The Didache, Chapter 8 summary
Chapter 8 of 16 · 1 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 8, the instructions distinguish the community’s fasting and prayer from the practices of hypocrites, assigning different fasting days and directing readers to the prayer commanded by the Lord. The prescribed prayer joins praise, daily needs, forgiveness, and protection, and readers must repeat it three times daily.
What happens
- The instructions reject the hypocrites’ fasting schedule of the second and fifth weekdays.
- Those addressed must fast on the fourth weekday and the day of Preparation.
- The instructions replace the hypocrites’ manner of prayer with the prayer the Lord commands in his Gospel.
- The prayer asks the Father for his kingdom, daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation and evil.
- Those addressed must say this prayer three times daily.
Free for 3 months
Read and hear the whole of The Didache, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
In this chapter
The key line
“Pray this three times each day.”The instructional voice
This instruction gives the prescribed prayer a daily rhythm and makes its repetition an explicit requirement.
Quick check
How often must those addressed say the prescribed prayer?
Free for 3 months
Read and hear the whole of The Didache, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
Read Chapter 8 in the book
The whole book to read and hear, and the printed book, large print included, at cost.
Read free
