Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is perhaps the most important literary discovery of the past century. More books and articles have been written about it than any other document from the ante-Nicene era of the church, and it prompts similar interest today. The manuscript that contains the work was discovered in 1875 and published in 1883, causing a worldwide sensation and resulting in over a hundred publications the first year. The Teaching, or Didache, is a first century Christian catechism-a body of beliefs and practices maintained by the early church prior to baptism. It provides evidence of a simpler, less institutional body of believers. Its content preserves authentic apostolic instruction from a period when the New Testament was not compiled and the teachings of Jesus were still transmitted orally. The Didache is an essential tool for understanding the first-century church, and has been included in all histories of that era. Due to the nature of the work! , it covers a wide range of topics including: Prayer, Fasting, Baptism, Eucharist, Tithing, Home Life, Church Offices, and the Last Days.

The discovery and contents of the Didache were discussed in the printed media for three months before America received her first complete English edition on March 27, 1884. It was the product of two renowned American scholars from Union Theological Seminary in New York: Francis Brown and R. D. Hitchcock. Their volume sold twelve hundred copies the first day and contained the first complete Greek text, a literal translation on the opposite page, and brief comments on the more difficult portions. Their intent was to make a copy available to the public as quickly as possible while they prepared a more complete study. Their second edition was issued the following year with 85 pages of text and commentary and 115 pages of introduction. Included in this work was a thirteen-page "Digest of the Didache Literature" prepared by the renowned church historian, Philip Schaff, who issued his own edition of the Didache the next year. The number of entries in the Digest demonstrates the interest generated in the academic community, an intrigue that continues to cross denominational boundries.