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About this book

Didache

About this book

Rules for Living Together

Chapter 4

1 My child, remember day and night the one who teaches you God's word, and honor him as you would the Lord, for wherever the Lord's nature is spoken of, the Lord is present.⁠ 2 Seek the company of holy people every day so you may find comfort in their words. 3 Don't seek division but reconcile those in conflict. Make fair judgments; don't show favoritism when correcting wrongs. 4 Don't be double-minded about whether something should be or not.⁠ 5 Don't be someone who is eager to receive but reluctant to give.⁠ 6 Give a portion of what you've earned with your hands as a ransom for your sins.⁠ 7 Don't hesitate to give, and don't complain when you do, for you'll know who rewards you well. 8 Don't turn away those in need, but share everything with your family, and don't claim it as your own. If you share in what is eternal, how much more should you share in what is perishable?⁠ 9 Don't withhold correction from your son or daughter, but teach them to respect God from a young age.⁠ 10 Don't treat your slaves harshly out of anger,⁠ especially if they believe in the same God, or they may stop fearing the God who oversees you both. God doesn't show favoritism, but calls those prepared by the Spirit. 11 If you are a slave, obey your master as you would God's representative, with respect and fear. 12 Hate all hypocrisy and everything displeasing to the Lord. 13 Don't abandon God's commandments, but keep what you've received, without adding to it or taking anything away.⁠ 14 Confess your sins in the congregation, and don't pray with a guilty conscience.⁠ This is the way of life.

Texts in conversation

Compare Tobit 12:9 and Didache 4:6

Deuterocanon · Early Christian

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Summary

The Didache instructs believers to give to the poor as a ransom for sins, a teaching that is also found in the book of Tobit where giving to the poor is described as redemptive. Both are based on wisdom and ethical traditions such as in Proverbs.

Passages

Tobit 12:9

Deuterocanon
7 It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but to confess and reveal the works of God. And confess them with honour. Do the good, and evil shall not find you. 8 Better is prayer with truth, and alms with righteousness than riches with unrighteousness; it is better to give alms than to lay up gold: 9 almsgiving does deliver from death, and it purges away all sin. They that do alms shall be fed with life; 10 they that commit sin and unrighteousness are enemies to their own life.
225–175 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Tobit

Didache 4:6

Early Christian
1 My child, remember day and night the one who teaches you God's word, and honor him as you would the Lord, for wherever the Lord's nature is spoken of, the Lord is present. 2 Seek the company of holy people every day so you may find comfort in their words. 3 Don't seek division but reconcile those in conflict. Make fair judgments; don't show favoritism when correcting wrongs. 4 Don't be double-minded about whether something should be or not. 5 Don't be someone who is eager to receive but reluctant to give. 6 Give a portion of what you've earned with your hands as a ransom for your sins. 7 Don't hesitate to give, and don't complain when you do, for you'll know who rewards you well.
90–120 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Didache

References

"... Since it makes no sense to think James thought believers would never die physically, since it seems unlikely that he is referring in 5:19-20 simply to being healed and saved from physical death, and since life and death in an ultimate sense were the options (Didache 1), it is probable that James sees "save the sinner's soul from death" as referring to eternal death. The Greek text does not say "the sinner's soul" but "his life" and one can conceivably think the "his" is the restorer: that is, by his action of caring for the wanderer the restorer saves his own soul. In fact, there is evidence to support this suggestion, even if it goes against Reformation instincts — something we have seen James do already. God tells Ezekiel that if he does not warn the wicked, both they and he will die; if he warns the wicked, they will not repent but he will save himself (3:16-21; compare 33:9). Daniel 4:27 can speak of atoning for sins with deeds of righteousness, and 12:3 can say those who lead many to righteousness will be like the stars. Tobit 4:10 and 12:9 say almsgiving saves one from death (see Sirach 3:30). In fact, Tobit 12:9-10 is so similar to James 5:20 that many think they have to be read together: 'For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies.' Sirach 3:3 finds atonement in honoring one's father ... Didache 4:6 approaches the same issue ..."
Scot McKnight, The Letter of James (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2011), 457–459.

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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Tobit 12:9 and Didache 4:6

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