Two Ways and Christian Morality in Early Christianity

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

That There are Two Ways — The One Natural, of Life, and the Other Introduced Afterwards, of Death;

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

There are two ways, O Emperor Constantine, by which human life must proceed — the one which leads to heaven, the other which sinks to hell;

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

I. The lawgiver Moses said to the Israelites, Behold, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death;

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

...nt, powerful, glorious, and able to save a person's soul. I said to myself, "I will be blessed if I walk in these commandments, and everyone who walks in them will be blessed." While I was saying these things to myself, I suddenly saw him sitting beside me, and I heard him say this: "Why are you doubtful about the commandments that I gave you? They are excellent. Do not doubt them at all. Instead, put on faith in the Lord, and you will walk in them, for I will strengthen you in them. These commandments are useful for those who intend to repent. For if they do not walk in them, their repentance is in vain. Therefore, you who repent, throw away the wickedness of this world that wears you out. And by putting on all the virtues of a holy life, you will be able to keep these commandments, and you will no longer add to the number of your sins. Walk, therefore, in these commandments of mine, and you will live to God. All these things have been spoken to you by me." After he had said these words, he said to me, "Let us go into the fields, and I will show you the shepherds of the flocks." "Let us go, sir," I replied. And we came to a certain plain, and he showed me a young man, a shepher

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

"Fear the Lord," he said, "and keep His commandments." Ecclesiastes 12:13 For if you keep God's commandments, you will be strong in everything you do, and everything you do will be beyond compare. For by fearing the Lord, you will do everything well. This is the fear you ought to have, so that you may be saved. But do not fear the devil. For if you fear the Lord, you will rule over the devil, because there is no power in him. But someone in whom there is no power should never be feared. He in whom there is glorious power is the one who is truly to be feared. For everyone who has power ought to be feared, but he who has no power is despised by all. Therefore, fear the deeds of the devil, because they are evil. For if you fear the Lord, you will not do these deeds, but will hold back from them. For there are two kinds of fear. If you do not want to do what is evil, fear the Lord, and you will not do it. But again, if you want to do what is good, fear the Lord, and you will do it. Therefore the fear of the Lord is strong, great, and glorious. Fear the Lord, then, and you will live to Him, and all who fear Him and keep His commandments will live to God. "Why," I said, "sir, did you say

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

He finished the twelve commandments and said to me, "You now have these commandments. Live by them, and urge your hearers to do the same, so that their repentance may be pure for the rest of their lives. Carefully carry out this ministry that I now entrust to you, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favor among those who are going to repent, and they will listen to your words, because I will be with you and will compel them to obey you." I said to him, "Sir, these commandments are great, good, and glorious, and they are able to make glad the heart of the person who can keep them. But I do not know whether a human being can keep these commandments, because they are extremely hard." He answered and said to me, "If you settle it in your mind that they can be kept, then you will keep them easily, and they will not be hard. But if you begin to think that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I say to you, if you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your household, since you have already decided for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man."

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

...ghteous. For the path of righteousness is straight, but the path of unrighteousness is crooked. But walk in the straight and level way, and pay no attention to the crooked one. For the crooked path has no road, but has many trackless places and stumbling blocks in it, and it is rough and thorny. It harms those who walk in it. But those who walk on the straight road walk smoothly without stumbling, because it is neither rough nor thorny. You see, then, that it is better to walk on this road." I said, "I want to go by this road." He said, "You will go by it, and whoever turns to the Lord with all his heart will walk in it."

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

...or He has glorified you. Seek God; and call on Him while He is near you. Let the wicked abandon his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will receive mercy, because He will generously pardon your sins. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways; as far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the snow or rain falls from heaven and does not return without watering the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, and providing seed for the sower and bread for food, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth: it will not return void but will accomplish what I desire, and fulfill My purpose. You will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the cypress, and instead of briers will grow the myrtle. And the Lord's renown will be for an everlasting sign, and He will not fail!' Some of these words written by the prophets, O Trypho," I said, "refer to the first coming of Christ, when He was portr

Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians Supporting witness

and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord.

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness

Whoever, therefore, shall walk in these commandments, shall have life, and will be happy in his life;

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness

...l know that nothing is easier, sweeter, or more manageable than these commandments. Return, you who walk in the commandments of the devil, in harsh and bitter and savage licentiousness, and do not fear the devil. For he has no power against you, because I will be with you, the angel of repentance, who am lord over him. The devil has only fear, but his fear has no strength. So do not fear him, and he will flee from you."

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness

Then do we walk in the way of God's commandments, well prepared for it by the endurance of trials.

Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness

Mark 10:19a You know the commandments. 45 If you would enter into life, keep the commandments.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

Tobit 14:10-11 And again: All the days of your life, most dear son, have God in your mind, and be not willing to transgress His commandments.

Didache, Connection to Jeremiah 21:8 Supporting witness

There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, thou shalt love God who made thee; second, thy neighbour as thyself; and all things whatsoever thou wouldst should not occur to thee, thou also to another do not do.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...ture. And if they think they are superior to others in nobility, they ought also to surpass them in conduct, so as to avoid being shut up in prison. For truly, as the Lord said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of God,” Matthew 5:20. Abstinence from foods is shown by Daniel, Daniel 1:1. And to say it once for all, David the psalmist speaks of obedience: “How shall a young man direct his way?” And at once he hears, “By keeping Your words with his whole heart.” And Jeremiah says, “Thus says the Lord: Do not walk in the ways of the nations,” Jeremiah 10:2. Moved by this, some others, petty and worthless people, say that man was formed by different powers, and that the parts up to the navel are the work of a more divine craftsmanship, but the parts below are of a lesser one. For that reason they also desire sexual union. But they do not notice that the upper parts also desire nourishment, and also long for certain things. They also oppose Christ, who said to the Pharisees that the same God made both our inner and our outer man, Luke 11:40. Desire is not of the body, even though it takes place through the body. Some

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

... our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke truthfully when he summed up all righteousness and piety in two commandments: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.' For the person who loves God with all their heart and strength, being filled with a God-fearing mind, will honor no other god; and since God desires it, he would honor the angel who is loved by the same Lord and God. The person who loves their neighbor as themselves will wish for them the same good things they desire for themselves, and no one wishes harm upon themselves. Consequently, someone who loves their neighbor would pray and strive for their neighbor to have the same benefits they have. No other being is as close to man as another similarly-disposed and rational being—man. Therefore, since all righteousness has two aspects, one concerning God and the other concerning humans, whoever, according to Scripture, loves the Lord God with all their heart and strength and their neighbor as themselves would truly be a righteous person. But you have never been shown to possess friendship or love towards God, or the prophets, or yourselves. Instead, as i

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...iritual matters and to physical things. For when He said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," Matthew 5:10, He clearly taught us in every situation to look to the martyr. If that person is poor for righteousness' sake, he bears witness that the righteousness he loves is a good thing. If he hungers and thirsts for righteousness' sake, he testifies that righteousness is the best thing. In the same way, the one who weeps and mourns for righteousness' sake testifies that the best law is beautiful. So then, just as those who are persecuted are called blessed, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness' sake are also called blessed by Him who approves true desire, a desire that not even famine can stop. And if they hunger for righteousness itself, they are blessed. And blessed are the poor, whether in spirit or in outward circumstances, that is, if it is for righteousness' sake. He does not simply call the poor blessed, but those who have chosen to become poor for righteousness' sake. These are the people who have despised the honors of this world in order to gain the good. In the same way, He also blesses those who, through chastity, have become beautif

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Oration to Origen Supporting witness

...ve everything else, he also trained us through these things. I mean the divine virtues that concern moral character. These are like good fruits gathered from the varied growth of all the other studies and from long practice in philosophy. By these virtues, the movements of the mind gain balance and stability. Through them, he aimed to make us truly able to resist grief and unrest under the weight of every trouble. He also aimed to give us a disciplined, steady, and religious spirit, so that we might be truly blessed in all things. He worked hard to do this by fitting speeches that were wise and comforting. Very often also, he used the strongest appeals about our moral character and our way of life. And he guided our desires not only by words, but also in some measure by deeds. He did this through that very contemplation and observation of the mind's impulses and affections. By the result of this process especially, the mind is usually brought back from a state of conflict into a right condition, and restored from confusion to judgment and order. So the mind, looking at itself as in a mirror, could see itself clearly. More specifically, it could see, on the one hand, the very beg

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...e Gnostics and perfect, suffered for the Churches which they founded. So then also the Gnostics who walk in the footsteps of the apostles ought to be sinless, and, out of love to the Lord, to love also their brother, so that, if occasion calls, enduring without stumbling afflictions for the Church, they may drink the cup. Those who bear witness in their life by deed, and at the tribunal by word, whether entertaining hope or suspecting fear, are better than those who confess salvation with their mouth alone. But if one rises also to love, he is truly a blessed and true martyr, having confessed perfectly both to the commandments and to God, by the Lord. Having loved Him, he acknowledged a brother, giving himself up wholly to God, yielding up the man gladly and lovingly when asked, like a deposit.

Deuteronomy 30:15 Direct teaching

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.

Deuteronomy 30:16 Direct teaching

If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Jeremiah 21:8 Direct teaching

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Matthew 7:13 Direct teaching

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

Matthew 7:14 Direct teaching

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Proverbs 14:12 Supporting witness

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

1 John 2:6 Supporting witness

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

2 John 1:6 Supporting witness

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

Proverbs 12:28 Supporting witness

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Psalms 1:6 Supporting witness

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 12:26 Supporting witness

One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 4:14 Supporting witness

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Direct teaching

And the way of death is this: First of all it is evil and full of curse: murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, haughtiness, depravity, self-will, greediness, filthy talking, jealousy, over-confidence, loftiness, boastfulness;

Tatian, Address to the Greeks Direct teaching

but while living they practice the ways of death, and die themselves as often as they teach their followers to sin.

Tertullian, Scorpiace Direct teaching

...? Who is this except the one who threatens the fires to come, He without whose will not even one of two sparrows falls to the ground. That is, not even one of the two substances of man, flesh or spirit, because even the number of our hairs has been recorded before Him. "Do not fear, therefore." When He adds, "You are worth more than many sparrows," He promises that we will not fall to the ground in vain, that is, not without profit, if we choose to be killed by men rather than by God. "Whoever therefore will confess in me before men, in him I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven. And whoever will deny me before men, him I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Clear, as I think, are the words used in making this announcement, and also the way to explain both confession and denial, although the manner of expressing them is different. He who confesses that he is a Christian bears witness that he belongs to Christ. He who belongs to Christ must be in Christ. If he is in Christ, he certainly confesses in Christ when he confesses that he is a Christian. For he cannot be this without being in Christ. Besides, by confessing in Christ he also confesses Christ,

Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Direct teaching

...came, sin revived, and I died. "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death," Romans 7:9-10. For after God gave the law, and commanded me what I ought to do and what I ought not to do, the devil worked lust in me. For the promise God gave me was for life and incorruption, so that by obeying it I might have ever-flourishing life and joy leading to incorruption. But for the one who disobeyed it, it would end in death. But the devil, whom he calls sin because he is the author of sin, took an opportunity through the commandment to deceive me into disobedience. He deceived me and killed me, thus making me subject to the sentence, "In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die," Genesis 2:17. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good, Romans 7:12, because it was given not for harm but for safety. For let us not suppose that God makes anything useless or harmful. "What then? Was that which is good made death to me?" Romans 7:13. That is, was what was given as law, so that it might be the cause of the greatest good, made the cause of death? God forbid. For it was not the law of God that became the cause of my being brought u

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

...irements of the law, and all that men needed to observe and do under it, and when he handed over to death only those who transgressed the law, then death was stopped from reigning over all men. For then it reigned over sinners alone, as the law said to it, "Do not touch those who keep my precepts." Therefore Moses served the ministration of this word upon death, while he gave up to destruction all others who were transgressors of the law. For Moses did not come with the intent that death might not reign in any region at all, since many were certainly held under the power of death even after Moses. And the law was called a ministration of death because then only transgressors of the law were punished, and not those who kept it, and who obeyed and observed the things that are in the law, as Abel did, whom Cain, who was made a vessel of the wicked one, slew. However, even after these things, death wished to break the covenant that had been made through Moses, and to reign again over the righteous. And for this purpose it did indeed attack the prophets, killing and stoning those who had been sent by God, on to Zacharias. But my Lord Jesus, as maintaining the righteousness of the law

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

...very one of them might still pass by the law of judgment. And certainly, whoever wills may keep the commandments. And whoever despises them, and turns aside to what is contrary to them, will still, without doubt, have to face this law of judgment. For this reason also, certain of the angels refused to submit themselves to God's commandment, and resisted His will. One of them indeed fell like a flash of lightning upon the earth, while others, harassed by the dragon, sought their felicity in intercourse with the daughters of men, and so brought on themselves the deserved sentence of the punishment of eternal fire. And that angel who was cast down to earth, finding no further entrance into any of the regions of heaven, now flaunts about among men, deceiving them and luring them to become transgressors like himself. Even to this day he is an adversary to the commandments of God. However, the example of his fall and ruin will not be followed by all, since each person is given freedom of will. For this reason also he has received the name of devil, because he passed over from the heavenly places and appeared on earth as the disparager of God's commandment. But because it was God who f

Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness

... because they say that these ways are not in this life, but among the shades below. We speak more clearly and correctly when we say that one is the way of life, and the other is the way of death. Here also we say that there are two ways. But the one on the right hand, in which the just walk, does not lead to Elysium, but to heaven, because they become immortal. The other, on the left, leads to Tartarus, because the unjust are sentenced to eternal tortures. Therefore we must hold to the way of justice, which leads to life. Now the first duty of justice is to acknowledge God as a parent, to fear Him as a master, and to love Him as a father. For the same Being who begot us, who gave us life with vital breath, who nourishes and preserves us, has authority over us not only as a father but also as a master. He has authority to correct us, and the power of life and death. Therefore a twofold honor is due to Him from man, that is, love joined with fear. The second duty of justice is to acknowledge man as a brother. For if the same God made us, and brought all men into being on equal terms for justice and eternal life, then it is clear that we are united by the bond of brotherhood. And h

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...ys to keep in our minds. For many, forgetting them and leaving the heavenly road, have made crooked paths for themselves among twists and cliffs. By these paths they could lead the careless and simple part of the people into the darkness of death. I will explain how this happened. There were some of our religion whose faith was less firm, or who were less learned or less careful, who tore the unity and divided the Church. But those whose faith was unsettled, while pretending that they knew and worshiped God, aimed at increasing their wealth and honor, and sought the highest priestly power. And when they were overcome by others more powerful, they preferred to withdraw with their supporters rather than endure those set over them, though they themselves had earlier wanted to be set over them.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

The righteous are called to their place of refreshing, the unrighteous are snatched away to punishment;

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Background

...d both virtues and vices by earthly honors or punishments. Therefore, all this discussion about the two ways refers to frugality and luxury. For they say that the course of human life is like the letter Y. When each person reaches the beginning of youth and comes to the place where the road divides into two parts, he is uncertain, hesitates, and does not know which direction he should choose. If he meets a guide who can direct him, while he is wavering, to better things—that is, if he learns philosophy or eloquence, or some honorable skills by which he may turn to good conduct, which cannot happen without great labor—they say that he will live a life of honor and abundance. But if he does not meet a teacher of self-control, then he falls into the way on the left, which takes on the appearance of the better way. That is, he gives himself over to idleness, laziness, and luxury. These seem pleasant for a time to a person who does not know the true goods, but afterward, after losing all his dignity and property, he will live in complete misery and disgrace. Therefore, they connected the end of those ways to the body and to this life that we live on earth. The poets perhaps did bette

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Background

...virtue or claim to despise such things, he drags over certain rough cliffs. Nevertheless, all those paths that show an appearance of honor are not different roads, but side paths and byways. They seem to be separate from that common road and to branch off to the right, but they return to the same road, and in the end they all lead to one result. For that guide brings them all together at the point where the good should have been separated from the bad, the strong from the inactive, and the wise from the foolish; namely, in the worship of the gods. In that worship he kills them all with one sword, because they were all foolish without any difference, and he plunges them into death. But this way—which is the way of truth, wisdom, virtue, and justice, and of all these there is only one fountain, one source of strength, and one dwelling place—is simple, because with like minds and in the fullest agreement we follow and worship one God. And it is narrow, because virtue is given to the smaller number. And it is steep, because goodness, which is very high and lofty, cannot be reached without the greatest difficulty and labor.

Novatian, On the Jewish Meats Background

...e commands in their mouth as food. They divide the hoof if, with the steady step of innocence, they walk in the ways of righteousness and of every virtue in life. For in those creatures whose foot is divided into two hoofs, the walk is always strong. If one part of the hoof tends to slip, the firmness of the other supports it, and so the step remains secure. So those who do neither are unclean. Their walk is not firm in virtues, nor do they digest the food of the divine commands in the way pictured by chewing the cud. And those who do only one of these things are not clean either, since they are lacking the other and are not complete in both. Those who do both are believers, and are clean. Those who have only one of the two are Jews and heretics, and are blemished. Those who have neither are the Gentiles, and therefore are unclean. Thus, in the animals, the law establishes, as it were, a kind of mirror of human life, in which men may look at images of punishments. So everything vicious in men, because it is committed against nature, may be condemned more strongly, since even those things, though naturally appointed in beasts, are blamed in them. For in fish, scales are regarded

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background

...rious in good works. Like a skillful and compassionate physician, heal all who have wandered in the ways of sin. For those who are whole have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. For the Son of Man came to save and to seek what was lost. Matthew 9:12; Luke 19:10 Since you are therefore a physician of the Lord’s Church, provide remedies suited to each patient's case. Cure them; heal them by every means possible; restore them sound to the Church. Feed the flock, not with insolence and contempt, as lording it over them, Ezekiel 34:4 but as a gentle shepherd, gathering the lambs into your bosom and gently leading those that are with young. Matthew 20:25; Isaiah 40:11

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Background

... is not content with one mating, and it conceives again while still nursing. For it has a womb with two chambers, and not only one empty chamber of the womb. It has enough room to receive intercourse, for whatever is empty desires to be filled. But it happens that while they are carrying young, one part of the womb is seized by desire and rages with lust. Therefore they have repeated conceptions. So this prohibition urges us to abstain from violent desires, and mutual sexual encounters, and intercourse with pregnant women, and relations in turn one after another, and the corruption of boys, and adultery, and lust. For this reason Moses also openly, and not through riddles, forbade these things, saying, "You shall not commit sexual immorality. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not corrupt boys," in Exodus 20:14. Therefore the rule of the Word must be kept with all our strength. Nothing at all must be done against the laws, and the commandments must not be weakened. For evil desire is called ὕβρις, insolence. And Plato called the horse of desire unruly when he read, "You became to me raging horses after females," Jeremiah 5:8. And those angels who came to Sodom will make th

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background

and the way of life is that of nature, but that of death was afterwards introduced — it not being according to the mind of God, but from the snares of the adversary.