100 Reasons to Believe New Testament History
59. The Diadachi
The Diadachi or the teaching of the twelve apostles is an ancient Greek text, fragments of which have been dated to the third century. Scholars have variously dated the original composition of this document, with dates usually ranging from as early as A.D. 50 to about A.D. 100 A.
The Diadachi is an exposition of the Apostles teachings for the early church, and scholars acknowledge its connection with the Gospel of Matthew B. Various teachings from Christ’s sermon on the mount, for example, are mirrored in the Diadachi, as well as the famous baptismal formula (Matthew 28:19), the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), various other teachings regarding the end times from Matthew 24, as well as clear allusion to the ten virgins parable of Matthew 25.
With its obvious connection to Matthew, the Diadachi was seen as truthful and authoritive to first century Christians. The implication of course is that if Matthew was used as a source for the Diadache, then we must conclude that Matthew was completed well within the lifetimes of the various witnesses to the events it mentions. Some might argue that the Diadachi was used as a source for Matthew. Even so, those portions of Matthew which correspond to this document would still be datable to well within the first century, and well within the lifetimes of the various witnesses.
59. The Diadachi - Notes and References
A. "Of course today, when the similarities between the Didache and Barnabas, or the Shepherd of Hermas, are no longer taken as proof that the Didache is literarily dependent upon these documents, the trend is to date the Didache much earlier, at least by the end of the first century or the beginning of the second, and in the case of Jean-P. Audet, as early as 50-70 C.E." Stephen J. Patterson, “The Gospel of Thomas and Jesus”, Polebridge Press, 1993, p. 173
B. “The Diadachi thus clearly reflects a form of early Jewish Christianity, although the date of its composition is a matter of debate. Some (especially J. P. Audet) have argued that it consists of two parts, of which one refers to the oral gospel, while the other parts refer to the written gospel of Matthew; he dates both parts before the year 70. More commonly the document as a whole is placed twenty years later, thought it is recognized that it reflects earlier traditions.” Robert M. Grant, “Historical Introduction to the New Testament”, Harper & Row, 1963, p. 241