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Abortion in the Didache: forbidden by the Apostles

Abortion in the Didache: forbidden by the Apostles

Last updated on: July 6, 2026 at 12:21 pm by Lois Kerschen

Abortion in the Didache: forbidden by the Apostles 2026-07-06T12:21:04-07:00 Lois Kerschen

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An oft-used argument of those desperate to justify abortion is that there is no mention of abortion in the Bible (which is not totally true). A good rebuttal to this flawed argument is that, while there is no actual use of the word “abortion” in the Bible, there is a specific ruling on abortion in the Didache, the first recorded early Church “catechism.”

The Didache was known as the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.”

The documents in it were written at the same time as the books in the Bible, so about 70 A.D. on into the 2nd century, when some of the people who knew Jesus, or at least His apostles and the disciples, were still alive. Originally, these documents were circulated among early Christian communities with the rest of the apostolic letters and gospels.

This collection of sacred instruction was, however, divided when the New Testament was compiled by the Council of Rome in AD 382 under Pope Damasus I. It was decided that the Bible would consist solely of theology and history; that is, canonical and liturgical matters. The documents that went into the Didache were recognized as “extra-canonical” as an early guide to church practices and organization. This choice was later affirmed by regional synods at the Councils of Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage (AD 397).

An apostle giving instruction to a crowd

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The Didache is more specific than the Bible on practical matters. According to one translation, it states, “…thou shalt not procure abortion, nor commit infanticide.” Another translation of the same text reads, “…you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten.” So, while not technically Biblical, the Church’s condemnation of abortion nonetheless comes directly from the teachings of the Apostles and early Church.

What the Bible Says

Even without the word “abortion” in the Bible, there are multiple references to life in the womb and its sanctity. Logically then, abortion is killing and a violation of human rights.

The most commonly cited Bible verse for this defense is Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born. I set you apart.”

Also indicative of the importance and personhood of life in the womb is Luke 1:41-44: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb [John the Baptist] leaped for joy.’”

John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth's womb when Mary visits.

Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing

In this passage, it is clear that Mary is not pregnant with just a fetus that will become human at birth, not just a pregnant woman who does or does not want to become a mother, but someone who is already a mother and carrying a living child who can be sensed and recognized as the unique person of Jesus.

See also Exodus 21:22-25, Numbers 5:11-31, Psalm 139: 13-16, Galatians 1:15, Isaiah 49:1, Judges 49:1, and Luke 1:15 for further Biblical affirmations about prenatal life.

A Seminarian Should Study the Didache

Currently, there is a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Texas named James Talarico. He is a State Representative and a Presbyterian seminarian. He touts his Christian faith, but he is pro-abortion. He is one of those who twists logic and justifies his stance with the excuse that there is no mention of abortion in the Bible, as if that meant that anything not specifically named in the Bible is in the “anything goes” category. He needs to be reminded of the Didache.

While much has changed over the centuries such that our liturgy and customs are not exactly the same as those from 18 or 19 centuries ago, the Didache remains a window into the teachings of the apostles. Further, it is known that later church documents heavily copied the Didache. So, its instructions on foundational matters remain valid.

Trust the steadfastness of the Church

There is much discussion lately about the influx of new converts to Catholicism. Among the reasons for these conversions is the appeal of the Church’s ancient stability. Christ established His church on the principles He taught His disciples and with the command to do as He did. For that reason, the Church has not wavered, and cannot waver, from the teachings of Christ.

Photo of Vatican City

Vatican City. Photo by Victor Malyushev on Unsplash

This is the beauty of Catholicism. Christ said do this and don’t do that, and we have stuck to his rules. For 2,000 years. We haven’t changed the foundational teachings. We know what is true, and that is very appealing in a world of fake news and false advertising.

That does not mean that we cannot grow in our understanding of Christ’s teachings. As I discussed in a previous blog, the development of doctrine doesn’t mean changing doctrine or creating new interpretations of God’s Word. See: The Development of Doctrine: Incremental Understanding

Our critics say that “stubbornness” is what’s wrong with the Catholic Church. They say we don’t know how to change with the times, as if politics or technology made a difference in morality. But it doesn’t. Morality does not change. God has never come back to say that the rules have been altered. There has never been a new Moses who was given an edited version of the Ten Commandments. Humans have not become smarter than God (though they often think they have), so they cannot, or should not, write their own rules.

Instead, we should rely on and trust the Catholic Church, the true, continuous, consistent faith for 2000 years. Steady as the rock upon which Christ built His Church. If the apostles said that abortion was wrong then, it is still wrong now.

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