Texts in Conversation
In Matthew, Jesus sets out steps for correcting a brother who sins, ending with treating him as an outsider. In the Didache, an early church manual, readers are sent to the Gospel for correcting one another, and the unrepentant are shunned.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Didache 15:3
Early Christian
1 Choose for yourselves bishops and deacons who are worthy of the Lord. Look for humble men who are not greedy, but truthful and proven, for they also carry out the duties of the prophets and teachers. 2 Do not look down on them, for they are honorable men, alongside the prophets and teachers. 3 Correct one another, not in anger but in peace, as you find in the Gospel. Do not speak with anyone who has wronged his neighbor, and do not let him hear a word from you until he repents. 4 Carry out your prayers, charitable giving, and all your actions as instructed in the Gospel of our Lord.
Matthew 18:15
New Testament
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.
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Notes and References
“... If the references here are to a written gospel, once again Matthew seems to be the likeliest candidate. The (general) reference to ‘prayers and alms[giving]’ links closely with the teaching which appears in Matthew 6 concerning prayers and almsgiving (much of which may have already been picked up earlier in Did. 8). Further, the instruction not to speak with an unrepentant brother is clearly close in general terms (but by no means a precise verbal ‘citation’) of the teaching appearing in Matt. 18. 15–17. As before, the nature of any possible ‘dependence’ should be noted: the ‘allusion’ is quite unspecific, referring the hearer or reader in general terms to the teaching on these broad topics to be found elsewhere. At least, then, this part of the Didache seems to know of a written text known as a ‘gospel’, and probably (but not absolutely certainly) knew the gospel of Matthew in this connection. ...”
Gregory, Andrew F.
The Reception of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers
(p. 110) Oxford University Press, 2005
* 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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