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).