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Question 3

The Didache links Sunday gathering, breaking bread, thanksgiving, and “having confessed your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure”; how does connecting confession to the purity of the Eucharist challenge modern assumptions about what makes worship “acceptable” to God?

Another way to ask: If the Didache ties confessing sins to having a “pure” Eucharist, how does that challenge what we think makes worship acceptable to God today?

Direct Answer Based on the transcript, the Didache assumes self-examination and confession are part of preparing for the Eucharist, implying that “acceptable” worship includes moral and relational cleansing, not just correct words or sincere feelings.

Support from Transcript:

Bercot quotes the Didache: “Every Lord’s Day, gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure.”
He clarifies the “sacrifice” means “communion or the Eucharist.”
Justin Martyr’s description supports moral boundaries around communion: only those “living as Christ has commanded” may partake.
Bercot states plainly: “Someone under church discipline was not allowed to partake of communion.”
The Didache also restricts participation: “Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, but those who have been baptized.”

Discussion Follow-ups How would a church’s approach to confession (private, corporate, or both) change if it was viewed as part of keeping the Eucharist “pure”? What might this imply about unresolved sin, repentance, and church discipline?

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