Didascalia Apostolorum 9

1[ii. 26] Hear these things then, ye laymen also, the elect Church of God. For the former People also was called a [] church; but you are the Catholic Church, the holy and perfect, a royal priesthood, a holy multitude, a people for inheritance [1Pt 2.9; cf. Ex 19.6], the great Church, the bride adorned for the Lord God [cf. Rev 21.2; Isa 61.10]. Those things then which were said beforetime, hear thou also now. Set by part-offerings and tithes and first fruits to Christ, the true High Priest, and to His ministers, even tithes of salvation (to Him) the beginning of whose name is the Decade. Hear, thou Catholic Church of God, that wast delivered from the ten plagues, and didst receive the Ten Words, and didst learn the Law, and hold the faith, (and know the Decade,) and believe in the Yod in the beginning of the Name, and art established in the perfection of His glory:? instead of the sacrifices which then were, offer now prayers and petitions and thanksgivings. Then were first fruits and tithes and part-offerings and gifts; but to-day the oblations which are offered through the bishops to the Lord God. For they are your high priests [cf. Did 13.3]; but the priests and Levites now are the presbyters and deacons, and the orphans and widows:? but the Levite and high priest is the bishop. He is minister of the word and mediator; but to you a teacher, and your father after God, who begot you through the water. This is your chief and your leader, and he is your mighty king. He rules in the place of the Almighty:? but let him be honoured by you as [] God, for the bishop sits for you in the place of God Almighty. But the deacon stands in the place of Christ; and do you love him. And the deaconess shall be honoured by you in the place of the Holy Spirit; and the presbyters shall be to you in the likeness of the Apostles; and the orphans and widows shall be reckoned by you in the likeness of the altar. [ii. 27] And as it was not lawful for a stranger, that is for one who was not a Levite, to draw near to the altar or to offer aught without the high priest, so you also shall do nothing without the bishop. But if any man do aught without the bishop, he does it in vain, for it shall not be accounted to him for a work; for it is not (p. 37) fitting that any man should do aught apart from the high priest. Do you therefore present your offerings to the bishop, either you yourselves, or through the deacons; and when he has received he will distribute them justly. For the bishop is well acquainted of those who are in distress, and dispenses and gives to each one as is fitting for him; so that one may not receive often in the same day or in the same week, and another receive not even a little. For whom the priest and steward of God knows to be the more in distress, him he succours according as he requires. And to those who invite widows to suppers let him send frequently her whom he knows to be in the more distress.? [And again, if anyone gives bounties to widows, let him send [] her the rather who is in want.] But let the portion of the pastor be separated and set apart for him according to rule at the suppers or the bounties, even though he be not present, in honour of Almighty God. But how much (soever) is given to one of the widows, let the double be given to each of the deacons in honour of Christ, (but) twice twofold to the leader for the glory of the Almighty. But if anyone wish to honour the presbyters also, let him give them a double (portion), as to the deacons; for they ought to be honoured as the Apostles, and as the counsellors of the bishop, and as the crown of the Church; for they are the moderators and councillors of the Church. But if there be also a lector, let him too receive with the presbyters. To every order, therefore, let everyone of the laity pay the honour which is befitting him, with gifts and presents and with the respect due to his worldly condition. But let them have very free access to the deacons, and let them not be troubling the head at all times, but making known what they require through the ministers, that is through the deacons. For neither can any man approach the Lord God Almighty except through Christ. All things therefore that they desire to do, let them make known to the bishop through the deacons, and then do them. For neither formerly in the temple of the sanctuary was anything offered or done without the priest. And moreover, even the idol-temples of the impure and abhorred and reprobate heathen to this day imitate the sanctuary. Far indeed in comparison be the house of abomination from the sanctuary:? nevertheless, even in (p. 38) their absurd rites they neither offer nor do anything without their unclean priest; but so they imagine, that the unclean priest is the mouthpiece of the stones; and they wait for what he will command them to do. And in all that they purpose to do they consult their unclean priest, and without him do nothing, And because they imagine that [] what they do is acceptable, they honour him and worship him, as it were for the honour of the dumb stones that are fixed in the walls, and for the service of the foul and evil and cruel demons. If then those who are vain, and their customs false, and who have no hope, but are deceived by an empty hope, study and desire to imitate the sanctuary, and bestow all honour upon those who stand before their absurd idols:? you who manifestly and openly believe in the truth, and hold fast to the hope that is not belied, and wait for the glorious promise which shall never pass away nor be made void -- why should not you rather honour the Lord God through those who preside over you? Do you therefore esteem the bishop as the mouth of God. [ii. 29] For if Aaron, because he interpreted to Pharaoh the words which were given through Moses, was called a prophet, as the Lord said to Moses:? Behold, I have given thee as a god to pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be to thee a prophet [Ex 7.1]:? why then should not you also reckon them as prophets who are for you the mediators of the word, and worship them as God? [ii. 30]? But for us now, Aaron is the deacon, and Moses is the bishop.? Now if Moses was called a god by the Lord, let the bishop also be honoured by you as God, and the deacon as a prophet. [ii. 31]? Wherefore, for the honour of the bishop, make known to him all things that you do, and let them be performed through him. And if thou know of one who is in much distress, and the bishop know not of him, do thou inform him; and without him do not, to his discredit, anything, lest thou bring a reproach upon him as one who neglects the poor. For he who sets abroad an evil report against the bishop, whether by word or by deed, sins against God Almighty. And again, if any man speaks (p. 39) evil of a deacon, whether by word or deed, he offends against Christ, Wherefore in the Law also it is written: Thou shalt not revile [] thy gods; and thou shalt not speak evil of a prince of thy people [Ex 22.28]. Now let no man think that the Lord speaks (here) of idols of stone; but he calls 'gods' those who preside over you. [ii. 32] Moses also saith in the Book of Numbers, when the people had murmured against him and against Aaron:? Not against us do ye murmur, but against the Lord God [Ex 16.8; cf. Num 14.2]. And our Saviour likewise said:? Everyone that rejecteth you, rejecteth me, and him that sent me [Lk 10.16]. For what hope at all is there for him who speaks evil of the bishop, or of the deacon? For if one call a layman fool, or raca, he is liable to the assembly [Mt 5.22], as one of those who rise up against Christ:? because that he calls 'empty' his brother in whom Christ dwells, who is not empty but fulfilled; or (calls) him 'fool' in whom dwells the Holy Spirit of God, fulfilled with all wisdom:? as though he should become a fool by the very Spirit that dwells in him! If then one who should say any of these things to a layman is found to fall under so great condemnation, how much more if he should dare to say aught against the deacon, or against the bishop, through whom the Lord gave you the Holy Spirit, and through whom you have learned the word and have known God, and through whom you have been known of God [cf. Gal 4.9], and through whom you were sealed [cf. Eph 1.13; 4.30], and through whom you became sons of the light [cf. Jn 12.36; 1Th 5.5], and through whom the Lord in baptism, by the imposition of hand of the bishop, bore witness to each one of you and uttered His holy voice, saying: Thou art my son:? this day have begotten thee [Ps 2.7 (Lk 3.22)]. [ii. 33] Wherefore, O man, know thy bishops, through whom thou wast made a son of God, and the right hand, thy mother; and love him who is become, after God, thy father and thy [] mother: for whosoever shall revile his father or his mother, shall die the death [Ex 21.17; Mt 15.4]. But do you honour the bishops, who have loosed you from sins, who by the water regenerated you, who filled you with the Holy Spirit, who reared you with the word as with milk, who bred you up with doctrine, who confirmed you with admonition, and made you to partake of the holy Eucharist of God, and made you partakers and joint heirs of the promise of God. These reverence, (p. 40) and honour them with all honour; for they have received from God the authority of life and death:? not as judging those who sin and condemning them to death in fire everlasting, by cutting off and casting away those who are judged, which God forbid, but that they may receive and save alive those who return and repent. [ii. 34] Let them be your rulers therefore, and let them be accounted of by you as kings; and do you offer them tribute in service as to kings; for by you they ought to be sustained, and those who are with them:? for thus is it written in the first Book of Kingdoms:? 10Samuel spake all the words of the Lord unto the people, which had asked of him a king, 11and said to them:? This is the law of the king that shall reign over you:? your sons he will take, and will set them upon his chariots; and he will make of them runners before him, 12and will make him captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. And they shall reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and fashion the instruments of his chariots.? 13And your daughters he will take to be weavers, and to be the ministers of his house.? 14And your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best (of them), he will take away and give to his servants.? 15And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his servants and to his eunuchs.? 16And your servants and your handmaids, and the best of your cattle, and your asses, he will take and tithe for the service of his work; 17and he will take the tenth of your sheep:? and ye also shall be [] his servants [1Sam 8.10-17]. Now in like case is also the bishop. For if the king who reigned over so numerous a people -- as it is written in Hosea:? The people of the children of Israel was numerous as the sand which is upon the seashore, which may not be measured nor numbered [Hos 1.10] -- took also from the people the ministrations which he required according to the multitude of that people:? so now does the bishop also take for himself from the people those whom he accounts and knows to be worthy of him and of his office, and appoints him presbyters as counsellors and assessors, and deacons and subdeacons, as many as he has need of in proportion to the ministry of the house. And what can we say more? For the king who wears the diadem reigns over the body alone, and binds and looses it but on earth; but the bishop reigns over soul and body, to bind and to loose on earth with heavenly power [cf. Mt 16.19; 28.18]. For great power, heavenly, almighty, is given (p. 41) to him. Therefore love the bishop as a father, and fear him as a king, and honour him as God. Your fruits and the works of your hands present to him, that you may be blessed; your firstfruits and your tithes and your vows and your part-offerings give to him; for he has need of them that he may be sustained, and that he may dispense also to those who are in want, to each as is just for him. And so shall thine offering be acceptable to the Lord thy God for a sweet savour, in the heights of heaven before the Lord thy God; and He will bless thee and multiply for thee the good things of His promise. For it is written in Wisdom:? Every simple soul shall be blessed: and a blessing shall be upon the head of him that giveth [Prov 11.25a, 26b LXX]. Wherefore be constantly doing work, and be labouring and [] offering an oblation. For the Lord has lightened the weight from you, and has loosed from you the collar-bands, and lifted from you the yoke of burden; and He has put away from you the Second Legislation after the abundance of His mercy; as it is written in Isaiah:? Say to them that are in bonds, Go forth [Isa 49.9]; and again:? To bring forth the prisoners from bonds [Isa 42.7]. And in David he said: His prisoners he hath not despised [Ps 69.33 (68.34 LXX)]. And likewise in the Gospel He said:? Come unto me, all ye that toil and are laden with heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart: and ye shalt find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light [Mt 11.28-30]. [ii. 35] If then the Lord, by the gift of His grace, has set you loose and given you rest, and brought you out into refreshment [Ps 66.12 (65.12 LXX)], that you should no more be bound with sacrifices and oblations, and with sin offerings, and purifications, and vows, and gifts, and holocausts, and burnt offerings, and (Sabbath) idlings, and shewbread, and the observing of purifications; nor yet with tithes and firstfruits, and part-offerings, and gifts and oblations, -- for it was laid upon them to give all these things as of necessity, but you are not bound by these things, -- it behoves you to know the word of the Lord, who said:? Except your righteousness abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shalt not enter into the kingdom of heaven [Mt 5.20].? Now thus shall your righteousness abound more than their tithes and firstfruits and part-offerings, when you shall do as it is written:? Sell all thou hast, and give to the poor [Mt 19.21; cf. Lk 12.33].? So do, therefore, and keep the command through (him who is) bishop and priest and thy mediator with the Lord (p. 42) God. For thou art commanded to give, but he to dispense. And thou shalt require no account of the bishop, nor observe him, how he dispenses []? and discharges his stewardship, or when he gives, or to whom, or where, or whether well or ill, or whether he gives fairly; for he has One who will require, even the Lord God, who delivered this stewardship into his hands and held him worthy of the priesthood of so great an office. Wherefore, that thou observe not the bishop, nor require an account of him, nor speak ill of him and oppose God, nor offend the Lord, [ii. 36] let that be set before thine eyes which is said to thee in Jeremiah (sic) : Shall the clay say to the potter: Thou workest not, and hast not hands? as one who should say to his father or his mother:? Why bearest thou me? [Isa 45.9-10] But do thou work and labour simply in the house of God; and let that saving word of the renewing of the Law be ever written and laid up in thy heart, and remember it, as the Lord said:? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy strength [Mk 12.30; Lk 10.27 (Dt 6.5)]. Now thy strength is thy worldly substance. And not with the lips only shall you love the Lord, as did that People, to whom upbraiding them He saith:? This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is very far from me [Isa 29.13; Mt 15.8]; but do thou love and honour the Lord with all thy strength, and offer His oblations ever at all times.? And hold not aloof from the Church; but when thou hast received the Eucharist of the oblation, that which comes into thy hands cast (in), that thou mayest share it with strangers:? for this is collected (and brought) to the bishop for the entertainment of all strangers. Wherefore lay up and set by as much as thou canst, for the Lord has said in the Law:? Thou shalt not appear before me empty [Ex 23.15]. Be doing good works therefore, and laying up to thyself treasure everlasting in heaven, where the moth corrupteth not, neither do thieves steal [Mt 6.20; Lk 12.33]. And in so doing thou shalt not judge thy bishop nor thy fellow layman; [] for to you laymen it is said:? Judge not, that ye be not judged [Mt 7.1; Lk 6.37]. For if thou judge thy brother and condemn him, thou hast reckoned thy brother guilty:? that is, thou hast condemned thyself; for thou shalt be judged with them that are guilty.? [ii. 37] For it is lawful for the bishops to judge, because to them it is said: Be ye approved money-changers [Agraphon]:? so that it behoves (p. 43) the bishop, as one who proves money, to separate the bad from the good, and to reject and cast away those that are altogether bad, and to leave in the melting-pot those that are hard, and for whatever reason faulty, like faulty (coins). But to the layman it is not permitted to judge his neighbour, nor to lay upon himself a burden that is not his. For the weight of this burden is not for laymen, but for the bishop. Wherefore, being a layman, thou shalt not lay snares for thyself; but leave judgement in the hand of those who will have to render an account, and do thou study to work peace with all men; and love thy members, thy fellow laymen, for the Lord saith: Love thy neighbour as thyself [Mt 19.19 (Lev 19.18)].