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Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Document Type

Article

Keywords

almsgiving, christian, love, didache, apostolic, diognetus, repentance, catechesis, mercy, faith

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

To say simply that almsgiving was a part of early Christian catechesis would not say much that is new to the Lutheran church today. Our own catechism includes this idea in its explanation of the 5th commandment: “We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.” It is not so much significant that the Apostolic Fathers taught almsgiving but how they did so. Almsgiving played such a central role in the life of the early church that it came to be one of the distinguishing features of the Christian community. This was not an accident. Such giving stemmed from their understanding of the Christian duty to care for the poor and needy as a non-negotiable aspect of Christian life and godliness.

Disciplines

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

Isaiah 58:7; Matthew 7:13–14; Romans 8; Deuteronomy 30:15–19; Luke 6:30; Matthew 5:42, 45; Luke 6:30, 35; 1 Peter 1:4; Daniel 4:27; 1 Peter 4:8;

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

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