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About this book

Didache

About this book

Welcoming Traveling Apostles and Prophets

Chapter 11

1 If anyone comes and teaches you everything mentioned above, accept him.⁠ 2 But if the teacher himself is corrupt and teaches a different doctrine that undermines these truths, do not listen to him. However, if his teaching promotes righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as you would the Lord. 3 Regarding the Apostles and Prophets, act in accordance with the guidelines of the Gospel. 4 Receive every Apostle who comes to you as if he were the Lord.⁠ 5 But do not let him stay more than one day, or two if necessary.⁠ If he stays three days, he is a false prophet. 6 When an Apostle departs, let him take only bread until he reaches his lodging for the night. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. 7 Do not test or judge any prophet who is speaking under inspiration, for every sin may be forgiven, but this sin will not.⁠ 8 Not everyone who speaks under inspiration is a prophet, but only one who has the ways of the Lord. You can distinguish a false prophet from a true one by his actions.⁠ 9 No prophet who orders a meal while in a state of inspiration should eat from it; if he does, he is a false prophet. 10 Any prophet who teaches the truth but does not practice what he preaches is a false prophet. 11 But do not judge a tested and genuine prophet who may enact a symbolic ritual of the Church but doesn't teach others to do the same. He will be judged by God, just like the ancient prophets. 12 If anyone requests money or something else while claiming to be inspired, do not listen to him. But if he asks you to give to others in need, do not judge him.

Texts in conversation

Compare Didache 11:7 and Gospel of Thomas 44

Early Christian · Nag Hammadi

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Summary

In the Didache, judging an inspired prophet is an unforgivable sin. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus' similar warning concerns insults to the Spirit, without the rule about prophets, showing how the warning could serve a specific community need.

Passages

Didache 11:7

Early Christian
6 When an Apostle departs, let him take only bread until he reaches his lodging for the night. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. 7 Do not test or judge any prophet who is speaking under inspiration, for every sin may be forgiven, but this sin will not. 8 Not everyone who speaks under inspiration is a prophet, but only one who has the ways of the Lord. You can distinguish a false prophet from a true one by his actions.
90–120 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Didache

Gospel of Thomas 44

Nag Hammadi
43 His disciples said to him, “Who are you to say these things to us?” “You do not realize who I am from what I say to you. Yet you have become like the Jews: they love the tree but hate its fruit, or they love the fruit but hate the tree.” 44 Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither on earth nor in heaven.” 45 Jesus said, “Grapes are not harvested from thorn trees, nor are figs gathered from thistles; for they do not produce fruit. Good people bring forth good from their treasure; bad people bring forth evil from their evil treasure in their heart and say evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart they bring forth evil.”
135–200 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Gospel of Thomas

References

“... Hence, though it is certainly possible that Gos. Thom. 44 used Matthew, the evidence is far from clear that it did so. Given the lack of compelling evidence for literary dependence, we will tentatively conclude that logion 44 preserves an independent line of tradition. This is not to say that Gos. Thom. 44 does not show clear signs of redaction—indeed it does on two counts. 1) The shift from “Son of Man” to “the Son” is a transition that is probably indicative of the early church’s preference for “Son” or “Son of God” over “Son of Man” as a title for Jesus. 2) Similarly, the addition of granting forgiveness for speaking against the “Father” as well as the Son follows the developing trend within the early church to speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together. Relationship to the Gospels, context, and meaning of Didache 11:7: Unlike Q 12:10, Mark 3:28-29, and Gos. Thom. 44, Did. 11:7 is not styled as a saying of Jesus. Nor does its wording or structure line up particularly well with the other occurrences. Nevertheless, its many points of overlap with our saying make it extremely likely that some organic connection did exist. The precise nature of this connection is now impossible to determine with any certainty. 1) Did. 11:7 might be an interpretation of the literary text of either Mark or Matt, both of which contain all of the elements which are found in Did. 11:7. 2) Did. 11:7 might reflect the author’s recollection and corresponding application of the Markan or Matthean version of the saying. 3) Finally, Did. 11:7 might be based on an independent reminiscence of a saying of the historical Jesus. The lack of Markan or Matthean order or exact verbal parallels render it impossible to establish literary dependence. In any case, Did. 11:7 shows clear traces of development. Its context and substance both reveal that it has evolved to meet the needs of the early church. Verse 11:7 is located in the midst of a series of instructions about how to treat the apostles and prophets of the early church (11:3-13:7). 11:7 threatens disastrous consequences for anyone who tests or evaluates a prophet speaking in the Spirit. This sin will not be forgiven. Hence, it would appear that Did. 11:7 interprets speaking against the Holy Spirit as speaking against the Christian prophet, who is empowered by the Spirit. This specific application of the saying surely originated in the post-Easter period, and reflects the needs and concerns of the early church rather than the historical Jesus. ...”
Brian Han Gregg, “The Historical Jesus and the Final Judgment Sayings in Q” (PhD diss., University of Notre Dame, 2005), 268–270.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Didache 11:7 and Gospel of Thomas 44

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