The Didache, or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, provides insight into the spiritual and moral development of the earliest Christian communities. Chapter Three of this ancient catechetical document continues the “Two Ways” instruction introduced in the previous chapters: the Way of Life and the Way of Death.

This chapter does not present abstract theology but practical, ethical exhortation, a pastoral warning against the inner temptations that lead to sin. The vices listed, and the means of resisting them, echo the moral wisdom of the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, and the ascetic warnings of the Church Fathers.

Overview of Didache Chapter Three

Chapter Three begins with a stern admonition: "My child, flee from every evil thing, and from everything like it." (Did. 3.1)

This warning expands into a list of spiritual dangers: anger, lust, greed, and lying, each paired with its root or occasion. The author presents a chain of sin: for instance, anger leads to murder, lust to adultery. As Aaron Milavec notes in his commentary, "The Didache seeks to address sin not only in its manifest act but in its latent stirrings" (Milavec, 2003, p. 215).

Intertextual Ties: Old and New Testament Echoes

The Didache's ethics are grounded in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly in the Wisdom tradition. Proverbs warns of the “little foxes” that spoil the vine (Song 2:15), and this notion is echoed in Didache’s warning to avoid even the "form" of evil.

But perhaps more striking is the parallel with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. For instance:

• Didache 3.2:

“Do not be prone to anger, for anger leads to murder...” echoes Matthew 5:21-22:“Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”

• Didache 3.3:

“Do not be lustful, for lust leads to adultery...” mirrors Matthew 5:27-28: “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery...”

As W. Varner argues, the Didache demonstrates “a conscious and consistent reflection of the ethical teachings of Jesus” (Varner, 2005, p. 5).

The Church Fathers on the Two Ways

The concept of the Two Ways had deep roots in Second Temple Judaism and was embraced by early Christian teachers. The Epistle of Barnabas (ch. 18–20), a contemporaneous document, repeats similar phrases. But the Didache is more pastoral than polemical; it forms disciples.

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215)

Clement acknowledged the Didache’s value as a catechetical tool. He writes in Stromata:

“The righteous man flees not only from sin but from the causes of sin.”

This directly parallels Didache 3's repeated command to "flee from" even the precursor to sin, a deeply ascetic and intentional spirituality.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–253)

Origen, interpreting Matthew 5, emphasized the “root of sin in the soul,” stating:

“Not the act alone, but the inclination corrupts the man.”

The Didache adopts this inner focus, instructing believers not only to abstain from evil but to train their impulses through discipline.

From Community Ethics to Spiritual Discipline

While modern readers might find the emphasis on avoiding temptation rather than only resisting sin a bit severe, in the early Christian world, this was wisdom born of persecution and discipleship.

Aaron Milavec frames Didache Chapter 3 as "an initiation into moral discernment", helping converts understand how "impulses" must be reshaped before baptism (Milavec, 2003, p. 233). It is not merely rules, but formation.

Application: From Text to Life

The wisdom of Chapter Three is desperately relevant today. In a culture where temptation is only a click away, the Didache reminds us that moral failure often begins with seemingly harmless compromise.

Consider how Chapter Three might be summarized in today's terms:

• Guard your thoughts.

• Monitor your impulses.

• Be wary of half-truths.

• Love discipline, for it leads to freedom.

It is not merely a call to not sin, but to be vigilant, to form habits of righteousness, and to develop eyes that see sin not only in deed but in desire.

Here are some highlights from recent scholarly commentary for further study:

• Milavec, A. (2003): "The Didache offers the earliest complete catechism... Chapter 3 prepares catechumens to master impulses that lead to sin."

  The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis and Commentary

  
  

• Varner, W. (2005): "The Didache’s ethical paraenesis reveals a deep familiarity with the words of Jesus as found in Matthew."

  The Master's Seminary Journal

  
  

• Smith, M.J. (2015): "The eschatological vision of the Didache is built on moral formation... a disciple trained for endurance."

  Academia.edu

  
  

• Draper, J.A. (2005): "Ethics in the Didache show continuity with the Sermon on the Mount, not legalism but liberation through formation."

  First Fruits and the Support of Prophets

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References

• Milavec, A. (2003). The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis, and Commentary. Collegeville: Liturgical Press.

• Varner, W. (2005). The Didache’s Use of the Old and New Testaments. The Master's Seminary Journal. 

• Smith, M. J. (2015). The Lord Jesus and His Coming in the Didache. 

• Draper, J. A. (2005). First-Fruits and the Support of Prophets, Teachers, and the Poor in Didache 13.