4/12/21
Schaff, Philip. "The Theology of the Didache." The Oldest Church Manual Called the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886, 22-26.
Schaff considers the Didache to be a very early work, primarily because it is lacking in dogmatic arguments, which he normally considers to come from conflicts in the Church (Schaff 1886, 22). The Didache pictures Christianity largely free from controversy or dispute, simply following the teaching of Christ. There are few, if any, hings of New Testament materials other than the Synoptic Gospels. There is a clearly defined "gospel" which leads to Christian life (8:2, 11:3, 15:3-10). Baptism is a trinitarian matter. The eucharist gives thanks in terms which suggest the atonement (Schaff 1886, 23).
Schaff summarizes some of the Didache's doctrines in terms of systematic theology (Schaff 1886, 24-26). He concludes that it has a rich collection of theological topics. He also considers it, along with James, to "represent the early Jewish-Christian type of teaching, before the universalism and liberalism of the great Apostle of the Gentiles had penetrated the Church" (Schaff 1886, 26).