‘Another Gospel’: Exploring Early Christian Diversity with Paul and the Didache

The issue of diversity in early Christianity has recently attracted a lively scholarly interest. In this field of research, the Didache has received relatively limited attention. This essay seeks to contribute to the discussion by juxtaposing the notion of εὐαγγέλιον as found in the Didache to that of the Pauline Epistles. It is generally recognized that the Pauline gospel was focused unambiguously on the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly emphasizing his death and resurrection. As opposed to Paul, the Didache is notably not centered on Christology. This document presents Jesus as God’s servant, who revealed the will of the Lord God. Accordingly, the term εὐαγγέλιον, which reappears four times in this short text, can hardly be associated with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, these topics, which are crucial for Paul, are not even mentioned in the Didache. The notion of εὐαγγέλιον, however, is found there predominantly in the paraenetical context. The evidence of the Didache, remarkably different from that of the Pauline Epistles, which is echoed in the rest of the New Testament, yields invaluable information about the origins of Christianity. This article highlights the importance of the Didache, insisting that its investigation would advance ongoing research on the diversity in early Christianity