# Didache 1.2

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Didache](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/) (*Doctrina duodecim apostolorum*)
- Date: ca. 50–150 (often ca. 100) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:308; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 308–333 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/1/2/

Summary: The way of life: love God and neighbor, and do not do to others what you would not want done to you.

## Greek text

Ἡ μὲν οὖν ὁδὸς τῆς ζωῆς ἐστιν αὕτη· πρῶτον ἀγαπήσεις τὸν θεὸν τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, δεύτερον τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃς μὴ γίνεσθαί σοι, καὶ σὺ ἄλλῳ μὴ ποίει.

## English translation (Claude)

Now the way of life is this: first, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbor as yourself; and whatever you would not want to happen to you, do not do to another either.

## Scripture references

- Matt 22:37: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 22:39: allusion, high confidence
- Lev 19:18: allusion, medium confidence
- Deut 6:5: echo, medium confidence
- Matt 7:12: allusion, medium confidence

## Extrabiblical texts

- Tob 4:15 (Tobit): echo, low confidence

## Translation notes

- The last clause is the Golden Rule in its negative form, as in Tob 4:15.

## Citation (SBL)

Did. 1.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/1/2/).