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The Didache and the epistle of Barnabas begin their teaching with the concept of the “two ways,” presenting a path of life and a path of death with a clear distinction between them, based on Deuteronomy.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE

Barnabas 19:1

Epistle of Barnabas
Early Christian
1 This, then, is the way of light: if anyone wants to travel on the way to his appointed place, let him be diligent in his works. The knowledge that is given to us, enabling us to walk in it, is as follows. 2 ‘You shall love Him who made you; you shall fear Him who created you; you shall glorify Him who redeemed you from death. You shall be single-hearted and rich in spirit. You shall not cling to those who follow the path of death. You shall hate everything not pleasing to God. You shall hate all hypocrisy. You shall never abandon the Lord’s commandments.’ 3 ‘You shall not exalt yourself but be humble in all things. You shall not claim glory for yourself. You shall not devise evil against your neighbor. You shall not allow arrogance into your soul.’ 4 ‘You shall not commit fornication; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt young people. The word of God shall not come from you where there is any impurity. You shall not show partiality when reproving someone for a transgression. You shall be gentle; you shall be quiet; you shall be in awe of the words you have heard. You shall not hold a grudge against your brother.’ 5 ‘You shall not waver about whether something will be or not. You shall not use the Lord’s name carelessly. You shall love your neighbor more than your own life. You shall not kill a child by abortion, nor again kill it once it is born. You shall not withhold your hand from your son or daughter, but from childhood you shall teach them the fear of God.’
Date: 70–135 CE (based on scholarly estimates)

Didache 1:2

Early Christian
1 There are two Ways: one of Life and one of Death, and there is a significant difference between the two Ways. 2 The way of life is as follows: First, you should love the God who created you; secondly, love your neighbor as yourself. Treat others as you would want to be treated. 3 Now, the teaching behind these words is this: Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. What credit is it to you if you love only those who love you back? Don't even the non-believers do the same? Instead, love those who hate you, and you will have no enemies.
Date: 90–120 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References

#2698
“... The discrete character of Did. 1.3-6 and 3.1-6/7 clearly identifies them as later additions to the Two Ways teaching. However, this does not necessarily mean that the remainder of Did. 1-5 is free from other additions. It is not possible to trace the minutiae of each potential insertion, but there are two points, Did. 1.2 and 5.2, where evidence of minor additions will have significance for subsequent discussion. 6.1. Didache 1.2 In the case of Did. 1.2 there is an overlap with the Two Ways tradition as found in Barnabas in that the first command of the 'way of light' is to 'love your maker'. However, the double love command and golden rule in the Didache are notably absent from Barnabas. This omission, despite the memorable character of these teachings, suggests that they were not present in the version of the Two Ways available to Barnabas. Consequently, it is likely that this teaching was not a standard feature of the Two Ways tradition, and thus, at some stage in the life of the Two Ways text used in the Didache these summaries of the Law were added to the whole. ...”
Alan J. P. Garrow, The Gospel of Matthew's Dependence on the Didache (London: T&T Clark International, 2004), 85.

* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.

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