reaffirms the truth that the same Spirit who filled the apostles fills today’s believers, and the same Lord they served is still with us, and that the same Way of Life they walked is open to all Christians today as it has always been.

The Didache encourages all believers to walk this timeless path, to pray as the apostles prayed, to live as the apostles lived, to hope as the apostles hoped. By renewing our commitment to these foundational practices, we preserve authentic Christian tradition while reestablishing contact with the Living Water Source which brings healing to our souls as we pursue communion with God. The contemplative wisdom contained within The Didache is as pertinent and life-changing today as it was at the time of its recording nearly 2000 years ago. It calls every Christian of every generation to strive for the Way of Life which leads to the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit, now, and forever. Amen.