Testing traveling teachers, apostles, and prophets
The anonymous author of the Didache is giving the community rules for receiving and testing traveling Christian teachers, apostles, and prophets.
So if someone comes and teaches you everything just described, receive him. But if the teacher himself turns aside and teaches another teaching so as to destroy, do not listen to him. If he teaches so as to add righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.
Concerning apostles and prophets, act according to the decree of the gospel. Every apostle who comes to you is to be received as the Lord. He is not to stay more than one day; if there is need, he may stay a second. But if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. When an apostle leaves, he is to take nothing except bread until he finds lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
Do not test or judge any prophet speaking in the Spirit, for every sin will be forgiven, but the sin against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, but only if he has the ways of the Lord. So the false prophet and the prophet will be known by their ways. Any prophet who commands in the Spirit that a table be set must not eat from it; if he does, he is a false prophet. Any prophet who teaches the truth but does not do what he teaches is a false prophet. But any prophet who has been tested and is true, who performs an earthly mystery of the church but does not teach others to do what he himself does, is not to be judged by you; his judgment is with God. The ancient prophets acted in the same way. If anyone says in the Spirit, "Give me money or something else," do not listen to him. But if he tells you to give to others who are in need, let no one judge him.
Greek
Ὃς ἂν οὑν ἐλθὼν διδάξῃ ὑμᾶς ταῦτα πάντα τὰ προειρημένα, δέξασθε αὐτόν:
ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διδάσκων στραφεὶς διδάσκῃ ἄλλην διδαχὴν εἰς τὸ καταλῦσαι, μὴ αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε: εἰς δὲ τὸ προσθεῖναι δικαιοσύνην καὶ γνῶσιν κυρίου, δέξασθε αὐτὸν ὡς κύριον.
Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, κατὰ τὸ δόγμα τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὕτω ποιήσατε.
πᾶς δὲ ἀπόστολος ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς δεχθήτω ὡς κύριος:
οὐ μενεῖ δὲ εἰ μὴ ἡμέραν μίαν: ἐὰν δὲ ᾖ χρεία, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην: τρεῖς δὲ ἐὰν μείνῃ, ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστίν.
ἐξερχόμενος δὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος μηδὲν λαμβανέτω εἰ μὴ ἄρτον, ἕως οὖ αὐλισθῇ: ἐὰν δὲ ἀργύριον αἰτῇ, ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστί.
Καὶ πάντα προφήτην λαλοῦντα ἐν πνεύματι οὐ πειράσετε οὐδὲ διακρινεῖτε: πᾶσα γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἀφεθήσεται, αὕτη δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται.
οὐ πᾶς δὲ ὁ λαλῶν ἐν πνεύματι προφήτης ἐστίν, ἀλλ’ ἐὰν ἔχῃ τοὺς τρόπους κυρίου. ἀπὸ οὖν τῶν τρόπων γνωσθήσεται ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης καὶ ὁ προφήτης.
καὶ πᾶς προφήτης ὁρίζων τράπεζαν ἐν πνεύματι οὐ φάγεται ἀπ’ αὐτῆς, εἰ δὲ μήγε ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστί.
πᾶς δὲ προφήτης διδάσκων τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰ ἃ διδάσκει οὐ ποιεῖ. ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστί.
πᾶς δὲ προφήτης δεδοκιμασμένος, ἀληθινός, ποιῶν εἰς μυστήριον κοσμικὸν ἐκκλησίας, μὴ διδάσκων δὲ ποιεῖν, ὅσα αὐτὸς ποιεῖ, οὐ κριθήσεται ἐφ̓ ὑμῶν: μετὰ θεοῦ γὰρ ἔχει τὴν κρίσιν: ὡσαύτως γὰρ ἐποίησαν καὶ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι προφῆται.
ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ ἐν πνεύματι: δός μοι ἀργύρια ἢ ἕτερά τινα, οὐκ ἀκούσεσθε αὐτοῦ: ἐὰν δὲ περὶ ἄλλων ὑστερούντων εἴπῃ δοῦναι, μηδεὶς αὐτὸν κρινέτω.