The long lost Didache of the Apostles is rediscovered, and it addresses some long standing Christian questions!

     Philotheos Bryennios was a Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nicodemia.  Nicodemia is an area of modern Turkey near the Bosporus Straight.  A Metropolitan is essentially a 'bishop' of a metropolis, the name given to the various 'diocese-like divisions' of the  Orthodox churches in the Eastern Mediterranean regions, or Asia Minor.  He rediscovered the long lost "Didache of the Apostles" in 1873 A.D., overlooked in a Constantinople library, along with a few other lost letters from the early Christian church.  Probably a pretty exciting day for him!  He was perhaps the first person in 1500 years to read this interesting document, now considered one of the most important finds from the early age of the Christian faith.    

      An ancient writing called the Didache of the Apostles (meaning 'treatise/teaching of the Apostles') might clear up certain common questions, if it is a legitimate writing, about how the early Christian church saw certain important and/or debated issues.  (apparently it is pronounced DID - uh - KAY with slightly more emphasis on the first syllable, almost like saying the word "dedicate")  Some textual specialists estimate it to have been written between around 90 A.D. and 150 A.D.  It takes only a short time to read it all, perhaps 10 to 20 minutes.  But here below are certain parts.  It is known to have been a respected writing by certain church notables who described it as a variety of teachings from actual Apostles, and it was reportedly read aloud in certain branches of the early Christian church.  It became lost, however.  At a point in time a millenium and a half ago none of the copies could be found!  So for many centuries scriptural scholars knew that it was referred to in a mostly respectable way by various pillars of the early Christian church, but then somewhere back then more than 15 centuries ago the locations of the last copies were lost track of.  It stood as a mystery then; what all issues were addressed in the Didache?  Were any important modern questions answered in that document?  But then, surprisingly, it was 'rediscovered', and not so long ago!  It was found stashed away in a library, overlooked, in the Library of the Holy Sepulchre in Constantinople.  It was found by a man named Philotheos Bryennios in 1873 and published about 10 years later.  So here in 2024 it has only been out there for review and the shaping of theological opinion for about 140 years.  The Didache was immediately seen to be one of the most important literary remnants of early Christian theological thought and daily practice outside of the New Testament.  I am not a scholar of ancient writings, so do some research of your own to decide how much weight to accord to it in your mind.  But here are some snippets to consider:

Chapter 2. The Second Commandment: Grave Sin Forbidden. And the second commandment of the Teaching; You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty {pederasty is equivalent to our modern word pedophelia - Deeds of God author}, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born. You shall not covet the things of your neighbor, you shall not swear, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not speak evil, you shall bear no grudge. You shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for to be double-tongued is a snare of death. Your speech shall not be false, nor empty, but fulfilled by deed. You shall not be covetous, nor rapacious, nor a hypocrite, nor evil disposed, nor haughty. You shall not take evil counsel against your neighbor. You shall not hate any man; but some you shall reprove, and concerning some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life.

  (OK, so here in chapter 2 we see the forbidding of pedophilia and abortion spelled out specifically, which I suspect few readers imagine should even be necessary, but...there it is, clear and decisively worded.)

Chapter 3. Other Sins Forbidden. My child, flee from every evil thing, and from every likeness of it. Be not prone to anger, for anger leads to murder. Be neither jealous, nor quarrelsome, nor of hot temper, for out of all these murders are engendered. My child, be not a lustful one. for lust leads to fornication. Be neither a filthy talker, nor of lofty eye, for out of all these adulteries are engendered. My child, be not an observer of omens, since it leads to idolatry. Be neither an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a purifier, nor be willing to took at these things, for out of all these idolatry is engendered. My child, be not a liar, since a lie leads to theft. Be neither money-loving, nor vainglorious, for out of all these thefts are engendered. My child, be not a murmurer, since it leads the way to blasphemy. Be neither self-willed nor evil-minded, for out of all these blasphemies are engendered.