𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

The Didache, meaning "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," gives us an extraordinary glimpse into the earliest days of Yeshua’s followers. Written sometime between 50–120 CE, it likely emerged during the same era as Paul’s letters and the Gospel of Matthew. In this pivotal period, the young Messianic movement was still deeply rooted in its Jewish heritage while grappling with the revolutionary implications of Yeshua’s resurrection.

The Didache is neither lofty theology nor storytelling. Instead, it’s a simple yet profound guide for daily living, communal worship, and a life oriented toward G-d's kingdom. It breathes the air of a people who are trying to walk faithfully as disciples of the risen Messiah while standing on the foundation of Torah.

One of its most intriguing instructions is the command to gather on the "Lord’s Day" (𝐾𝑦𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑎). The text says:

"𝑂𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑’𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑦, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑠, 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒."

Here, we see a thread connecting the Didache to the apostolic writings. Paul tells the Corinthians to set aside offerings on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2), and Acts describes believers breaking bread together on this same day (Acts 20:7). These practices commemorate Yeshua’s resurrection, which took place at the dawn of the first day, transforming it into a day of hope and renewal. Importantly, this custom emerged naturally among early Jewish-Christians, who carried with them the rhythms of the Torah while embracing the new life brought by Messiah. It is an undeniable fact of history: Sunday worship did not originate with Constantine. It was a first-century reality, woven into the spiritual DNA of those who had encountered the risen Messiah.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡-𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞

The Didache doesn’t belong to a world divorced from Judaism; it breathes its essence. Its ethical teachings, called the "Two Ways" (the way of life and the way of death), mirror the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy (Deut. 30:19). Its instructions on fasting, prayer, and communal life echo Jewish traditions but bear the distinctive mark of Yeshua’s teachings. For instance, the Didache’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is recited three times daily, paralleling the Jewish tradition of praying at morning, afternoon, and evening. These echoes of Jewish practice remind us that the earliest believers did not abandon their roots but reinterpreted them in the light of Yeshua's life, death, and resurrection.

In this way, the Didache stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul’s letters and Matthew’s Gospel. Paul, writing in the same period, wrestled with questions about the Torah’s role in a community that now included Gentiles. Matthew, meanwhile, presented Yeshua as the fulfillment of Torah, emphasizing His Jewish identity and the global scope of His mission. The Didache reflects a community navigating this same tension—remaining faithful to Torah while embracing a new understanding of G-d's kingdom.

𝐀 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

The Didache offers a snapshot of a theology and practice still in the process of becoming. Sunday worship, as it appears in the text, was not a replacement for the Sabbath but a supplementary act of devotion, a celebration of Yeshua's victory over death. It reveals the organic development of Christian life, rooted in its Jewish beginnings and unfolding through the Spirit’s leading. By the time of the Nicene Council in 325 CE, the church had grown and changed, shaped by theological debates, cultural contexts, and the challenge of defining orthodoxy. Yet, the seeds of this growth were already present in documents like the Didache, Paul’s epistles, and the Gospels.

The Didache invites us to step into a world where faith was fresh and practices were forming. It reminds us that the Christian story is not one of sudden rupture but of gradual transformation. As the community of Yeshua’s followers grew, so too did their understanding of His teachings and their place in G-d’s plan. The journey from the Didache to Nicene Christianity is one of evolution, not invention—a movement guided by the Spirit through the ebbs and flows of history.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐀 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

The Didache firmly places Sunday worship within the first century, as a practice born out of the resurrection itself. The apostles and early believers didn’t need Constantine to declare the significance of the first day; they already knew it was the day their Messiah conquered death. Far from being a later addition, the "Lord’s Day" was woven into the fabric of their worship and their hope. This simple text, alongside the New Testament, tells the story of a people finding their way in a world forever changed by Yeshua’s triumph. It invites us to see the continuity between the Torah, Yeshua, and the early church, as G-d’s plan unfolded through faithful lives, generation by generation.

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: Just because the "Lord's Day" is Sunday does not negate the holiness of Shabbat. It is very likely the early Jewish (and Gentile "grafted in") believers kept Shabbat and met on the Lord's Day as well. Those who still hold that Constantine turned Sunday into the Lord's Day, need to reconsider their belief based upon historical evidence to the contrary.

The Didache’s affirmation of gatherings on the Lord’s Day does not negate the sanctity of Shabbat but enriches early believers’ worship. Scriptural evidence unmistakably points to Yeshua’s resurrection on the first day of the week, a cornerstone of faith that infused this day with profound significance (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2). Historical writings from Ignatius, Barnabas, and Justin Martyr affirm that the Lord’s Day was not a replacement for Shabbat but a commemoration of Yeshua’s victory over death. This dual rhythm of Shabbat observance and first-day gatherings reflects the early community’s commitment to honoring both creation and redemption.

Critics who argue that Sunday gatherings stem from Constantine’s pagan influence overlook pre-Constantine sources like the Didache, which predates Roman decrees by centuries. The Didache’s instruction to “gather on the Lord’s Day”, alongside Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2, illustrates a pattern of first-day gatherings rooted in resurrection theology, not syncretism. Claims that these gatherings were purely practical or tied to Havdalah traditions miss their spiritual and theological significance, as early believers understood the first day as a celebration of new creation and the Messiah’s triumph.

Far from diminishing Shabbat’s importance, the Lord’s Day gatherings expanded the scope of worship for early believers, bridging Jewish tradition with the transformative reality of the resurrection. This practice of observing Shabbat while also gathering on the first day demonstrates the inclusivity and theological depth of the early ekklesia. By embracing both creation and resurrection, we can honor the full narrative of G-d’s redemptive work, fostering unity rather than division in worship.

B"H