"... the Didache is a paraenetic document that addresses personal ethical formation, communal life, and the development of authority in the early church.6 The text begins with instruction about “two ways, one of life and one of death” (1.1), and this “Two Ways” section covers Did. 1.1– 6.2. Part of the instruction of the way of life includes teaching about the value of sharing generously ... The passage employs themes of divine recompense (4.7), common ownership of possessions (4.8b), and mutual solidarity in spiritual and material matters (4.8c) in order to encourage among baptismal candidates unhesitant giving to and welcoming of those in need ... Particularly striking is the Didachist’s exhortation— “If you have [something] through [the work of] your hands, give a redemption for your sins” (4.6)— for this statement reflects an early expression of the concept of atoning almsgiving. In this case, the term “redemptive almsgiving” would be appropriate because the metaphor suggests that sins are redeemed through giving away the fruit of one’s manual labor. The verb δίδωμι (“give”) is used four times in Did. 4.5– 8, and the participle τὸν ἐνδεόμενον (“the one who has need”) in verse 8 indicates that the object of one’s giving is a brother or sister in material need. Thus, according to the logic of 4.6, the act of giving to a disadvantaged brother or sister is “a redemption for your sins.” ..."