The Didache — Explosive Pretrib Information

By Lee Brainard

The Didache is a very early patristic document, generally dated by evangelical scholars to somewhere between 70 AD to 100 AD. The authors were almost certainly contemporaries with the apostles and the apostolic associates. This document is clearly pretrib. Indeed, it presents three distinct arguments for a pretrib rapture: classic imminence, the choice between glorification and tribulation (the don’t be left behind argument), and a partial resurrection at the second coming (the church was already resurrected and will descend with the Lord at Armageddon.

Watch the intriguing video with Lee Brainard while he tells of evidence of Pre-Tribulation Rapture belief in the first century church.......

Video:
15:59 minutes

The Didache — Explosive Pretrib Information

The Didache is a very early patristic document, generally dated by evangelical scholars to somewhere between 70 AD to 100 AD. The authors were almost certainly contemporaries with the apostles and the apostolic associates. This document is clearly pretrib. Indeed, it presents three distinct...

soothkeep.info

 

[Andy C]

Sounds interesting, but its a non biblical source.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Looks interesting. I don't watch too many videos but will try to take a look at this later.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I have a copy of the Didache. Good reading from church history, doctrinal history, and worship practice history perspectives. Provides a good backdrop for reading the ecumenical council papers and Church Fathers' writings. Excellent information source for discussing pre-Trib doctrine with someone, who subscribes to the claim that pre-Trib theology dates only from the 19th Century.

 

[Andy C]

I have a copy of the Didache. Good reading from church history, doctrinal history, and worship practice history perspectives. Provides a good backdrop for reading the ecumenical council papers and Church Fathers' writings. Excellent information source for discussing pre-Trib doctrine with someone, who subscribes to the claim that pre-Trib theology dates only from the 19th Century.

Isn’t the ecumenical council papers from the RCC?

 

[Margery]

Sounds interesting, but its a non biblical source.

The reason the Didache and other writings of the early church fathers is important is because of the attack on the pre Trib position.

A lot of the attacks try to say that we believe the pre Trib because of Darby or worse yet because of Margaret McDonald (she wasn't pre trib, she's a mid trib) both around the 1800s, and that the early church DIDN'T teach a pre Trib position (which they did).

so the more early church writings you can use to expose that as a lie, and show that the early church DID believe and teach a pre trib position, the better.

The people who attack us, aren't going to accept the Biblical reasons either, so the early church writings like the Didache and the ECF stuff is a help in straightening out the ones who don't know what's true or not.

Ideally people will listen to Biblical reasoning, but if they are still unsure then demolishing the argument that the pre trib position is a johnny come lately from the 1800s is an important tool in the toolbox.

This document is clearly pretrib. Indeed, it presents three distinct arguments for a pretrib rapture: classic imminence, the choice between glorification and tribulation (the don’t be left behind argument), and a partial resurrection at the second coming (the church was already resurrected and will descend with the Lord at Armageddon.

These other positions, are classical pre trib and it's just nice to have something this detailed from the early church.

The Didache was written out in the first or second century to assist in training young believers inside the early church. It was put together as a written form of the teaching of the apostles to young believers. It is not part of the canon of Scripture, but it is closely associated with the earliest of the church writings and the more recent thought is that it was first century, not second.

 

[mattfivefour]

The Didache most likely was not included in the Canon because it was not original material about Christ and the Church given by God, but rather it was more a commentary and expansion on what had already been written and taught. Nevertheless, it is a useful document for Bible students. In her post above mine, @Margery has given excellent reasons why.