–60. Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
Uchenie dvenadtsati apostolov
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I. Preface
In 1883, the Greek Metropolitan Bryennios found in Constantinople, in an ancient collection of early Christian teachings, a work with the title: “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” or “The Teaching of the Lord, Transmitted to the Nations through the Twelve Apostles.” Of this book, which was considered sacred by some teachers of the church, only its title had previously been known.
This work contains the very essence of Christian teaching. It transmits in other words and with some additions and explanations the great truths and teachings set forth in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and in the sixth chapter of Luke. For example, in the teaching about giving to those who ask, it adds: “Blessed is he who gives according to the commandment, for he is free from punishment; but woe to him who receives, because only he who takes when he has need is in the right; but he who has no need will give account why and for what he took.” There is also an explanation absent from the Gospels that alms are only alms when they proceed from a sweating hand—that is, when what is given has been earned by the labor of the giver.
The same is stated even more clearly in chapter four. There it is said that a Christian should consider nothing his own property and can help the needy only through his own labor.
There is also in this work, not found in the Gospels, a beautiful and very important teaching about how a Christian should relate to people according to their spiritual condition: “Have no hatred toward anyone,” it says, “but reprove some, pray for others, and love others more than your own soul.” Obviously, the counsel to reprove some refers to those who err through ignorance or passion—to those whom reproof can help to enter upon the good path. The counsel to pray refers to those who are deaf to reproof and admonition. This evidently refers to those of whom it is said in the Gospel that one should not cast pearls before those who cannot appreciate them. Here the same thought is expressed more gently and kindly. This teaching advises not to turn away from such people but to pray for them—that is, without ceasing to wish them true good and always being ready, in case of their softening, to come to their aid. To love more than one’s own soul obviously refers to those who are united by one faith.
Also important and new is the teaching in chapter six about how to answer the usual objection against Christ’s teaching by people who do not wish to accept it. “If you’re going to follow it, follow it all,” such objectors say. “But if you follow it all, you must give up life, and that is impossible.” The answer to this objection is:
“Beware of him who would lead you astray from this path, for he teaches you not according to God; because if you can bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you cannot, do what you can.”
Besides these and many other new and remarkable explanations, this book contains definite instructions about how baptism should be performed. It says: baptize in this way—having communicated all the above teaching to the one being baptized (therefore, to an adult), baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Likewise, about the Eucharist it speaks as a prayer of thanksgiving read at a common assembly at a meal, without any hint of a sacrament. About prayer it says the same as in the Gospel—that prayer should consist in reading “Our Father.”
Instructions are also given about how to choose bishops and deacons—as elected officials of the community, without the slightest indication of ordination. There are also many other regulations about apostles and prophets that do not at all agree with existing institutions.
And so this book appears, recognized by all scholars as a work from the end of the first or the beginning of the second century—that is, a Christian monument earlier than the Gospel of Luke and contemporary with the Gospel of John—a voice confirming, clarifying, and strengthening all that we know about the moral-vital side of Christianity, and disagreeing in much and in the most essential matters with the external side of Christianity. And what then? It would seem that the discovery of such a monument should produce the greatest excitement in the Christian world. All Christians, it would seem, should seize upon this monument, examine its content, ponder its meaning, compare their established positions with it, correct them according to it; they should spread this work in millions of copies among the people, read it in churches. Nothing of the sort has happened or is happening. A dozen scholars examined this monument from a general church and historical point of view; a few specialists in false interpretations among the priests devised some arguments according to which later institutions are right and not those written about in this work—so that the discovery of “The Teaching of the Lord to the Nations through the Twelve Apostles,” the hearing of the voice of holy people of the first centuries of Christianity, a voice confirming, clarifying, and strengthening all that we know about the moral side of Christianity—the discovery of this monument produces far less impression on Christian society than the discovery of a piece of a naked Venus in some excavation.
The posthumous works of some unfortunate madman like Nietzsche or Verlaine are published, and hundreds of thousands of copies are printed and distributed. But the words sound forth of that Christ whom we supposedly profess, and we only try to get rid of them as quickly as possible so that they do not interfere with our important affairs: the discovery of a new planet, arguments about the origin of species, discussions about the properties of radium, needed for nothing.
Yes, this is exactly it: “The heart of this people has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and turn, that I might heal them” (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:15).
But, thank God, there are still among the common people those for whom this voice from the times of the first century is important and who will find in it with joy still greater clarification and confirmation of that truth which illuminates their lives and gives them strength. It is for these people that I am writing this and reprinting this work.
—Leo Tolstoy
II. The Teaching of the Lord, Transmitted to the Nations through the Twelve Apostles
There are two ways: the way of life and the way of death. And the difference is great between these two ways. The way of life is this:
First, love God, who created you.
Second, love your neighbor as yourself, and therefore do not do to another all that you would not wish done to you.
The teaching of these two words is as follows:
1
The first commandment of the teaching: love God, who created you.
Bless those who curse you; pray for your enemies, for those who attack you, and fast for those who offend you, because it is not good to love only those who love you. The pagans do the same. They love their own and hate their enemies, and therefore they have enemies. But you, love those who hate you, and then you will have no enemies.
Beware of bodily and worldly impulses.
If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, and you will be perfect. If anyone compels you to go one verst with him, go with him two. If anyone takes your coat, give him your shirt also. If anyone has taken what is yours, do not demand it back, because this cannot be done. But give to everyone who asks of you and do not demand anything back, because the Father wishes that each person have that which He has given to all people. Blessed is he who gives according to the commandment: he is in the right; but woe to him who takes, because only he who takes out of need is in the right; but he who takes without need must give account why and for what he took. He who is caught in the net of Mammon will be tormented for what he has done and will not be freed from it until he pays back the last thing. About this it is said: let your mercy come out sweating from your hands, before you even know to whom you will give.
2
The second commandment of the teaching: love your neighbor as yourself—that is, do not do to another what you would not wish done to you.
Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not defile children, do not be dissolute, do not steal, do not practice sorcery, do not poison, do not kill an infant in the mother’s womb, and do not kill one already born. Do not desire to have what belongs to your neighbor. Do not swear, do not bear false witness, do not use foul language, do not think foul thoughts. Be not double-minded, nor double-tongued—double-tonguedness is a snare of death. Let your word be neither false nor empty, but always full of deed. Be not greedy, nor rapacious, nor hypocritical, nor morose, nor proud. Hold no malice against your neighbor. Hate no human being, but reprove some, pray for others, and love others more than your own soul.
3
My child! Avoid all evil and everything that resembles it. Do not enter into anger—anger leads to murder; do not enter into contention, into disputes, into hot-temperedness—from all this come murders. My child! Avoid lust—lust leads to debauchery; do not use foul language and do not gaze at what you have no need to see; this leads to adultery. My child! Do not practice divination, because this leads to idolatry; do not practice sorcery, do not dabble in black magic, do not make incantations, and do not be present at such doings, because this is idolatry. My child! Do not be a deceiver, because deception leads to theft; do not be covetous and vainglorious—this too leads to theft. My child! Do not be discontented—discontent leads to cursing; do not be self-satisfied and judgmental, because this too leads to cursing. Be meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth. Be patient, merciful, guileless, humble, and good, and with fear at every opportunity recall these things you have heard. Do not exalt yourself and do not allow self-assurance into your heart. Let your heart not be set on the high and mighty, but let it cleave to the righteous and humble. And whatever happens to you, accept as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.
4
My child! Day and night remember him who teaches you the word of God, and honor him as the Lord, because the Lord is there from where you learned about Him. Always seek out holy people and associate with them, so that in their words you may find rest for your soul. Do not desire division among people, but reconcile those who quarrel. Judge them according to truth and, without regard to persons, convict them of sins. Do not be double-hearted and do not say: “It can be this way, it can also be that way.” Do not stretch out your hand when it is time to take, and do not close it when it is time to give. What you have earned with your hands, give as ransom for your sins. Do not hesitate to give, and when you have given, do not regret it, because you will learn wherein lies the best reward for your good. Do not turn away from the one in need, but let everything you have be shared with your brother, and call nothing your own property, because if what is immortal is all held in common among you, then all the more should what is perishable be held in common among you. Do not cease to guide your son or daughter, but from youth teach them the fear of God. Do not command your slave or servant-woman harshly: they believe in the same God as you. Otherwise, from bitterness, they might cease to fear that God who is over you both; because commands must be given not according to persons, but to the one whom the Spirit has appointed.
Hate all hypocrisy and everything displeasing to God. Do not abandon the commandments of the Lord, but keep those you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. Among the believers, confess your sins and do not think to pray while you have evil in your heart.
Such is the way of life.
5
The way of death is this: first of all, it is ruinous and full of abominations. Murders, adultery, lusts, debauchery, theft, idolatry, sorcery, poisoning, robbery, deceit, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, craftiness, pride, malice, self-assurance, greed, foul language, envy, insolence, arrogance, vanity; persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of falsehood; those who do not recognize reward for righteousness, who do not cleave to good and do not know right judgment; those who care and trouble themselves not for good but for evil; who know not meekness and patience; lovers of trifles, seekers of worldly rewards; those who do not pity the poor, who do not labor for the weary; who do not know Him who created them; murderers and seducers of children, destroyers of the image of God; those who turn away from the needy and torment with labor the already exhausted; comforters of the rich and lawless judges of the poor—in every way and in all things, sinners. Beware, my children, of such people!
See that no one leads you astray from this path of teaching.
—The Didache (translated by Leo Tolstoy)
Translator’s Notes:
- The Didache (Greek for “Teaching”) was discovered by Metropolitan Philotheos Bryennios in the Codex Hierosolymitanus in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1873, though he did not publish it until 1883. The codex also contained other early Christian texts.
- Scholars generally date the Didache to between 50 and 120 CE, making it one of the earliest surviving non-canonical Christian documents—possibly earlier than some New Testament books.
- Tolstoy’s enthusiasm for the Didache stemmed from its emphasis on ethics over ritual and its apparent lack of developed sacramental theology. The document presents Christianity as essentially an ethical teaching (“The Two Ways”—the way of life and the way of death) rather than a mystery religion.
- The contrast Tolstoy draws between public interest in Nietzsche and Verlaine versus indifference to the Didache reflects his ongoing critique of European intellectual culture’s rejection of Christian values.
- The phrase “let your mercy come out sweating from your hands” translates a famous Didache teaching about alms—they should come from one’s own labor, not from surplus wealth.
- “Verst” (верста) is retained from Tolstoy’s translation; the original Greek says “mile.” One verst equals approximately 1.067 kilometers.
- The final line (“See that no one leads you astray”) introduces the Didache’s transition to practical regulations about baptism, fasting, and community organization, which Tolstoy did not include in this translation.
- The quotation from Isaiah 6:9-10/Matthew 13:15 in the preface highlights Tolstoy’s view that the institutional church deliberately ignores texts that contradict its developed theology.