TERRA NOVA CHRISTIANA
The Didache
The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations.
Early references
Philotheos Bryennios, who re-discovered the Didache:
The Didache is mentioned by Eusebius (c. 324) as the Teachings of the Apostles along with the books recognized as non-canonical, quote:
"Let there be placed among the spurious works the Acts of Paul, the so-called Shepherd and the Apocalypse of Peter, and besides these the Epistle of Barnabas, and what are called the Teachings of the Apostles, and also the Apocalypse of John, if this be thought proper; for as I wrote before, some reject it, and others place it in the canon."
The Didache or Didakhé, which literally means "Teaching", is also known as The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. It is a brief anonymous early Christian treatise, dated to the first century.
The Didache is considered the first example of the genre of Church Orders. The Didache reveals how Jewish Christians saw themselves and how they adapted their practice for Gentile Christians. The Didache is similar in several ways to the Gospel of Matthew, perhaps because both texts originated in similar communities. The opening chapters, which also appear in other early Christian texts, are likely derived from an earlier Jewish source.
The Didache is considered part of the group of second-generation Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers. The work was considered by some Church Fathers to be a part of the New Testament, while being rejected by others as spurious or non-canonical.
But nevertheless: A missing book in the New Testament!
The Didache: the book, read or download PDF file
The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations.
The last chapter says:
Chapter 16. Watchfulness; the Coming of the Lord.
Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come. But come together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you are not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, but those who endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth: first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead -- yet not of all, but as it is said: "The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him." Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.
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Note from TNC:
In last chapter we read:
“Who endure shall be saved from under the curse”! The curse is death. But we do not read anything about some rapture of the living, only that they shall escape the last wrath and death. ‘Be saved from the curse’, can also refer to rapture, but not clearly stated in this passage.
Then there are three signs: an outspreading heaven, the sound of a trumpet. (The 7th trumpet as we read in the biblical Revelation as in the Essene book of Revelation as well) and the resurrection of the dead saints. ‘An outspreading heaven’ is not such as the biblical Revelation 12:1-2 wonder or sign, but the Rev 12 wonder is rather what the Essene book of Revelation reveals it is.
Here we read only about the resurrection of the dead who all shall come with the Lord and then all eyes will see Him!
From the Early Christian Writings
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Blessed,
TNC