I recently read the Didache, which is described as a handbook for the early Christians. I was curious why it didn't make the final cut, in terms of being canonized along with the other books of the Bible. After reading it, I didn't necessarily see anything heretical written in it, or anything out of the ordinary. A lot of the sayings could be traced back to the Bible. So what happened? -- Ryan Gaddy
Scholars assign the Didache a date in the 1st or 2nd century, and certainly much of it reflects the purity of earliest Christianity. There are several elements, though, which are at variance with biblical teaching--either by contradicting it or by going beyond what is written in the New Testament. It did not "make the cut" because it is not apostolic--written by an apostle or under the supervision of the apostles.
Personally, I find it to be interesting reading, though I would like to stress that nothing from the subapostolic period--the time immediately following the time of the apostles--is authoritative for us as disciples. Didache, by the way, is pronounced di-dah-KAY, and is simply Greek for "teaching."
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