49 – The Didache: Torah for Gentiles | Dr. Daniel Nessim

Early Jewish believers in Yeshua created a catechism for new disciples from among the nations. Lost for hundreds of years, this document, the Didache, reveals the expectations and standards the early Yeshua-believing community put in place for Gentile disciples of Yeshua. Our guest today, Dr. Daniel Nessim, has spent his academic career demonstrating that the first disciples of Yeshua considered the Torah to be the moral compass of all those who joined the community of disciples, whether Jewish or Gentile. 

–  Takeaways –

• The Didache is a discipleship manual created by early Jewish believers in Yeshua for personal Gentile discipleship and how to conduct themselves within the community.
• The Didache was written around 80 CE during a tumultuous time in history and reflects the beliefs and values of the early Jewish believers, who considered the Torah to be the moral compass for all disciples.
• The arch of the Didache progresses from directing individuals on the proper moral path to addressing issues of community life that were particularly applicable at the time the Didache was written. 

–  Chapters –

(00:00) Welcome Dr. Daniel Nessim to Messiah Podcast!
(02:41) The Didache: What it is and where it came from.
(05:44) The purpose and significance of the Didache.
(08:16) Relationship of the Didache to other early Christian writings.
(09:49) The historical occasion for writing down the Didache.
(12:37) The clues that betray the Jewishness of the Didache.
(14:20) Rediscovery of the Didache.
(15:52)  Impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Didache research.
(21:44) Thesis of the book “Torah for Gentiles” by Dr. Daniel Nessim.
(28:16) Parallels with Greek moral instruction.
(31:12) Modern interpretations of the Didache. 
(32:36) Textual criticism and the similar sayings of Yeshua in the Didache and the Gospels.
(37:52 )Hard lines and leniencies in the Didache’s concession passages.
(41:37) Is there a specific list of Gentile responsibilities to the Torah?
(49:02) Judaism as a religion of grace.
(50:07) Why the Didache disappeared.
(52:24) The end of Jewish Christianity and the historical context of the Didache.
(58:27) The value of the Didache in the present era. 

–  Resources –

Torah for Gentiles? 
What the Jewish Authors of the Didache Had to Say, by Dr. Daniel Nessim

The Way of Life, The Rediscovered Teachings of the Twelve Jewish Apostles to the Gentiles, by Toby Janicki

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Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel.

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