Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry - Blog

The Didache and the Coptic Church Order

8/4/2021

Tour of Christian History
8/4/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document Vi: The Coptic Church Order." Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 249-287.

Schaff introduces material published in 1848, The Apostolical Constitutions, or Canons of the Apostles in Coptic. This work, in seven books, "is derived from the same sources as the Apostolical Constitutions, but is probably older" (Schaff 1886, 249). Schaff reproduces an English version of book one (Schaff 1886, 250-257). The material, furnished without comment, shows a similarity to the Two Ways material of the Didache.

Schaff continues with a reprint of a Greek and English version of the Apostolical Constitutions, which he considers "an enlargement of the Didache, adapted to the state of the Eastern Church in the first half of the fourth century" (Schaff 1886, 259). In Schaff's reprint of book seven, he makes note of passages which come from the Didache (Schaff 1886, 259-287).

Schaff's book concludes with an English and Greek version of an autobiographical sketch of Bryennios, then some additional bibliographical references to the Didache.

God's Mighty Hands

8/3/2021

Tuesdays are for the Old Testament
8/3/21

Augustine. Exposition on the Book of Psalms. Schaff, Philip (editor). New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1886. Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers: Series 1: Volume VIII. Re-published 2014, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle electronic edition, ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-372-3.
“Psalm 119: "Jod"

Augustine takes Psalm 119:73, referring to God's "hands" to refer to his power and his wisdom, both of which serve as metaphorical references to Christ (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339390, par. 72). It is interesting to Augustine that when God works with His hands he is also working through his word. Verse 74 directs the reader to the purpose of God's work, which will bring people to fear God and believe in him (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339411, par. 75).

Verses 75-76 tie the concepts of God's righteous judgment, his truth, mercy, and comfort. Augustine finds that mercy and truth are normally found together in Scripture (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339419, par. 76). Here it is truth first, leading to mercy. Augustine sees truth as that which humbles us before God, bringing death, and then mercy, which gives us life according to God's promise (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339423, par. 76).

Verse 78 then moves to the overall general principle. The righteous, meditating on God's law (v. 78), turn together (v. 79) as partakers in God's divine nature. Augustine sees this as our portion because of Christ, who shared "our mortal state" (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339437, par. 79). So in verse 80 the Psalmist's prayer is to be unashamed.

Documents of Many Similar Names

8/2/2021

Tour of Christian History
8/2/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document V: The Apostolical Church Order, or The Ecclesiastical Canons of the Holy Apostles" Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 237-247.

Schaff reminds his readers to note carefully the difference between this document and the Apostolical Constitutions or the Apostolical Canons. There are similarities. This document serves "as an interesting link between the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles and the Pseudo-Clementile Apostolical Constitutions" (Schaff 1886, 237). Schaff notes the differences among several editions before reproducing without comment a Greek and English text (Schaff 1886, 238-247). The work is fairly similar to the Two Ways material of the Didache, put by turns into the mouths of the different apostles. In his English text, Schaff italicizes the content he finds in the Didache.

Mark 10:35-45 - Lectionary for James the Elder

7/29/2021

7/29/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

James and John are a lot like the rest of us. In Mark 10:35-45 they want to have positions of honor in Christ's kingdom. This really shouldn't surprise us. After all, Jesus chose James and John to follow him. They are among his closest inner circle, along with Peter. They have left their former livelihood to follow a Messianic hope. When Jesus takes his throne, they would like him to remember them with positions of authority.

We're that way also. We talk really well about our desire to serve Jesus regardless of whether we receive a reward or not, but we'd like to be in a position of influence. We may say our career aspirations are to be faithful, but we frankly would be disappointed if that faithfulness didn't eventually result in having more authority than the person who just started in the career. We also wouldn't mind having pay raises and hopes of retirement. We want to be rewarded for what we do.

That's perfectly normal. However, Jesus shows a different way. He who would be great must be the servant of all. That's just what Jesus did. He laid down his life in love and service to his neighbor (all of humanity), accepting scorn, shame, pain, and finally death.

I guarantee you, if you work long enough in your career, you'll receive death as wel. You might not have the other issues, but given enough years, the result is death. Our life isn't tied up in the honor we may receive, the authority, the retirement plan, or any of the other things that may come along with our faithful service. It's tied up in Jesus, the Lord who lived and died for us. In fact, we'll probably receive the honor, authority, the pay raise, the bonus now and then if we are faithful with what we are doing. But Jesus is the one who makes it all work for good in this world. So he points us, along with James and John, to his eternity.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

The didache and the Shepherd of Hermas

7/29/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/29/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document IV: Hermas." Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 233-235.

Schaff describes the Shepherd of Hermas as "a guide of Christian morality in the shape of an allegory or romance" (Schaff 1886, 233). It contains "two parallels to the first and second chapters of the Didache, with some features resembling Barnabas (Schaff 1886, 233). Schaff dates Hermas later than the Didache. He then presents Commandment II.4-6 and VIII.3-5 in Greek and English without comment (Schaff 1886, 234-235).

Romans 8:28-39 - Lectionary for James the Elder

7/28/2021

7/28/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

There's so much to focus on in Romans chapter 8, we could never exhaust it all. I want to focus on just one little portion today. It's easily overlooked. All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

Do all things work together for good? Not necessarily. For people who don't love God and who aren't living according to his purpose, they might not work for good. They might just work for evil!

Before anyone despairs, saying, "I thought I loved God but bad things have been happening in my life so maybe I don't actually love God!" let me point out that if you are concerned in this way, if you care what God may be saying to you or doing in your life, it is evidence that you do love God. We live in a sin-cursed world and we don't always see the way things work together for good.

What is God's purpose in this? It is in verse 29. He is busy conforming his people to his image. What does this mean? It means that Jesus, the one who loved us and who lived a life of perfect holiness, trusting God the Father in all things, is making us into people who are also in perfect fellowship with God. He wants to be "the firstborn among many brothers." This means he plans to raise you and me from the dead in the last day, made into the image of God, raised in his perfect righteousness.

At that time, not only will all things be working together for good for us, but we'll see them in action. His purpose will be finally accomplished.

In the meantime, we take courage from this passage. Can anything separate us from God's love in Christ? Nothing at all. He is working in us and in many others by his love to build us into the people he would have us be in eternity. It will all work.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Borrowing by Barnabas

7/28/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/28/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document III: Barnabas." Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 227-232.

Schaff observes that the Epistle of Barnabas "has an appendix of four chapters not found in the old Latin version, and regarded by some as spurious" (Schaff 1886, 227). In that appendix, chapters 18-20 have some similarity to the Two Ways portion of the Didache. Schaff also notes that eschatological material in chapter four resembles that of Didache 16).

The Greek style is not smooth and suggests the material was borrowed clumsily from another source.

Schaff continues with text and translation of the similar portions.

Psalm 56 - Lectionary for James the Elder

7/27/2021

7/27/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

It's easy to take a snippet of Scripture like Psalm 56:3-4 and use it as an easy platitude. Maybe we could go to the Avocation Foyer store or some such place and find it plastered on a picture of someone praying.

I don't want to undervalue the fear and trembling with which some people approach life on a daily basis. Some of it may be nearly invisible. Not all enemies are those described in the Psalm, people who are involved in attack, oppression, stalking, and attempted murder. The enemies, especially the spiritual enemies, who hide in our thoughts and our fears are genuine enemies as well.

However, this Psalm addresses the fears we have of visible enemies who can be clearly defined due to their overt attempts to slander and kill.

When the enemy comes to your house intent upon destroying the house and killing everyone in it, what is the godly response according to Psalm 56? It is not a response of fear. It may be a response of running out of the back door and hiding while the enemy comes in through the front door. But it isn't fear.

Those enemies might be able to kill you. It's their intent. However, God's presence is greater than any enemy. He is the one who is worthy of praise. He's the one who can protect you from eternal harm. Even if they kill my body, I am perfectly safe in Christ, who has promised to be the resurrection and the life, the one who will raise my body and reunite it with my soul in eternity.

In God there is no fear. Whether the enemies are visible or invisible, there is no fear. He is able to keep us forever.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

God's Sweetness

7/27/2021

Tuesdays are for the Old Testament
7/27/21

Augustine. Exposition on the Book of Psalms. Schaff, Philip (editor). New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1886. Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers: Series 1: Volume VIII. Re-published 2014, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle electronic edition, ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-372-3.
“Psalm 119: "Teth"

In Psalm 119:65 God has spoken in sweetness. Augustine observes that "sweetness" may be an attribute of evil as well, but that the Greek specifically implies a good sweetness, so translations typically say "goodness" (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339337, par. 62). The Psalmist, as one who receives God's sweetness, asks for more, along with understanding and knowledge (v. 66). Augustine emphasizes that this is a desire for God's teaching and discipline (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339349, par. 63). It is significant to Augustine that this is a matter of learning. Belief and learning go hand in hand (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339358, par. 65).

Verse 67 again refers to the condition without God's Law. The Psalmist went wrong before being humbled. Augustine takes this to be the state of man in fallen Adam (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339362, par. 66). Becoming an object of God's mercy takes away pride and misery. God's nature, in verse 68, is sweet.

In trial, however, as in verse 69, iniquity of others is placed upon us (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339366, par. 68). Augustine sees this as a contrast which makes the sweetness of God more visible. Verse 70 describes the heart of the proud as curdled milk. This is the result of iniquity (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339375, par. 69).

In humility, then, it is good to learn God's righteousness (v. 71). This is the Psalmist's commitment. Augustine sees this as a parallel to the nature of Christ. He knew all about sin, but "knew not sin." Rather, he reproved sin (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339379, par. 70). The stanza concludes in verse 72 that the word of God is priceless.

Acts 11:27-12:5 - Lectionary for James the Elder

7/26/2021

7/26/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

We often wonder what in the world our government officials might be thinking. Some of the reasoning that comes out in the form of laws or emergency actions seems bizarre at best. Yet it is nothing new.

In Acts 12 Herod had James arrested and killed. Verse one suggests this action was more or less a test, to see what people would think. Because it was a popular action among the Jews, he then arrested Peter. By this method, possibly he could present Peter to the people after Passover. Perhaps they would decide Peter should die. If not, Herod could look like the good guy who stopped Peter from being executed.

Political pragmatism is almost always a bad idea. It leads to division among the people. It makes leaders appear weak. It plants doubt in the minds of the public, and of other leaders, whether policies are actually heartfelt, whether promises mean anything, and to what level a leader will stoop so as to get his own way.

James the brother of John was executed. Yet there were other Christians who were able to take his place among the leaders of the Christians in Jerusalem. God's kingdom can't be stopped so easily. Moved by the arrests, the Christians gathered together to pray. When Peter was released from prison by supernatural means, he went "to another place" which is not specified. No doubt, he took the Gospel with him. So did all the Christians emboldened by the work of God.

No, Christ's kingdom can't be stopped very easily. It is an everlasting kingdom. Though James lost his earthly life, he was instrumental in gaining a heavenly reward for many others.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Piecing Fragments Together

7/26/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/26/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document II: A Latin Fragment of the Doctrina Apostolorum." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 219-225.

The Latin fragment of the Doctrina Apostolorum reproduces material found in the Didache's Two Ways narrative. Schaff had previously referred to the fragment in chapter 26 (Schaff 1886, 219). He reproduces the Latin and a parallel English translation of the fragment (Schaff 1886, 219-220). before appending critical comments provided by B. B. Warfield. The remainder of the chapter is by Warfield.

Warfield considers as a "cultural problem" the relationship between the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas (Schaff 1886, 220). The wording of the Latin fragment corresponding to that of Barnabas strikes Warfield as evidence that Barnabas was dependent, at least in part, on some version of the Didache (Schaff 1886, 221). Warfield sees Barnabas' style to be that of adding to an argument and makign a lengthy discourse from a few borrowed words. Other documents known to be dependent on this portion of the Didache do not have the expansion seen in Barnabas.

Warfield goes on to describe the textual differences among these documents (Schaff 1886, 221-222). He then concludes as follows. "We have two well-marked recensions of the Didache text, - the one represented by the old Latin, Barnabas, and the Canons, and the other by the Bryennios MS and the Apostolical Constitutions" (Schaff 1886, 222). He therefore takes all the variants to have some relation to an original text of the Didache. Warfield sees an underlying version of the Didache used by Barnabas, but that some alterations came into the text afte rthat time, up to the version copied by the scribe Leon in the 11th century (Schaff 1886, 223).

Warfield moves on to trace the supposed transmission of the Didache. He proposes two stages. One he finds in Barnabas and the Canons. The other he traces through Hermas, Clement of Alexandria, and the Apostolical Constitutions. This second he considers to have led to the Constantinopolitan Manuscript we have (Schaff 1886, 224). He is quick to say that the variation is not very great (Schaff 1886, 225).

John 20:1-2, 10-18 - Lectionary for Mary Magdalene

7/22/2021

7/22/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

There sure are a lot of people named Mary involved in the ministry of Jesus. John's Gospel identifies the Mary known as "Magdalene" as the one who is first to not find Jesus on the first day of the week after the crucifixion.

Her expectation was that Jesus would be lying in the tomb, dead. Yet she went anyway. In her time of grief, she may have just wanted to look upon him one more time, or to make sure nobody had done anything with the body. The Synoptic Gospels suggest that she was not alone and that they were planning to make sure the burial customs with ointments and spices were completed all the way.

However it shook out, John wants to be sure we know she went to the tomb, and she arrived there early, before it was light. When she didn't find Jesus, she brought that news to the other disciples.

After some investigation, they went home, but Mary stayed outside the tomb, weeping. She didn't believe the resurrection. She thought Jesus had not only died and remained dead, but that his body had been stolen. This is troubling news indeed.

I wonder if we can rightly appreciate her joy. When Jesus came to her and made himself known to her she realized that he was not only alive, but right there with her. He let Mary be the first eyewitness of the resurrection, and sent her to tell the others. In this sense she was the first evangelist who spoke as a witness to the resurrection.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Mary's message has not changed over the years. She saw the Lord, risen from the dead, perfectly alive. He remains the risen Lord. The message of resurrection is for you and for me, for all people in every generation. It is the message which speaks of the hope all Christians have of rising with their Lord on the last day.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Schaff's Didache with Explanation

7/22/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/22/21

Schaff, Philip. "Document I: The Didache in Greek and English with Explanatory Notes." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 161-218.

Schaff provides a reprint of the Jerusalem Manuscript, with an English translation. He follows the chapter divisions which were imposed by Bryennios, and the verse divisions as created by Harnack, expecting these to prevail (Schaff 1886, 161). In his hexpectation, he is correct.

The footnotes and cross references are of particular interest. Schaff provides very detailed notes, including references to and brief comments on patristic works. These notes deserve further study and evaluation as part of my academic project but may be too intricate to unpack for the context of a blog post. As a note to myself, I plan to pull this information into my analytical text.

Acts 13:26-31 - Lectionary for Mary Magdalene

7/21/2021

7/21/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

The apostle Paul, preaching in Antioch, said something extremely timely for us as well as for those in Antioch. In Acts 13:27 he observed that the people who heard the Scripture read every Sabbath in Jerusalem still didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Because they didn't understand the Scriptures, they condemned Jesus to death.

Our world as a whole is living in darkness. They don't recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. They don't understand the Scriptures or take them into account in their thinking. For this reason, when confronted with ideas which are plainly present in Scripture, such as the reality and gravity of sin, the need for a substitute for sin, and the exclusivity of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, our world takes offense or scoffs at the simple Christian truth.

We miss what is revealed plainly. Our minds are darkened. We are not willing to see the truth.

However, to all who do see the truth, to all who receive the grace of God by faith in Jesus, He gives eternal life and salvation.

Salvation in Christ, as Paul describes it in Acts, is not based on our feelings. It is not a shot in the dark. It is something which God has described in detail through the Law and the Prophets, and which he brings to pass through the historical events surrounding Christ's death and resurrection.

We don't have to guess. Jesus has done what is needed for our salvation. Rather than guessing or hoping, we trust in the true events of Jesus' death and resurrection. They are for you and for me, just as they are for the saints in Antioch.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Literature Review

7/21/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/21/21

Schaff, Philip. "Ch. 33: The Didache Literature." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 140-158.

Anyone who has read Schaff's work on Church History knows that he typically provides copious bibliographies, often lightly annotated. This chapter is no different. It is significant tht in this work, published less than three years after the Didache was first published in December 1883, there are 18 pages of listed works. There was a substantial explosion of interest. However, because of the many years which have passed and the technological advances which have changed the nature of bibliographic research, I merely observe that his list is carefully arranged and annotated.

Psalm 73:23-28 - Lectionary for Mary Magdalene

7/20/2021

7/20/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

We've heard that some people are "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good." While that may seem true, Psalm 73 would say something else. The Psalmist here rejoices that God is holding his right hand, giving him counsel, and will receive him into glory. There's a strong element of being heavenly minded here. Yet what do we think is meant by receiving counsel from God?

God gives us no counsel about how to conduct our affairs in the heavenly realm. He receives us there and describes what we will be like, but he never once tells us what we need to do. The heavenly places are, in Lutheran terminology, all about Gospel and not at all related to Law. It's all about what God has accomplished, not about what we do.

In fact, God's counsel is for the way we would live in the earthly realm. Would you like to be heavenly minded? That's well and good. But God teaches us how we need to live right here, loving and serving our neighbors diligently, wallking in God's truth. He tells us how to be good stewards of the planet. He tells us how to do what is good and right in our marriage and family relationships. He tells us how to have a good ethic in our work. He tells us how to care for our greater society, showing his loving care and concern to help the poor, rescue those who are in danger, and nurture those around us so they too can live lives which bring glory to God.

In short, to be heavenly minded is shown through earthly good. Earthly good doesn't make us heavenly minded, but being heavenly minded makes us do good things on earth.

So we receive the counsel of God. And we live this life as those who know what God's priorities and desires are.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Turning to God

7/20/2021

Tuesdays are for the Old Testament
7/20/21

Augustine. Exposition on the Book of Psalms. Schaff, Philip (editor). New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1886. Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers: Series 1: Volume VIII. Re-published 2014, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle electronic edition, ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-372-3.
“Psalm 119: Cheth"

Psalm 119:57-64 seems less tightly connected to the previous stanza than did verses 50-57. The Psalmist declares a commitment to God's law, asking, in verse 58, for God's mercy. Verse 59 expresses the commitment as a result of repentance. Augustine observes the centrality of the work of God, as a variant reading of verse 59 credits God as turning the Psalmist to God's law (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339308, par. 57).

The turning to God does not happen as a matter of chance. Verse 60 describes it as a reasoned decision, while verse 61 sees it as a conscious move away from the ungodly. Augustine sees "the bands of the ungodly" as the way the devil, working through sinners, would try to entangle Christ's people (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339316, par. 59). The bonds are then broken by God's righteous judgment (v. 62).

In clinging to God's judgment, the Psalmist takes his place with others who fear God (v. 63). Augustine calls to mind the numerous New Testament statements in which Jesus gathers his people as one in him (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339329, par. 61). So in verse 64, the Lord fills the earth with his mercy.

Proverbs 31:10-31 - Lectionary for Mary Magdalene

7/19/2021

7/19/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Our reading from Proverbs 31:10-31 is a tall order. Who can find an excellent wife? If she has to fulfill all of these qualities, all the time, the answer is that nobody can find an excellent wife. In fact, there is not going to be any one person who is able to keep up this kind of a life. Is it worthy? Certainly. Should a woman strive to model her life after this woman? No doubt about it. But will that woman face failure? Day after day, yes.

This is a precious wife indeed. She is worth more than many jewels.

Now many men, faced with this picture, would quickly say, "Just give me the money and I'll keep my own wife, even if she is inferior." In saying this I say nothing against my wife, nor do I criticize the many excellent wives I have known over the years. But if I have a wife who isn't able to run a successful business, who doesn't bring wealth, who doesn't create fine specialty fabrics from raw materials, who doesn't supervise a household of servants, and who actually has to sleep in sometimes, that's fine. I still love her dearly. I wouldn't mind having the jewels instead.

Normally I don't go in for allegorical interpretations of Scripture all that much. I think they can be dangerous. However, I don't see any way of dealing with this passage other than either allegorizing it or using it as bludgeon for the less than perfectly industrious and gifted woman. And I really want to avoid using the Scripture as a club to beat anyone.

In the New Testament quite plainly, and slightly less obviously in the Old Testament, we see God pictured as the husband of Israel, or the husband of the Church. What light does this shed on Proverbs 31? If we look at it in that context, we see that the Proverbs 31 woman is all of God's people, working together.

As a collective, we are able to do all the things the Proverbs 31 woman does. Not all of us can do all of the work. Sometimes we are strong and sometimes not. My talent and ability runs out, but by God's grace your talent and ability pick up there, or we overlap a little bit. What's the result? God is glorified and the whole family, as the one in the text, is blessed, prosperous, respected, and has no fear of the future.

Who can find an excellent wife? God has found an excellent wife, in the Church. We all get to contribute to this life of prosperity, joy, and delight.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

The Didache's Overall Lessons

7/19/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/19/21

Schaff, Philip. "Ch. 32: Lessons of the Didache." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 138-140.

As he sets out to summarize the lessons of the Didache, Schaff says "its value is historical and historical only, but this is very considerable, and exceeds that of any known post-Apostolic document" (Schaff 1886, 138). He places it in the transitional period of 70-150.

The lessons we learn primarily fall into twelve categories, which I summarize with Schaff's numbers.
1. Church membership requires catechesis.
2. The catechesis was moral and practical.
3. The morality taught was of a very exacting nature.
4. Baptism was the approved initiation.
5. Eucharist and Agape were combined every Lord's day.
6. No sacrament other than baptism and eucharist is found.
7. The Lord's Prayer was used three times daily.
8. The Lord's Day was celebrated as a feast, while Wednesday and Friday were fast days.
9. Apostles and Prophets brought the Gospel, while Bishops and Deacons governed the church.
10. Much of the New Testament was known mostly from living teaching.
11. Little was mentioned of Christ or the Apostles outside the Gospel tradition.
12. Christians held an eschatological hope.

A Prayer about . . . something

7/16/2021

7/16/21
Friday's Focus - Didache Articles

Gero, Stephen. "The So-Called Ointment Prayer in the Coptic Version of the Didache: A Re-Evaluation." Harvard Theological Review 70 (1977), 67-84.

Gero considers attempted interpretations of the inserted anointing prayer in the Coptic fragment of Didache 10:3-11:2 to be not "entirely satisfactory" (Gero 1977, 67). For this reason, he presents a Coptic and English version of the prayer, then his analysis.

At issue is an appropriate interpretation of the word "stinoufi," which has been translated in various manners. Based on a parallel in Ap. Const, early editors took the word to indicate a sort of ointment (Gero 1977, 68). However, recently, in the Lefort edition, the word is considered more akin to perfume, not ointment. However, Gero observes this would not be consistent with a known liturgical direction related to baptism. Chrismation is a known practice, but not application of a scent per se (Gero 1977, 69).

An alternative Gero will consider is that the prayer could relate to a use of incense in connection with the meal described in chapters 9 and 10 (Gero 1977, 70).

Dating of the Coptic fragment is of significance. Gero places the manuscript no later than the fifth century (Gero 1977, 70). For this reason, and since there is no Coptic source to consider in comparison, Gero takes the parallel in the Apostolic Constitutions to be the best authority.

Gero's comparison of the parallel passages suggests to him that both passages are influenced by a Greek original in which the prayer almost certainly gave thanks for "myron" (Gero 1977, 71-72). It is possible that the word was used in place of a word for incense, but there is no such language in Apostolic Constitutions (Gero 1977, 73).

Gero notes that this portion of Apostolic Constitutions reflects Egyptian liturgical practices of the 4th century. Therefore, an understanding of the use of incense in that setting is relevant. He observes that in the second and third centuries the use of incense tended to be rejected as a pagan custom (Gero 1977, 74). Gero provides several examples of this rejection. There were suggestions that incense might be part of the offering, and that it might be used on the altar at the eucharist, but not at other times. Further, this practice is Syrian, not Egyptian (Gero 1977, 78).

Gero concludes that the term stinoufi does refer to incense but that the prayer was a relatively late insertion, representing a Syrian practice, not an Egyptian one (Gero 1977, 82). Further, he concludes it is associated with the meal rather than with the baptism.

The Didache and the Apostolical Constitutions

7/15/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/15/21

Schaff, Philip. "Ch. 31: The Apostolical Constitutions." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 132-137.

The fourth century Apostolical Constitutions, in the seventh book, is a more important expansion of the Didache (Schaff 1886, 132). The entire work "is a complete manual of catechetical instruction, public worship, and church discipline" (Schaff 1886, 133). Schaff considers it to be lacking in literary cohesiveness and to show rather mechanical compilations. Schaff provides a brief summary of the topics of the eight books (Schaff 1886, 134).

Harnack suggests that the text summarizes important ideas of the first three centuries, probably from a Syrian perspective, and consists largely of expansions of earlier works (Schaff 1886, 135). Schaff notes that parts of the Apostolical Constitutions were condemned in 692 due to semi-Arian interpolations. However, it remained in use in the East (Schaff 1886, 135).

Book seven, chapters 1-32 use the Didache "almost word for word, but with significant omissions, alterations and additions, which betray a later age" (Schaff 1886, 135). Schaff details the substantive changes, which largely seem to update the text to coincide with later, 4th century, practice (Schaff 1886, 136).

Documents Influenced by the Didache

7/14/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/14/21

Schaff, Philip. "Ch. 30: The Apostolical Church Order, or the Ecclesiastical Canons of the Holy Apostles." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 127-132.

Scholarly opinion considering "the Pseudo-Clementine Apostolical Constitutions and Canons" has long assumed an older and simpler source document (Schaff 1886, 128). Schaff sees this in the Didache, but with another intermediate document, variously known as "Apostolical Church Order, or Ecclesiastical Constitutions and Canons of the Apostles, also quoted as Epitome, or Apostolical Canons" (Schaff 1886, 128). This was discovered and published in the late 1600s, and again in the mid 1800s (Schaff 1886, 128-129). Of interest to Schaff is the fact that this document represents parts of Didache 1-6 as dialogue spoken by the various aplstles (Schaff 1886, 130). Schaff summarizes Harnack's opinion that "the Apostolical Church Order is a mechanical and unskillful compilation of four or five oler documents, the Didache, the Epistle of Barnabas, and two other writings, one from the end of the second, the other from the beginning of the third century" (Schaff 1886, 132).

Reminding God?

7/13/2021

Tuesdays are for the Old Testament
7/13/21

Augustine. Exposition on the Book of Psalms. Schaff, Philip (editor). New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1886. Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers: Series 1: Volume VIII. Re-published 2014, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle electronic edition, ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-372-3.
“Psalm 119: Zain"

Psalm 119:49-56 opens with a call that God would remember his word. Augustine notes that the Scriptures frequently call on God to remember, as if God is forgetful (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339249, par. 50). Augustine assures his readers that these passages simply emphasize our desire that God should keep his promises. The hope of God's promises is our comfort (v. 50), as God promises to lift up those who are humble (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339257, par. 51). Augustine continues for some time to speak of the care God has for his followers.

In stark contrast to God's care for his people, verse 51 identifies the wicked actions of those who are proud (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339270, par. 52). The persecution of the proud is overcome by God's word, which verse 52 says has represented God's unchanging judgment since the beginning of the world (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339274, par. 53). Though the ungodly are tiresom (v. 53), God's statues are not (v. 54).

Again Augustine emphasizes that the justice which keeps the Psalmist is not his own, but God's justice (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339291, par. 56). God's law, as an expression of his justice, is the strength of the Psalmist.

Who Wrote the Didache?

7/12/2021

Tour of Christian History
7/12/21

Schaff, Philip. "Ch. 29: Authorship." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 125-127.

The author of the Didache is not identified. Schaff considers this a mark of modesty. He also thinks the author is similar in tone and theology to Matthew and James, rather than Paul (Schaff 1886, 125).

Despite any differences in theology, the author of the Didache refers to the "Twelve Apostles" in a favorable way. He avoids polemics quite consistently, preferring to make a model of respectful and faithful Christianity (Schaff 1886, 126).

Though the authorship remains a myster, Schaff notes two speculations, that of Symeon of Jerusalem, who succeeded James as leader, or possibly to an anonymous author in Antioch reacting to Barnabas after the clash of Peter and Paul (Schaff 1886, 127). This is, however, all speculative.

Scholarship on the Lord's Prayer as a Summary of Scholarship

7/9/2021

7/9/21
Friday's Focus - Didache Articles

Botha, F.J. "Recent Research on the Lord's Prayer." Neotestamentica 1, 1967, 42-50.

Botha considers the Lord's Prayer to be a summary of all Jesus' teaching, and scholarship on the Lord's Prayer to illustrate "all the major questions involving synoptic studies" (Botha 1967, 42). Botha's purpose in this article is to draw attention o important questions but not to answer them comprehensively.

When the Lord's prayer is introduced in Matthew, it is in the context of Jesus' teaching on right motives. In Luke, it is presented in a completely different context, that of Jesus praying and being asked to teach his disciples how to pray. Botha notes that the prayer was likely used and taught in multiple different situations (Botha 1967, 42). The use of the Lord's prayer in the eucharist is not clear from early writings apart from the Didache and a later reference in the fourth century (Botha 1967, 43). However, the Rotas-Opera palindrome square found in Pompeii, containing a referenc to a pater noster, suggests common use of the prayer in Latin prior to 79 (Botha 1967, 43). Botha compares the text in Matthew and Luke, then does note some variants in early Christian authors who cited the prayer. He, with Jeremias, considers it possible that the version in Matthew represents Luke's prayer with some traditional liturgical expressions (Botha 1967, 44). In any case, it is hardly unlikely that Jesus would have taught a prayer more than once or in multiple forms which express the same ideas (Botha 1967, 46).

Botha notes extensive scholarship of the Lord's Prayer and prayers used in synagogues (Botha 1967, 46). Botha reviews several studies linking concepts as well as the practice of praying (Botha 1967, 47). Exegetical studies have focused on word choice which may show an eschatological emphasis in the prayer. Botha concludes, "It was never the intention of the Lord that his disciples should always and exclusively use this prayer in verbatim repetitions. The most important aspect lies not in the words used but in the matters for which prayer is offered" (Botha 1967, 48).