Review: Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the 12 Apostles
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2012
The bookChristian Writing Decoded: The Didacheis part of a new series where the author gives us a background on some of the earliest Christian writings from the Apostolic Fathers.  Some Church fathers did consider the Didache  to be a  canonical  work but it was not included in the New Testament.  In this book the author gives us a detailed explanation of this work from the history of when it was thought to be written ---- who wrote it or edited it --- how it connects teaching in Judaism to passages in the old testament then to passages in the new testament.  It is considered to be the oldest surviving Catechism.It was written after the original apostles were gone and the Church needed to give Christian teachings a distinct identity from  Judaism.  At the time the church leaders were doing this they would be converting both Gentiles and Jews.  The didache has 3 sections: The two ways, one of life and one of death,  instruction on Baptism and the Eucharist and  the beginnings of the early organization of the Church with regards to prophets, deacons and bishops.I never really heard of the Didache but I have heard Christians say in giving testimony of their faith say I'm walking in the way of the Lord.  The two ways is a reference to basically following the golden rule and entering heaven by the narrow gate.  The author gives many biblical references.  Tobit 4:15  Do to no one what you would not want done to you  or  Do not do to anyone what you yourself would hate.Matt 7:12  So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the law and the Prophets or  So whatever you wish that men would do to  you, do so to them; for this the law and the prophets.  In the new testament Jesus now gives the golden rule as something positive  rather than negative.I would highly recommend because it is very comprehensive and is still relevant today.  Some readers might want to use the instructions under the two ways  as a way to meditate and go over how they live  their lives.