Essentials of Ethics in Matthew and the Didache: A Comparison at a Conceptual and Practical Level

In Matthew and Didache , the ethical obligations for members of their respective communities are defined in remarkably Jewish terms of Torah observance. This chapter focuses on a specific combination of core values, Matthew and Didache distinguish themselves from other contemporary Jewish writings. It compares the essentials of ethics in both writings at a conceptual and practical level. The basics of the Torah effective in Matthew and Didache on a conceptual level are the (double) love commandment, the second half of the Decalogue and ethical perfection. While Matthew seems to focus on the Torah's demand for perfection, understood as extensively and intensively as possible, the Didache stresses moderation and practical compromise. Matthew's and the Didache 's treatment of the Torah fits comfortably within the context of first-century Palestinian Judaism. Keywords: Didache ; Jewish writing; love commandment; Matthew; Torah