The Didache Concluded

Here is the final instalment of the Didache paraphrase I've worked on. Hope you've enjoyed it, and it has been inspiring to you.

Chapter 14 “Importance of Community Life”
On Sunday, get everyone together to share a meal, and thank God together. Be honest and real with each other about your failures and weaknesses, you want this to be real spirituality, not just a religious show.
And if there’s a feud going on between two people, don’t let their lousy attitudes spoil the whole party. Make them wait outside until they can get things reconciled and behave like adults.
This is the kind of worship and sacrifice the Lord has always been looking for. Remember what He said:
“In all places, at all times, give Me real worship and loyalty.
The Lord reveals that He is the One and only King, and His name is better than anything else on earth!”

Chapter 15 “How to Choose a Leader”
Your community should choose as leaders people who are good with administration, and people who have a heart to serve you. People whose lives reflect a harmony with God’s character, and who aren’t in it for the money. People who have proven over time that they can be trusted.
These people will serve you in the same capacity as the spokesmen of the Lord and the teachers do.
Show respect for these guys, they are just as deserving of respect as prophets and teachers. What they provide for your community is just as good as what prophets and teachers provide.

Each of you should take on the responsibility to watch out for each other, and correct each other if need be. Not because you’re mad at someone, but because you care, and want peace for him or her, just like you were instructed to do in God’s good plan.
Don’t be an enabler, or try to reason with someone who is abusing another person. Back off from them until they see the need to stop behaving that way; that’s the only real help you can give them.

Let your prayer life, and your gift giving, your whole life be harmonious with all you’ve learned from God’s good plan.

Chapter 16 “What We’re Waiting For”
Be careful about how you’re living. Let your light shine brightly, keep your armor in place, and live in a way that you’re ready for the unexpected return of the King.
Get together as often as you can, because your highest priority should be what’s best for your inner man.
Remember, this whole journey you’ve been on, all that you’ve experienced won’t mean a thing if you give up on the last stretch.
When this world is close to taking it’s last breath, there will be tons of people who present a counterfeit truth, who spread their lie like a computer virus, corrupting every good thing. Those we thought were true sheep will, in the dying light, be revealed as wolves. People will forget what love is, much less how to live it; yet will be ingenious in finding new ways to hate.
The great rebellion against God will grow and grow, characterized by hatred and abuse of what’s good and self interest at the cost of everyone else.

Then the One who will deceive the world will come on the scene, pretending to be the Son of God.
He’ll do things that look like amazing miracles, and everyone on earth will come under his spell.
He’ll actively work in opposition to God’s good plan, in terrible ways like we’ve never seen before.
Then all the people God created will end up facing this terrible, blazing time of trouble; and a lot of people will make the wrong choices and die.
But those who continue on, relentless in their belief that God is good and has a good plan will be rescued because Someone good was called the Punished, and took their punishment for them.

The truth of all these predictions will one day appear for everyone to see. Here are some of the signs of this happening:
First, the sky will crack open and peel away. Then, there will be the sound of some great, heavenly trumpet blast. And then, it will be the day of the dead; those who have died will come back to life with new bodies. Excuse me, not all who have died, but only those who believed and now belong to the King will be included in this sign of His return.

One day, the world will see all of these things. Yes, and then they’ll see the King we serve, walking over the clouds and coming to us.

All this I agree to as Truth.