THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES part 5

1 O THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES

z Thess. ii. 3. Mark z iii. z z. r Cor. iii: i j. i Pet. iv. i z.

cometh. 2 And  be frequently gathered  together  seeking thc things which  concern  your  souls ;  for  the  whole time of your faith shall not profit } on except ye be

made perfect in the last season.     3 For in   the last days the falsc prophets and the coi‘rupters shall be multiplied

and the sheep shall be   turned   into wo1 yes   and   love shall be turned into hatred ; 4 for  when lawlessness waxeth great,  they  shall  hate  and  persecute  and betray one  another ;  and  then shall   appear   the   deceiver   of the world  as the Son of  God ;  and  he  shall  work signs and wonders, and the ear th shall be delivered into  his hands, and he shall work iniquities such  as  hxve  never been from everlasting S Thcn shall thc work of men

shall be saved  by  the  curse  itself. 6 And then  shall appear the signs  of  the  truth ; first  the sign of  a spread- ing out in heaven ; next the  sign  of the  sound  of  a trumpet ; y and the third a resurrection of  the  dead ; liowbeit not of al!, but  as  it  was  said,  the  Lord  shall come and all His Saints   with   him ; 8 then shall ' the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.

NOTES

Ch. i , v. i.—The parable of the Two Ways is familiar in early literature, classical as well as sacred. Prodicus in Xnophon’s Memorabilia gives the well known story of the choice of Hercules. Plato’s allegory of the “ Chariot of the Soul ” in the Phaed rus, contains the same idea. For the version of the Two Ways in the so-called Epistle of Barnabas, see Appendix A.

Ver. ii. For the negative form of the Golden Rule compare Tobit iv. i $, " What thou hatcst do not to another.” Taylor points out that this form is typically Jewish. We are reminded of the often quotecl sentence in " Ecce Homo,” “ The old law began with Thou shalt not ;' the new law with Thou shalt.” Compare also Didache, chapter xvi, v. i .

Ver. 4. " A bs*ain, ” &c. Apparently ate  inter- polat ion.  One would rather expect to find it in ChaPter II, as a summary of the " second commandment ” of the teaching.

Ver. . “ Coming under constraint ” ‹r o vro\›) is variously rendered " in distress ” " undcr discipline ” " in prison.” Evidently some kind of punishment is meant. But there seems no authority for Prof. Rendel Harris’s suggestion of .a church prison or house of correction. The word for “ prison ” in Matthew v. 2$, is QrX••j.

Ver. 6. " Let thine alms sweat ” &c. Many passages have been cited by Dr. Taylor and others in illustration of this passage. They appear to me rather to illustrate the Scriptural view of the dignity of labour than to th row light on the phrase taken with its context. To the general reader the intention would seem to be simply a correction of the large injunction, " Give to every one that asketh of thee ” (ver. $), by prescribing judicious precaution against giving alms to the undeserving.

12 THE  TEACHINo  or TxE   TWELVE APOSTLES

“ Keep thine alms warm in thine own hand until thou

art sure of the right recipient.”  It I may be taken as

anticipating the dii actions given iii chapters xi. and xii.,

on the bestowal of alms on prophets and teachers. There is no doubt also a reference to the value of alms being given out of that which is acquired by sweat or labour.

Chap. iii. I.—Dr. Taylor illustrates this by the Rab- binical saying, " Make a fence about the Law,” i.r., to avoid breaking the law itself, avoid any action which migli t lead to such breaking.  The Pliarisaic precepts as to the obsei vance of the Sabbath were a reduriio nJ absurduni of this principle. The tenth Commandment is itself of the nature of a “ fence ” against breaches of the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.

Ver. $. “ Be not a liar , for lying leads to theft.” The inversion of the common view in th is precept is remarkable. The form of lying specially denounced in the ninth commandmerit is in itself a form of theft : to bear false witncss is to rob a man of his character :

perhaps the worst k ind of robbery.* “ Who steals my purse steals trash ; but tvhoso filches from me my good name robs me of th at which not enriches hint, and makes me poor indeed.”

The passage is interesting as being quoted liy Clement of Alexandria (about 200 A.D.), as Scripturc.  He writes, “ . . . such an one is called a thief by Scripture ; at least it sait)\ : Son, bc not a liar, /or 1ying leadeth unto theft,” Strom. i. z o.

Chap. iv. I.—“ For where the Lordship is proclaimed there is the Lord.” An apparent reference to our Lord’s words : “ He that receiveth you receiveth Me ; and he that recciveth Me receiveth Hink that sent Me ” (Matt. x. to), and “ Where two or th ree are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of’ them ” (Matt. Xviii. 2O). But the expression •j ••pi•’xys is unique ¡ and can here only mean “ the Power or Name or Presence of the Lord.” T)ie sentence is paraphrased

THE TEACHING OF THE   TWELVE APOSTLES '3

in the Apostolical Constitutions, “ Where the teaching concerning God is, there God is present.” Dr. Taylor also sees in it a reference to the favourite doctrine of the Rabbis, that those who arc occupied with the “ Thorah ” or Law of the Lord have the Shekinah (thc glory of the l)ivine Presence) amongst them. They used to quote in support of it Exodus xx. z 4, and xxxiv. $.

Ver. 6. Compare Testaments of the twelve Patriarchs (Zebiilon viii). “ As a man is pitiful towards his neigh- bour, so will the Lord be }iitiful towards li inn.”

Ver. i §. For ‹• is«X9«9 in the sense of " congre- gation ” (although without the article), compare i Cor.

18, Ziid xiv. 9. 28, 35 SOITIC COmmentators would translate “ in church ” regarding the omission rp as evi- dence of " fete workmansliip.” There is, however, no

question as to its meaning in Corinthians.

Chap. v. 2.—The abrupt transition from abstract to concrète is noticeable. Dr. Taylor notes it as evidence of the early and Jewish origin of the D idaclie, and points out that the Apostolical Constitutions (a work of admittedly Inter date) soften the construction when quoting this passage, by inserting “ for the doers of thèse things are,” &c. See also Barnabas, chap. xx. (Ap- pendix A.)

Chap. vi., V. 2.—“ The yoke of the Lord ” charly the precepts of Christ which have been summarized in " the Way of Life,” and are expressly styled " Mb yoke ” by our Lord Himself (M:ltt. XÎ. 2Q, 3o).

Chap. vii.—Baptism. The directions are of peculiar interest as being the earliest post-apostolic rules which we possess. The following points are noticeable :

The necessity of a preliminary course of instruction (zaêz‹i   w‹Irr‹i   wpo‹crôvr‹s }    as   embodied   in   the   first part of the D idache. In the Acts of the Apostles baptism appears to take place immediately on profession

of faith in Christ (Acts ii. 4 i ; vi-ii 3 -3 8 ; where note

the omission and marginal reference in Revised Version ¡

z 8 j x. 4/ ; and xv' 3 -33)'

THE TEACHING   OF THE   TWELVE   APOSTLES

This preliminary instruction indicates, of course, that the great majority of the baptized were converts from heathenism ; either adults or children who had attained “ years of discretion.”

2. The mode of baptizing. The rite is to be administered in “ living,” i.e., running water—i.e., either a stream or fountain. Cf. Ley. xiv. )o, the directions for purification of leprosy. This is to be the general practice. But it may be modified in special circum- stances : (a} if “ living ” wat.•r is not accessible, other water, such as pools or cisterns, may be employed , and

if cold water is impossible (•‹ v érozoi ‹r )ozpj ) presumably on account of tender age or infirmity, warm water is permissible. Although in these directions there is no mention of infant baptism, this reference to warm

: water may reasonably be taken as a recognition of it ;

‹ especially when it is remembered that baptism of infant proselytcs to Judaism was an established practice. (Cf. Taylor ad loc. Lecture II.) (c) If neither “ I iving ” nor other water is available—and immersion unadvisable— then, almost in the words of our own Baptismal Office, it shall suPice to “ pour water thrice upon the head in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

’l’he validity of the rite is not bound by the mode ; the essential element of the sacrament being the use of water, not immersion in it. The symbolic character of the rite is recognized, and its spiritual significance ¡ a marked contrast to the literal formalism of Jewish ritual, especially noticeable when we consider the early date of the document.

3 The absence of any restriction of the  right  to administer   baptism.    Nothing  is  said  of  any  class  of

officials to which the prerogative is to be confined. In the Apostolical Constitutions the right of baptizing is restricted to bishops and presbyters. Hilary (Comm. ad. Eph. iv. I i, 1 2,) says that in early times “ miner doccbant ct omnes laptizabant ” and there is no hint in the Acts of the Apostles of any restriction. St, Paul himself, for

Part 4.         Part 6