The Didache, Chapter 12 summary
Chapter 12 of 16 · 1 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 12, the community receives instructions to welcome visitors who invoke the Lord, test them, and help travelers without allowing unnecessarily long stays. Those who settle must work if they have a trade, while the community must prevent idleness and guard against people who use Christ for their livelihood.
What happens
- The community must welcome those who come in the Lord’s name, then test them and judge their conduct.
- Travelers receive whatever help the community can give, but stays are limited to two or three days when necessary.
- Visitors who settle and have a trade must work to support themselves.
- The community must use judgment to prevent settlers without trades from living idly.
- Refusal to work identifies someone who uses Christ for a living and requires caution.
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In this chapter
The key line
“If he refuses to work, he is simply using Christ to make a living.”The unnamed instructor
The line makes refusal to work a sign of exploitation. It explains why hospitality must include judgment and caution.
Quick check
What should a visitor who wants to settle and has a trade do?
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