Traveling Christians (12.1-5)
12.1-5 3. First Appendix: On the Reception of Other Traveling Christians (12.1-5) In the next part the Didachist's text begins. He turns first to the problem of the reception of noncharismatic
Christians. His source seems not to have offered any thing of the sort, although this question requires an answer within the overall context and may even have been of special importance for the ecclesiastical situa tion of his own time.
The structure of the section is as follows: a. Reception and testing of new arrivals (12.1) b. Travelers passing through (12.2) c. Persons newly arrived who desire to remain (12.3-5).
a. Reception and Testing of New Arrivals (12.1)
Let everyone who comes in the name of the Lord be received, and then, when you have taken stock of him, you will know—for you will have insight—what is right and false.
Before any kind of testing, the new arrival is to be received unquestioningly as a guest.5 Only then is it proper to examine the guest.
■ 1 Here, as the larger context shows, and in contrast to the charismatics (apostles and prophets) who were the subject just previously, 7rag 8e 6 epxopevoq (v. la) can only refer tcynoncharismatic Christians. Epxopevoq
'EveLTa be (v. lb) follows the sequence indicated above. The rule of hospitality is preserved, for the new arrival has received shelter and food; now (and only now) can the testing of the guest begin. AoKLp.aaa.VTeq avTov ("when you have taken stock of him")6 is formulat ed in very general terms.7 rvaoeo&e (sc. belpav Kal apLorepav)8 here means that on the basis of a successful testing the local Christians will be able to make a judg ment about the new arrival. rtvccoKeLV be%Lav Kal apLOrepav is again a biblicism: cf. Jonah 4:11. "Knowing right hand from left" (literally "judging left and right") means discerning what is right and what is false, in this
■npoq vpaql ev ovopaTL Kvpiov ("who comes in the name of the Lord") means that a stranger arrives in a place and asks to be received, asserting Christian identity.2
The phrase is "Bible language"—cf. Ps 117:26, quoted in Mark 11:9 (Matt 21:9; Luke 19:38); John 12:13; and Matt
23:39/Luke 13:35 (Q).3 This expression is meant to make clear that the guest is under the special protection of the Lord. The admonition to receive the traveler
(Sex^rjrto) is founded not only on the conventional rules regarding guests but also and especially on the fact that a Christian is asking to be received by fellow Christians.4
1 npoq vpctq is lacking in H (probably through over sight, because the Georgian version has it). The phrase is attested by Coptic, Ethiopic, and the Apostolic Constitutions. See Niederwimmer, longer explicitly says "receive him or her as the Lord" (11.2; cf. 11.4).
5 "Apparently this rule is inspired by fear of sinning against those who bear the name of the Lord. It is better to support someone who is unworthy than to turn away a worthy person" (Drews, "Apostellehre,"
277).
6 This olvtop can refer to the following ypaaeode.
"Textprobleme," 127. Differently Rordorf and Tuilier, Doctrine, 188 and 188-89 n. 3; Wengst,
Didache, 84.
2 Kyrios = Jesus. Ep opopan Kvpiov = aq xPLOTLapoq.
Such a one comes and speaks the name of Jesus, i.e., declares that he or she is a Christian.
3 Cf. also the similar expression in 1 Sam 17:45. It is applied christologically in John 5:43.
4 One can scarcely split hairs over the fact that it no 7 1 John 4:1; 1 Clem. 42.4 are only distant parallels.
Hermas Man. 11.7 speaks of the dokimasis of the prophets.
8 The object of ypuoeode is probably de^Lap Kai
the testing are mentioned. It is a matter for the insight of individuals: avveoiv yap e£ere. Evveocq ("insight") is apparently given special associations through the preced ing yvwoecfde ("you will know").9 case distinguishing genuine Christians from impostors who only want to exploit and misuse Christian hospi tality. The testing that is called for here presumes that there have been bad experiences connected with Christian hospitality. It is to be noted that the testing and decision are still the right of individual Christians; this is not a prerogative of local officials. No criteria for reads eijerai, which has been emended, since
Bryennios (Aibayr), 45), to e|ere.
For ovveoLV eyeuv, cf. Hermas Sim. 9.22.2, 3.
DvveoLq is a special favorite of Hermas, "but with no broad distribution" (Hans Conzelmann, "avviT?/K," TDNT 7 [1971] 896 n. 74). apcarepav, so that the phrase avveatv yap eijere is to be read as a parenthesis; this was suggested already by Bryennios (in a letter to Harnack).
Harnack adopted it (Lehre, 48) with reservations. Cf. also Knopf, Lehre, 33; and Audet, Didache, 238. It is true that the text is uncertain at this point: Coptic,
Ethiopic, and the Apostolic Constitutions have, or wit ness to, eyere, which may be original (adopted by Audet, Didache, 454; and Wengst, Didache, 84). H
12.2 b. Travelers Passing Through (12.2) 2 If the person who comes is just passing through, help him as much as you can, but he shall not stay with you more than two or three days—if that is necessary.
■ 2 Now some individual cases are discussed. In the first of the adherents of the new faith.3 It is also true here that hospitality is not to be misused; hence the stipula tion "not to stay" (ov peveZ be irpoq vpaq ei prj buo rj
Tpelq rjpepaq). The reader naturally recalls the similar expressions in 11.5 (although they had a different sense there). In fact, the -Kotpobtoq is to be permitted to remain more than one day, "if need be," eav rj avatar] (cf. euv be rj xpcta in 11.5).4
(v. 2) the new arrival is only traveling through. Ilapobioq (occurring only here in our literature) really means
"beside the road, located on the road."1 In this passage the word is used as a substantive and has the unique meaning "the one traveling through."2 The injunction to "help him" {Bopdelre avm ooov bvvaade) calls for gen erous care of the guest, who is to be provided with everything that can be offered for the stay and for the continuing journey. This generous hospitality to their counterparts is one of the most striking characteristics
1 Especially applied to walls, doors, and windows; cf. the information in LSJ, s.v.; and Edwin Mayser,
Grammatik der griechischen Papyri aus der Ptolemaeneit (2d ed.; 2 vols.; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1936) speed, 21); Dionysus of Corinth, in Eusebius Hist, eccl. 4.23.10; Otto Stahlin, "^epoq," TDNT 5 (1967)
20-25; Ceslas Spicq, Notes de Lexicographie NeoTestamentaire (2 vols. and Sup; OBO 22.1-3;
Fribourg: Editions Universitaires; Gottingen:
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; Paris: Gabalda, 1978-82) 2.932-35 (ET: Theological Lexicon of the New
Testament [trans. and ed. James D. Ernest; 3 vols.; Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1994] 3.45457);
Denys Gorce, "Gastfreundschaft: C. Christlich,"
RAC 8 (1972) 1103-7.
The Didachist has formulated his instructions in the style of the Vorlage. Still (apart from the difference in content regarding the length of time), the prima ry difference to be noted is between the apostles, who are obligated to constant peregrinatio, and the fellow Christians, who are (from time to time) on journeys.
1.3.102. Gregory of Nyssa interprets {In Cant. cant, hom. II, PG 44.793A) the parable of the fourfold field and paraphrases napa rr)v obop with k&p
-napobioq re mi. TTeTraTrjpepr]. See the other patris tic uses of ■napobioq in Lampe, s.v.
2 BAGD, s.v. It should be ei pep napobirriq (or napobevap) eoTLP 6 epxopeuoq, and perhaps we should conjecture it that way. For napobirriq, see LSJ, s.v., esp. Sib. Or. 14.33; for vapobevuv in this sense see
Ignatius Eph. 9.1 and Rom. 9.3.
3 For the theme of early Christian hospitality (<pi\oijepice), cf. Luke 14:12-14; Rom 12:13; 1 Pet 4:9;
1 Tim 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8; Heb 13:1; 1 Clem. 1.2; Hermas Man. 8.10; Sim. 8.10.3; 9.27.2; Justin 1 Apol.
67.6 (Goodspeed, 76); Aristides Apol. 15.7 (Good-
3 If he wants to settle in with you, though, and he is a craftsman, let him work and eat.
4 If he has no craft, take care in your insight that \ no Christian live with you in idleness.
5 If he is unwilling to do what that way calls for, he is using Christ to make a living. Be on your guard against people like this. c. Persons Newly Arrived Who Desire to Remain (12.3-5) idle and lazy. XpcoTLavoq8—originally probably a description by outsiders,9 and still apparently avoided by Paul—is here, in the text of the Didachist, already a com mon and unproblematic self-designation.10 XpiOTtavoq
■ 3 The next case is el 5e deXet irpoq vptciq KadrjodaL.1
Thus a situation is proposed in which the new arrival intends to settle in one place. In such an instance, what claim does he have to community support? Three possi bilities are discussed. The first is that the new arrival has learned a trade or craft and can exercise it: rexp iTr/q is a title of honor, and the name of Christian is not to be dishonored by those who bear it.11 That would happen, however, if the community were to tolerate an idle beg gar in its midst, someone living as a parasite at others' expense. coV.2 In that case the community is not obligated to offer assistance or shelter: Epya^eotiu nai cpayero), that is, such persons should earn their daily bread through their own efforts.3 4 ■ 5 The series of casuistic assertions concludes with a third possibility, el d ov $eAet ovm iroteiv, that is, the situation that occurs when someone is unwilling to live by the labor of his or her hands. In such a case the per son in question calls dishonor upon the name of Christian and is not a xPiOTiapoq, but (as the play on words has it) a xp^repiropoq. The community must guard itself against such persons.12
■ 4 A second possibility is that the new arrival does not have a craft or trade to practice (ovk exei T£Xprlp)>i and hence cannot live from it. Such a case is referred to the ovveocq ("insight") of the community.5 Concretely this would mean that the community shall see to it6 that the new arrival will find work. The community, however, must take care in all cases to prevent any Christian among them from living in idleness.7 Apyoq (from u-epyoq) refers here not to the unemployed but to the 1 Cf. the casuistry: ei per irctpodioc; earn' . . . (v. 2), el de deAet . . . Kadrjodca (v. 3), ei 8e ovk exec Texvrp'
EDNT 3 (1993) 477-78. Wengst (Didache, 86) reads pevei rather than ^poerai. xp^onavoc;, in depen
. . . (v. 4), ei 8'oil fteAeu ovtu iroteiv . . . (v. 5). dence on the Ethiopic.
9 Acts 11:26; cf. Acts 26:28; later: 1 Pet 4:16 (the name "Christian" as an accusation—pr) caoxvveoda,
SogafeTa 8e tov Peov ev tu ovopaTL tovtu> ["do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear the name"]); Mart. Pol. 12.2. Among Gentiles:
Tacitus Annales 15.44.2 (Koestermann, 356; for the variants chrestiani and christiani cf. the text-critical notes on the passage); Suetonius Nero 16.2 (Ihm,
231); Pliny Ep. 10.96 (Mynors, 388-89); 97 (340); Lucian Alex. 25 (Macleod, 2.343); 38 (2.348); De morte Peregr. 11-13(3.191-92); 16(3.193).
10 As in Ignatius Eph. 11.2; 14.2 (v.l.); Magn. 4; Rom.
3.2; Pol. 7.3; Mart. Pol. 10.1; 12.1. Ignatius also con structs the adjective in Trail. 6.1 and the substantive
XPiOTLaviopoq in Magn. 10.1, 3; Rom. 3.3; Phld. 6.1.
Cf. Mart. Pol. 10.1.
2 Cf. Acts 19:24, 38; Rev 18:22; Diogn. 2.3.
3 Obviously that does not exclude the possibility that the brothers and sisters will offer assistance in the exercise of his or her craft locally, as, e.g., in find ing a place of work. Cf. Acts 18:3.
4 Texvrjv 'exeiv is a common expression: cf. BAGD, s.v. Hermas Sim. 9.9.2: jolvtv\v rpv rex^pv oi>K exu-■■■ 5 Cf. above at Did. 12.1: ovveovv yap e^ere.
6 Ilpovoeiv 7nog means "take care, that. . . cf.
BAGD, s.v.
7 Cf. 2 Thess 3:10-12; Didasc. (Syriac) 13 (CSCO 407.153-54/408.139-41); Ps.-Clement Ep. ad virg.
1.11.1-2 (Duensing, 175-76).
8 Erik Peterson, "Christianus," in idem, Fruhkirche, 64-87; Hans Conzelmann, Acts of the Apostles
(Hermeneia; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987) 88-89; Walter Grundmann, "xplu," TDNT9 (1974) 536-37, 576; Gerhard Schneider, "XpcoTLavoq,"
11 Peterson ("Christianus," in idem, Fruhkirche, 87) has expressed reservations about the genuineness of the
12.3-5 Xpcorep-rropoq.18 The word xpiaTcpnopoq then occurs again in Hippolytus Fragm. in Ruth (GCS 1.2.120); Ps.Ignatius Trail. 6.2 (Funk and Diekamp, Patres apostoliExcursus: Using Christ to Make a Living
The word xpf-OTepnopoq13 is not attested before Did.
12.5 and may represent a neologism by the Didachist.
O epiropoq is, in the broad sense, someone who trav els, and then specifically (and this is at the basis of the didachistic construction of the word) a merchant, more properly a wholesale merchant who undertakes business journeys to distant places, in contrast to the KcarriAoq, the small, local merchant.14 A xP^Tep-KOpoc is apparently someone who "deals in" Christ, that ci, 2.98), oil XpLOTtavoi aAAa xP^Tep-uopOi ("not Christians but sellers of Christ"); Magn. 9.5 (126), oi
Xpi-orepTropoL, tov Aoyov KaTcpAeiiouTeq nai tov Ipaovv TruAovvTeq ("the Christ-sellers, who merchan dise the word and sell Jesus"); Athanasius Fragmenta in Malthaeum (PC 27.1381A); Basil Ep. 240.3 (PG
32.897A); Gregory Nazianzus Or. 21.31 (PG 35.1117C): Ka'daipel pen ye to iepov tuv 'deoKa'irqis, who misuses Christian faith and the name of Christ for personal enrichment.15 On this subject cf., for example, 1 Tim 6:5; 2 Clem. 20.4. For the term
XpiOTepiropoq, cf. the Syriac version of the Ps.Clementine Ep. ad virg. 1.10.4 in the German transla tion by Duensing, 175.35-36: (regarding the itinerant teachers, who) "do business, with the aid of winning words, with the name of Christ"; 1.11.4: "doing busi ness in the name of Christ" (Duensing, 176.10);16
Accv, Kai xpioTep7r6pwr' ("he cleanses the temple of merchants of God, sellers of Christ"); Or. 40.11 (PG
36.372C): ppde yevuipeda XpioTOKornpAoD9 Kai XpiOTepiropob ("Let us not become merchants of Christ and Christ-sellers"); Chrysostom Horn. 6.1 in 1 Thess. (PG 62.430); Antiochus monachus Horn. 37
(PG 89.1548A); Alexander of Alexandria Ep. Alex, (in Theodoret Historia ecclesiastica 1.4.3; GCS 19.9) has
XpiOTep-nopla (a printing error in the text).
1.13.5: "workers who regard fear of God and right eousness as a source of profit" (179.34-35).17 The Greek text, lost at this point, could have offered
15 The construction xproTepTropoq is probably chosen with a view to the brothers and sisters who appear to be on journey, but who then prove to be pseudoChristians. According to Adam ("Herkunft," 38), this is an "understandable contrast to xp^OToipopoq"
(?). Adam asserts in this connection (p. 38) that this is based on a specifically Syrian usage that frequent ly described the Christian as a "merchant" (in the sense of Matt 13:44).
16 Adam ("Herkunft," 39) prefers the translation: "but they sell evil things in the name of Christ."
17 The Coptic fragment (Lefort, Peres apostoliques, CSCO 135.35-43 and 136.29-37) unfortunately has no text for this passage.
18 Adam, "Herkunft," 39. That the Didache must be directed to "the same kinds of communities that can be deduced from the Epistolae ad virgines"
(ibid.) by no means follows from this.
19 XpLOTOKdnrqAoq is also found in Isidore of Pelusium Ep. 1.90 (PG 78.245A). word XpiOTtavoq in the original Didache text. This can scarcely be correct.
12 For 7rpooexeiu, cf. Did. 6.3, which is also from the pen of the Didachist.
13 Cf. the examples in Lampe, s.v.; William Telfer, "The Didache and the Apostolic Synod of Antioch,"
JTS 40 (1939) 265 n. 1; and Adam, "Herkunft,"
38-39.
14 Later, then, the term xP^fOKcnrriAoq does emerge; see below (cf. kairr]Aevetv tov Aoyov tov deov, 2
Cor 2:17, where Paul adopts and varies a common polemical expression directed against pseudophilos ophy; see the examples in Hans Windisch, "m7n?Aevcc," TDNT 3 [1967] 604-5). Ludwig Mitteis and Ulrich Wilckens (Grundziige und Chrestomathie der
Papyruskunde [1.1; Leipzig: Teubner, 1912; repr.
Hildesheim: Olms, 1963] 268) refer to the frequent compounds with epiropoq (e.g., OLTepiropoL). In my opinion this common usage constitutes the precon dition for the clever and ironic construction
XpiOTeptropoq. From a different perspective, con structions like xptOToyovoq, xproTopaxoq, and other similar words are parallels.