Christian Mission and Poverty

Chapter 1 Early Christian Teaching

Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.

~ The Didache

Say, “Certainly Christ does not prevent me from having property” . . . But do you see yourself overcome and overthrown by it? Leave it, throw it away, hate, renounce, flee.

~ Clement of Alexandria

T he D idache (50–150) Background

The word Didache means teaching . The Didache is one of the earliest Christian writings, written soon after the later books of the New Testament. It is subtitled The Lord’s

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