Shameless Popery #221 Gavin, “Quote-Mining,” and The Didache… - Joe Heschmeyer
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Nov 4, 2025 
In this conversation, Gavin Ortlund, a pastor and theologian known for his insights on early church structures, engages with Joe Heschmeyer over the Didache and its implications for the papacy. They dissect whether early Christian evidence supports or refutes papal claims. Gavin critiques the treatment of quotations from the Didache, while Joe emphasizes the contested nature of its interpretations. The duo explores scholarly debates on church hierarchy and how current research challenges previous models, leaving the topic intriguingly ambiguous.
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Didache Mentions More Than Two Offices
- The Didache mentions apostles, prophets, teachers, bishops, and deacons, complicating a simple two-office model.
- Omitting prophets and teachers from a quotation makes the document appear to support a two-tier structure it does not clearly teach.
Clarifying An Allegation Of Alteration
- Joe explains he never accused Gavin of intentionally altering the Didache text and stresses mistakes happen in video production.
- He emphasizes charity and says he only meant to show the text had been altered, not to impugn character.
Harnack's Oppositional Model Challenged
- Adolf von Harnack argued the Didache reflects itinerant apostles, prophets, and teachers versus local bishops and deacons.
- Modern scholarship largely rejects Harnack's oppositional model of charism versus institution.
