The Didache, Chapter 4 summary
Chapter 4 of 16 · 2 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 4, the speaker instructs the listener to honor religious teachers, seek holy company, make peace, and share possessions freely with those in need. The teaching extends to children, masters, and servants, then closes by requiring faithful observance of commandments and confession within the assembly.
What happens
- The speaker urges respect for religious teachers, daily contact with saints, peacemaking, and fair judgment.
- The listener must give freely, help people in need, and treat possessions as shared rather than exclusively personal.
- Parents must teach their children reverence for God, while masters must avoid bitter and harsh commands.
- Servants must obey their masters with humility and reverence.
- The speaker rejects hypocrisy and requires unchanged commandments, public confession, and prayer without a guilty conscience.
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In this chapter
The key line
“Do not desire division, but instead bring those who are at odds with each other to peace.”The unnamed speaker
The instruction requires active peacemaking, not simply avoidance of conflict. It expresses the chapter's concern for responsible conduct toward others.
Quick check
Where does the speaker instruct the listener to confess sins?
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