Foreword
Foreword Protestants, especially evangelicals, have not been particularly conversant with the Apostolic Fathers. And for someone who has never studied any of these ancient documents, the foray into this rich but complex world of nascent Christianity may seem daunting indeed. So many of the tomes on the Apostolic Fathers are either in a foreign language or are written for a scholarly readership that they are largely inaccessible to the interested neophyte. The initial hurdle that a beginner must get over often seems insurmountable; thus the Fathers and especially literature on them remain unread, to the spiritual and literary impoverishment of the one who has begun with noble intentions.
Enter Will Varner's The Way of the Didache. From the opening paragraph to the last chapter, this book engages the reader with a lively style that is borne of Varner's genuine passion for the Didache. I was in Jerusalem when Will got the invitation to see the lone copy of the Didache extant today. He and I spent lengthy conversations about this precious little book, which was rediscovered in 1873. His exuberance for the Didache was contagious, and it clearly comes across in this volume. Although it might be too much to say that reading
Varner's tome is like reading an adventure novel, such a description seems to be only a slight exaggeration. In the least, what he has written makes the Didache accessible to anyone with even a passing interest in the Apostolic Fathers. But more can be said.
Varner's treatment is user friendly, written for the non-specialist. The pitch is non-combative, and the focus is on the key issues. Varner does not get bogged down in details, yet covers the major concerns related to the Didache comprehensively. Although his justification for this book, after so much has already been written on the Didache, specifies three reasons, there is also a fourth: there is a desperate need for an inviting introduction to the Didache that is palatable for even the motivated layperson. I can only hope that Varner's book might become a template for other volumes on other Apostolic Fathers that are written in the same manner.
Varner discusses the rediscovery of the Didache, noting the need for new images of this pamphlet to rectify the shortcomings in J. Rendel Harris's photographs done in 1887. With this assessment, I heartily agree. High-resolution digital photographs of the entire codex, Hierosolymitanus 54, are now called for to make this document fully accessible to scholars.
He argues for the unity of the book, as well as a first-century date. And not just a first-century date, but written while much of the New Testament was yet to be penned. He calls the Didache "the first Christian Handbook," seeing it as an instructional guide to Gentile converts. Varner also supplies the Greek text and his own translation, complete with cross-references to biblical texts.
A most
Vill fascinating chapter discusses the use of Scripture in the Didache. In particular, I found his interaction with Andre Tuilier's argument that the Didachist used Q, calling it "The Gospel of the Lord" (and Tuilier's identification of Q as the Aramaic sayings source written by Matthew prior to the writing of his Gospel) most intriguing. In a single stroke, this suggestion both argues for an early date of the Didache (earlier than the canonical Matthew) and for an ancient affirmation of the existence of Q.
The sources for the Didache's "Two Ways" doctrine, its primitive ecclesiology, as well as its theological motifs are also controversial topics—all of which Varner handles with an irenic tone. Some may well take issue with him over his belief that the Didache both has a strong theological undergirding and is a mid-first-century document. But there is much food for thought here. Varner succeeds in raising questions on numerous fronts, piquing the interest of the reader in the process.
His final chapter is eminently practical. It is almost a homily on the Didache, showing its relevance and importance for Christians today. Without becoming so enamored of this little tract that he loses a canonical perspective,
Varner soberly exclaims, "While the Didache is neither the last word nor the best word on these subjects, it is a word that should be heard again—after too long a silence!" And as an evangelical, Varner in this chapter slings many an arrow into the proud heart of evangelicals whose mantra of sola scriptura has come to mean nuda scriptura. As a fellow evangelical, I applaud Will Varner for reminding us that the Teaching has something to teach us today.
Daniel B. Wallace Executive Director Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts
Preface Because 1 explain the nature of this book in chapter one, I would like to express my appreciation in this preface to those who have helped in its writing.
The Riddle Family Foundation and The Masters College Academic Advancement Committee provided grants that made it possible to study at Wheaton College and Tyndale House, Cambridge during a sabbatical in 2004. The librarians at all three of those institutions helped me secure materials and provided study areas for my research. Greg Beale of Wheaton Graduate School invited me to present a paper to the students there that helped to focus my research on chapter five of this book. My research assistant, Cliff Kvidahl, cheerfully conducted dozens of research projects for me. He still hopes that he will convince me some day that the Didache was influenced by the knowledge of the Pauline writings.
My students, Melody Talcott, Dany Brodzinski and Philip Viguier translated some important French and German texts. My son, Jonathan, and former student, Kristine Briggs, proofread various parts of the book along the way. As he has done for a number of years, Abner Chou has been a great help in securing books for me, preparing the topical index, and improving my writing style by his careful proofreading of the manuscript. My faculty colleague, John Eickemeyer, and my student, Laney Stroup, helped with the intricacies of Word formatting.
Daniel B. Wallace of Dallas Theological Seminary read the manuscript, made excellent suggestions, contributed the foreword, and joined me in a visit to the Greek Patriarchate Library in Jerusalem. We still have hope that he will be able someday to photograph the precious manuscript containing the Didache through his Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts.
My wife, Helen, has been an encouragement in often giving up time while I was "behind that computer." She has graciously hosted hundreds of my students on those Tuesday evenings in our home when the "Greek Geeks" gather with their professor. She also contributed to the writing of this book in ways too numerous to mention.
William Varner, Ed.D.
Santa Clarita, CA October 27, 2006