DIDASCALIA

Didascalia: translation

"Instructions, that is, Catholic doctrine, of the Twelve Disciples of our Savior."

The work is usually classified among writings dealing with church offices and orders, and it purports to be a compilation of instructions made by the apostles immediately after the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. Following a brief opening addressed to all Christians to give heed to the teaching of the document5, the treatise turns to the duties of bishops, including bishops' courts for lawsuits between believers, and the conduct of worship services. There follow instructions on how to deal with widows, how to assign deacons and deaconesses in their responsibilities, and what to do with orphans. Other subjects included in the Didascalia are martyrdom, fasting and Easter season, heresies and judgments against heretics, and the relationship of the Old Testament rituals to the New Testament church. Practical advice is given in relation to morality, decency in language, dietary freedom, and how to treat visitors.