Do the Best You Can

I was reading though the Didache recently. The Didache (Greek for "teaching") was written about 75 to 120 AD and gave mostly good advice on many issues. It shows one very early trend that has haunted the church over the years, Anti-Semitism. It is mild in the Didache, but it does exist.  Some of their issues are difficult for us to relate to. Meat sacrificed to idols is an example. Most meat purchased at the market would have been offered to idols. Paul was discussing these issues in Romans 14. Many had become defacto vegetarians so they would not eat such meat.  Romans 14:

1Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

The important thing is not to condemn those who decide differently from you. The Didache makes this mistake and condemns the Jews because they fast on different days than the Christians do! This is hard for us modern Christians to relate to as the only place we fast is on the freeway.  But with regard to eating meat sacrificed to idols, the Didache has it right. No doubt Paul has influenced them here. 

Chapter 6. See that no one causes you to err from this way of the Teaching, since apart from God it teaches you. For if you are able to bear the entire yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you are not able to do this, do what you are able. And concerning food, bear what you are able; but against that which is sacrificed to idols be exceedingly careful; for it is the service of dead gods.

In other words, do the best you can.  This is one of my goals for this blog, to do the best I can. I think that this principle also applies to the material on this blog. Jesus told his disciples to be in the world, but not to be of the world. The advice of the Didache is good. Do the best you can.