THE WAY

THE WAY (also called the Two Ways). In Scripture (q.v.): Participation in the Kingdom of God and salvation are tied to ethical and mission-oriented action. This action is symbolically described as “The Way of the Lord.” The Two Ways for men and women are 1) the way of the Lord, or the good and right way (Gen 18:19; Ps 18:21, 25:9; 1Sam 12:23); and 2) the way of evil, that of sinners and the wicked (Ps 1:1; Prov 2:12; Jer 18:11; Ezek 3:18). Although a person’s way may be either good or evil (1 Kgs 8:36; Gen 6:12) depending on his free will, the way of the Lord is always right, perfect, just, and true. As the Old Testament text states, the Lord desires not the death of anyone, but that he turn from the evil way and live. When God began to teach and lead his people under the first covenant, the way of the Lord was identified with the Mosaic Law.

Jesus talks about the way in his teaching ministry: “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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life and those who find it are few” (Mt 7:13–14). The New Testament writers saw the way of the Lord, as it was proclaimed by the prophets, completed and fulfilled in Christ (Mt 3:3; Mk 1:2–3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23; 1Cor 12:31). In John’s Gospel (14ff.), Jesus says to the disciples “and where I go you know the way . . . I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” The “new and living way” (Heb 10:20) to God was made possible by Christ as a way of salvation, of truth, and of peace. Thus, Luke rightly identifies Christianity as “the Way” and emphasizes this repeatedly.

The Two Ways in the Qumran documents (“Dead Sea Scrolls”): These antedate Jesus and are a condensed course in ethics or proper moral behavior. This religious community had as its purpose to keep the Law and the Covenant in the True Way. Unfortunately, members of the community were taught “to be unremitting in hatred towards all men of ill repute, and to be minded to keep in seclusion from them.” Jesus and Joh n the Baptist were, no doubt, familiar with the Qumran Community. The genius of Joh n the Baptist as he is described in the New Testament, and as distinct from the Qumran community, lies in the fact that he did not limit the practice and preaching of the Good Way to a closed community.

In early Christian writings and subsequently in catechesis (q.v.):

1) The Doctrine of the Apostles (Doctrina Apostolorum). This short document is basically a Christianized version of the Qumran teaching on the Two Ways.

2) Didache (q.v.) or The Lord’s Teaching according to the Twelve Apostles is found in later documents in a similar form, as in The Apostolic Order and the Apostolic Constitutions (q.v.), thereby indicating its continued importance. The first six chapters of the Didache tell of the Way of Life (I-IV) and the Way of Death (V-VI), but also make an important shift into the familiar Gospel idiom: “First, you shall love the God who made you, secondly your neighbor as yourself.” Love of neighbor is later equated with showing others the love that God has shown oneself.

3) In the Epistle of Barnabas (see Barnabas) the Way of Light and the Way of Darkness are described in the concluding chapters, 18–21. Barnabas identifies the Way of Light with Christianity and expects his readers to be good lawgivers and advisers to one another, as well as to those who still need to be brought into the Way.

4) In the Shepherd of Hermas (q.v.), Mandates 6–8 (i.e., chapter divisions) speak of the righteous way, which is straight and level, and the unrighteous way, which is crooked and rough. Here it is simply explained that a Christian should know there is an objective right and wrong.