Does God Care About What You Eat?
Do you think God is concerned about what we eat? Before you answer that, let me ask you this. Does God care about where you go? What you say? What you listen to? Then perhaps, He just might care about what we eat. Men, and women, spend a lot of time and effort trying to discover what is healthy for us to eat, and what is not. Believe it or not, our Father gave us good instructions in this area, if, we choose to listen. And after all, He should know!!
A good place to begin is in Leviticus. In chapter 3:17 He tells us not to eat fat or blood. Then in chapter 11, God gives us His list of those animals, fish and insects that we are allowed to eat. He also gives us a list of those that are unclean or an abomination to us. Remember, these are instructions from God. Once again, in chapter 20:25-26 He tells us we should make a distinction between what He calls clean and unclean foods and, now this is important, that we should be holy unto Him because we are His people. Now check out Isaiah 65:3-6 and Isaiah 66:15-24 and see what is said concerning a future judgment. He seems to really, really care about what we eat!! Now, many would say that God later changed His definition of food, that Jesus somehow gave us permission to eat the abominable. So let’s examine the question… Does Jesus (Yeshua) ever teach against His Father’s instructions for us? What about Paul or Peter? Let’s find out by going to those Scriptures that many believe justify changing God’s definition of food.
First, let’s take a look at Peter’s vision of all the unclean animals. It is so often used to teach that God no longer cares about what we eat. You can find this story in Acts 10 beginning with verse 9. Many use this story as the key evidence for doing away with the commands concerning clean and unclean, but let’s read for ourselves and pray that God would show us the true teaching in context. Notice that Peter is shown a vision three times of a sheet being let down to him full of all kinds of creatures, and in verse 13, he hears a voice telling him to “kill and eat”. Of course, Peter, knowing God’s instructions concerning food, says “Not so Lord” in verse 14. But then in verse 15 Peter hears a voice tell him “What God has cleansed you must not call common”. Now, the following is crucial…many teachers would stop right there and draw the conclusion that God has just given us permission to eat whatever we want. But just for fun, let’s continue on a bit and see if that is what Peter believes is going on. Notice that just two verses later in verse 17 the Scripture says “Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant”. So, Peter really does not yet know what this vision means. Will God make it clear to him? Let’s read on. Next we find that Peter is summoned and sent by God to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. And although Cornelius fears God, he is still just a Gentile, considered unclean by the Jews. And so we find Peter, a Torah observant Jew, keeping company with him. With that backdrop, we come to verse 28 and hear in Peter’s own words, what the true meaning of the vision is. He says “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean”. Did you catch that? God is not telling Peter it’s now okay to eat bats, He is teaching Peter that (verse 35) “in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him”. Gentiles can repent and be saved!! Read on to Acts 11:18which says “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life”. Praise the Lord! Now let’s take a look at another section of Scripture which is often misunderstood.
1Timothy 4:1-5 says” Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Once again, we find a portion of God’s Word that is often misunderstood and used to denounce anyone who would say that God still expects us to conform our will to His concerning food. Let’s look afresh at these verses and see what we find. First of all, notice “giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”. Friends, alarms should be going off in your mind right now and we haven’t even started. It becomes clear from the start, that the context of this Scripture has nothing to do with God’s instructions concerning how we should live as his people. Paul, a Pharisee would never use terms like “doctrines of demons” to describe God’s Torah, His Word. Consider what he said in Acts 24:14…”But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets”. Now notice the next clue… “and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Did you catch that? “which God created to be received” God did not create bats or eagles or swine to be received by us as food!! These deceivers, whom Paul describes, will try to tell you not to eat those things that God has given us His blessing to eat!! Friends, if someone tries to tell you that you may only eat fish on Fridays, remember this Scripture. Finally…Paul tells us that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused” IF it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified (set apart as clean food) by the word of God (His Torah) and prayer. I find nothing in this Scripture which would indicate that God has changed His mind concerning what we are to consider food.
The last section of Scripture I thought we should look briefly at is Mark 7. In some translations Mark 7:19 says” In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean”. Check it out and see what yours says. Now, this will be brief, so hold on and then go do your homework. First of all, what is the context of this Scripture? What is happening in this story? We find the Pharisees and scribes upset with the disciples for eating with unwashed hands according to “the tradition of the elders” (verse 3) and they confront Jesus in verse 5. Notice his response to them. In verses 6-13 we see Jesus go to the heart of the matter. First He quotes Isaiah 29:13. “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” In verse 8 He says “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” These are big clues. Jesus is concerned about our hearts, and those who would ignore God’s commandments and follow after what men teach. He says in verse 9 “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition”. Sounds sort of like us at times. Now in verses 14-21 Jesus (Yeshua) explains to us once again the “heart of the matter”. Check it out. Jesus is teaching us that sin comes from within. Now I must tell you that there is some controversy surrounding verse 19. I have read that “declared all foods clean” is not in the original Greek, but friends, it does not really matter for purposes of this conversation. What matters is that we remember our Fathers definition of food!! (Leviticus-chapter 11) For Mark 7:19 says (depending on the translation) that Jesus declared all FOODS clean, it does not say that Jesus declared all things to be food! Do you see the difference?
Finally did you know that God had declared what was clean and unclean food long before the time of Moses? Read in Genesis 7:1-2 and let me know what you find. You know, we each have come up with our own personal lists of things we will, and won’t eat. Would it not make sense to line our lists up with that of our Creator? He loves us so much. Once upon a time, long ago in a beautiful garden, the serpent convinced Eve that God really didn’t mean what He had said concerning food. And look what happened!!
Isaiah 66 15. See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16. For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. 17. “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things–they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD.
Copyright 2007 Tim C Terry
Seeds of Restoration 
Thank You, Thank you, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
I love your articles.
You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. Wonder why there are so many over weight people today? Hormones pumped into animals to add the pounds to add to the selling price.
Pigs have no veins.Whatever they eat meshes with their flesh. They will eat anything including their own waste which is passed on to you if you eat it.Hogs, like shrimp, crab and other crustaceans are the garbage men of the earth and sea. Lobster is
called the cock roach of the sea. People in Texas are eating rattle snakes and armadillos. There are those who eat dogs which saw in CA. Then we have produce in the stores which has synthetic chemicals, pesticides,herbicides, grown in chemical fertilizers.
Then, there are genetically modified foods such as seedless watermelons. Artifical ingredients and artificial preservatives to give food a longer shelf life. Want to live and be healthy. STICK TO the diet Yahweh has given us.
Your articles are A+ + + ! ! !
Also may I use them?
God showed me that when He paused eternity (What a concept!) and created time and matter that it was formed as a vortex – prior to Adam following Eve and sinning they were vegetarians (Vegans we say now because of the bastardization of our language) and there was no death.
Then we read a day is as a thousand years to the Lord, and men lived about a day! As time flows down towards the bottom of this vortex we are in men live less and less all the way down to 80-120 according to the Word. So our diets decline and so does our life expectancy (This does not account for plagues and such which are also from our sins)
So as we approach the bottom to return to our Father and the lost theirs – our corrupt foods will engender massive plagues because the pharmakos will be in the mix – the devil has is and will continue to steal, kill and destroy all that give him place, eating man made food that makes man sick and then turning to man made drugs that keep him sick – on scale there is very little healing going on in our sick care system – which the devil has donned the “Health Care System”
Thank You for letting me share.
Love Your eternal brother – David Martin Raines
Please note – my website is not Christian – but it is Whole Food, and I am in the process of developing a Christian Whole food site. Just wanted you to know prior to going to it.
David…Thanks for your kind comments. Of course you can use my writings. Please share them with anyone you think would be interested or direct them to my site…that has been my hope all along.
May God bless you as you follow Him…Tim
I agree with what you say but I’m still having struggles with some of Paul’s teaching which you don’t address.
Romans 14:2,3,15,21,23;
I Corinthians 8:13;
I would really appreciate a response…. Thank you.
Heni,
There are many of Paul’s writings which I do not address! I don’t mean to dodge your question but you find me on a camping trip at the moment and my little girls want to go play! Let me say this for now and we can talk later if you wish…
As you read Paul remember that it is important to know the question or problem to which Paul is responding. Context is always key, and sometimes…correction…ALWAYS we must dig to understand the proper context of what is being said. For instance, 1 Corinthians 8 seems to me to have nothing to do with God’s definition of food, but instead it has to do with eating food offered to idols and not being a stumbling block to others. Now, check out Romans 14 and see if Paul is addressing obedience to Leviticus 11 or could it be something else. Remember, Paul says in Acts 24:14 that he believes “sll things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets”.
Let me know what you think, Tim
Dear Sir,
Iam very much touched with your article on “Does God Care About What You Eat?” and Iam writing to ask for permission to interprete the atricle in my language(Chichewa) so that my people could also read for themselves what exactly you have written. I would be very grateful if you allow me to make this atricle availble in Chichewa(my language so that it can also help others.
Regards and may the good Lord bless your work.
hi, this is my first time on this site. wanted to know what denomination if any are you a part of and does it share your views. Is it Messianic?
Thanks for stopping by. I attend a small non-denominational congregation. We are Bible believing followers of Yeshua (Jesus). I guess you might call us “Messianic” but we don’t tend to label ourselves. You can learn more about our congregation and listen to our weekly teachings if you wish at http://www.checkoutthecarpentersshop.com
Let me know if you have any questions…May God bless you as you follow Him. Tim
Great article. I have been studying this topic and was so blessed to find this article that covers everything I found in scripture. However, I just read Genesis 9 and the account after the Flood when God apparently tells Noah that he can eat all of the animals. It says he is not to eat flesh with the blood the thereof. Do you know what that means? I will continue to study but would like to hear your comments. Thanks.
I have heard different viewpoints on this Marjorie. I do know that obviously Noah understood the concept of clean and unclean (Genesis 7:2). I personally do not believe Noah to have eaten the unclean…even at that time. But let’s suppose me to be wrong. Does it really change anything you have learned? You and I are followers of Messiah…we are His disciples…and He is Torah observant. Remember that Paul told us to “imitate me as I imitate Messiah”.
May God bless you as you study to become more like Him. Thanks so much for stopping by…Tim
I believe that that anyting we do wether it’s eating food we should do in faith so that we don’t violate our owm concious. I also believe we are under grace and the Lord knew Gentiles who didn’t practice the Law ate things that were not in the Law. Acts 15:20 said that all they would tell the Gentiles was but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. And the Word says that all things are permissible but not all things beneficail… so I think it is a personal issue as all we do we do unto the Lord. Thanks , Nanette Wilson
Nanette,
Thanks for the comments. I do of course disagree with you on several points. First of all, you and I as Believers really do not have the option of just “believing” what is or is not food for us. God has made it very clear in His Word His definition of food. Second it is true that we are “under grace” yet so was Noah. The Bible says in Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Having been saved by the grace of God thru faith as Paul says does not give us permission to sin…which according to Scripture is transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4)
Acts 15 was a starting point for Gentiles who were turning to the God of Israel. Notice that murder and stealing are not mentioned. Do you really think those four things listed were to be all they had to do? Of course not. If you read on in Acts 15 to verse 21 James comments that “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” In other words they would learn what God expected of them over time as they committed themselves to study…and they would apply what they learned.
Ask yourself this as you prayerfully consider this issue…would Jesus eat what His Father called abominable in Leviticus 11? Are we not His Disciples? As those who seek to imitate the life of Jesus…we must always line our definition of right and wrong up with His…personal feelings aside. Thanks for stopping by…let me know what you think…Tim
If the “food” Jesus was talking about was already considered “Clean” then why would he have to reconfirm that all food is clean?
Context, context, context. Jesus was arguing with the Pharisees, who believed that if you didn’t wash your hands, food which was already kosher would become “unclean”, while Jesus and His disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating. The idea that you can make foods God declared clean “unclean” by not washing your hands is unscriptural, which is why Jesus rightly contested the Pharisees on that issue. The words often translated as “thus He declared all foods clean” is literally “purging/purifying all food”. The word for food is broma, which usually means foods already acceptable according to Leviticus 11. It comes immediately after a long explanation of how food is digested and crapped out into the latrine! It doesn’t seem to come after the end of a sentence. Thus it most likely was a continuation of the explanation of that process, with the idea being that it comes out as crap (which is “common”) even if you do wash your hands.
I would just like to point out here that, Colossians 2:16 “Let no man therefore judge you in meat [food] or drink, or in the respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days”, I am in full awareness that this COULD mean therefore do not give anyone a reason to judge your beliefs (and thus Your LORD) due to you eating meat [food] or drink, or in the respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days… however i highly doubt it and even if it did 1 Timothy 4:1–3 states:
“giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
also Romans 14:3–4 states:
“Let not him that eats despise him that eats not, and let not him which eats not judge him that eats: for God has received him. Who are you that judge another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls.”
on top of this Romans 14:20 states:
“All things indeed are pure”
if any of you can refute and fight God’s own words try, I am interested to see what you have,
the Dietary law of Israel was only ceremonial law, that died on the cross with Christ and stayed dead when Christ rose again.
There were two parts: The moral law and the ceremonial law
the moral law is still in place the bulk of this is the 10 commandments…
However when looking at law look what Jesus taught as well, he did not mention tats or piercings or the sabbath and thus they are not as important to God anymore
Paul even says:
“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by Law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4
as well as:
“Whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake” in 1 Corinthians 10:27
Paul a Jew who should know Jesus better than anyone said this and was the one who wrote most of the NT under God’s guidance
eat WHATEVER is set before you…
and Jesus states that it is not what goes into your mouth but what comes out that makes you unclean for out of the heart comes all kinds of evil
don’t get me wrong, paul also says if you wish to obey it do so but follow it all and not part
I pray for a reply and that this will do the Job i sent it to do.
May i also suggest reading:
http://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d040402.htm
especially the section titled: Do the Dietary Laws Apply for the Christian?
but it would be better to read it all
your brother in christ
Corey…
Thanks for stopping by…I will tell you up front that your comments have in no way taught me to disobey God in the area of food. (See Matthew 5:19)
I do have a few questions for you if you are open for it…
Question…You quoted Paul from 1 Timothy …do you really believe that Paul would refer to God’s commandments given to Moses concerning food as “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” ?? Please answer yes or no.
Question…. Please read 2 Timothy 3:16? Would Paul’s statement include Levitcus 11? Please answer yes or no
Question…You quoted Paul from Galatians 5:4…Is being obedient to God out of love for Him the same as seeking to be justified by works? Could it be that context is important when quoting Paul? Please answer yes or no to both.
Question…Where in Scripture does God tell you to divide His instructions into categories such as moral or ceremonial? Please cite Scripture…
Would not any instruction given by the God of the universe define right and wrong…moral and immoral? Please answer yes or no
What is the scriptural definition of sin? (hint…see 1 John 3:4)
In 1 John 5:3 is John referring to something other than the Law as given thru Moses? Yes or no
Final question…did you really examine my teaching to see if I taught out of context?
Corey…Don’t put too much emphasis on the commentaries in your Bible…they are written by men and can be wrong just like me. Also, remember that Paul himself says in Acts 24:14 that he believes all things written in the Law and the Prophets…that would include the food laws right? So which Paul do we listen to? The one you present or the one I present? Is he a hypocrite or could it be that many misunderstand him. Have you ever considered the warning given you and me in 2 Peter 3:16 concerning the writings of Paul?
Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to your answers…Tim
Tim,
I was in no way trying to get you to disobey commands but to show you that as Christians we are no longer under the ceremonial law of Israel.
to answer questions:
Q1.No i do not believe he would say that the laws given to moses are doctrines of devils and seducing spirits but rather that todays doctrine of “… commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” and the doctrine of us being under the “ceremonial law” because Jesus nailed the Ceremonial law to the cross, we are now not under the ceremonial law as that was the old covenant, the old covenant was to do with the flesh, the new is spiritual.
Q2.yes, however, I am not saying it is not profitable in any of the ways listed but that you are saying we are BOUND to it still and that Christ didn’t nail it to the cross with him, It says in Galatians “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?”
The Revised Standard Version. 1971 (Ga 3:2–3). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
food is a matter of the flesh and a spiritual matter, may I ask would you consider the sabbath a command to be kept today?
Q3. P1. NO and Yes, however, what i was getting at was, that we are NO LONGER bound to Israel’s ceremonial law, it was to keep them separate from ALL the other nations, and obedience in love will mean we have a choice, which is true Paul says that The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.”
in Romans 14:3
side note:
Commandment observers today are zealous and eager to accept a principle Paul himself rejected. He taught against the idea that law-keeping could be used to convey growth for our spiritual life or justification (Gal. 3:1-3). This does not mean we ignore the Old Testament? No the Old Testament teaching is beneficial to the Church to learn examples from Israel, to see the way in which Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and for typology (the tabernacle, feast days, priesthood etc.) But to suggest that both Gentile or Jewish believers in Christ would become more obedient or spiritual if they lived under the law is to miss the power which comes from the Gospel by grace in the new covenant. Paul certainly stood against this idea, so much so that he rebuked the whole Church of Galatia for bringing the law in alongside the Spirit of grace which they began in.
~http://www.letusreason.org/7thad7.htm~
Q4.It does not, I’ll admit that is a man-made principal however, it is simply saying which laws were for everyone (from the time gentiles could be christian) and which ones were to separate the Jews from gentiles.
P2 yes but the food and clothing laws were not about morality as such but about separating his “chosen” Israel from the gentiles.
Q5. may I request you answer this again: is the sabbath for today? or for Jews only? then I will come back and answer this.
Q6. It is refering to the law, however read the next part,
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Jn 5:4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
so this is saying that through faith are we saved not works,
It does not say as you want it to that if we do not keep his commands we are condemned.
LQ: you did contradict yourself…. and the bible:
now notice the next clue… “and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Did you catch that? “which God created to be received” God did not create bats or eagles or swine to be received by us as food!! These deceivers, whom Paul describes, will try to tell you not to eat those things that God has given us His blessing to eat!! Friends, if someone tries to tell you that you may only eat fish on Fridays, remember this Scripture. Finally…Paul tells us that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused” IF it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified (set apart as clean food) by the word of God (His Torah) and prayer
for it is sanctified (set apart as clean food) by the word of God (His Torah) and prayer
AND
God did not create bats or eagles or swine to be received by us as food
the bible says:
foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth
so are you saying that foods are made clean by prayer or is it made clean by the law, are we saved by faith or by the law, God made the law to show us we cannot be saved by ourselves but that we need Christ to be saved
final note:
I am not trying to present a hypocritical Paul but a Paul which is following truth, Paul is not going against God in saying these things but with God, For I believe seeing as God created food laws to separate the Jews and Gentiles, it is not needed as we have other commands to separate the Christians and non-Christians.
also “not one part of the law will pass away” he is referring to the bible, “the law” in those days were the first 5 books of the bible, he was saying his words will not pass away before the world.
thank you
Corey…sorry for the delay our internet has not been working.
Thanks for the conversation and for responding to my questions.
I must admit I am a bit perplexed at some of your responses.
You say that you are not trying to make a case for disobedience to God’s instructions concerning food but then immediately say we don’t have to obey them because you or other men have labeled them as “ceremonial” and thus done away with. Jesus seems to make it very clear in Matthew chapter five that not one stroke of the law or the prophets would be done away with while heaven and earth remained…following with a warning for you and me not to teach such things. It seems to me that He means the Law of Moses.
On question one…that was my point…I agree with you. Paul is not talking about God’s food laws of Leviticus 11 but teachings more in line with that of catholicism or such. Yet you quoted Paul’s letter to Timothy in your first response as evidence we can eat whatever we want. Also, please consider that when Paul mentions food…he is lining his definition of food up with God’s…as you and I should do. Thus there is nothing wrong with eating FOOD which God created to be received…
From your latest response I feel it necessary to tell you that I am saved by grace thru faith…but that I believe we are to be obedient to God’s Word out of love for Him and a reverent fear of knowing that He is God. You seem to confuse obedience with justification…or think that I do…as I pointed out in my first response concerning Galatians.
Yes I believe the Sabbath command is valid for today…it is the 4th Commandment is it not? And…I believe the Bible when it says the 7th day is the Sabbath. (no I am not a 7th day adventist) Again…only men have taken one out of the Ten and labeled it a ceremonial law to be somehow done away with if that were possible…which it is not.
I am afraid that you do present a hypocritical Paul whether you mean to or not. Either Paul loved God and was obedient to His instructions as given in the Torah or he taught disobedience to the Law and was to be considered a false prophet as according to Scripture. (Deut 13) Following is a short commentary I wrote on Paul a few years back….It can be found in my 7 filters teachings…
In Acts 21, Paul is informed of a rumor being spread that he has been teaching the Jews to forsake the teachings of Moses. So, Paul is asked to pay for and participate in taking a “Nazirite” vow along with four other men, which actually included offering an animal sacrifice at the Temple. Now remember, this is after Jesus went to the cross. Did you know that Paul actually went thru with it? Why? Scripture makes it clear… So that “all (that includes you and me) may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you (Paul) are nothing, but that you (Paul) yourself also walk orderly and keep the law”. (Acts 21:24) It is so ironic that today we see the same thing happening again. Many people are being told from the pulpit even, that Paul is against us keeping God’s instructions as given thru Moses. Let’s see if we can once again put this rumor to rest by seeing what Paul has to say, in his own words. We do believe Paul right?
In Romans 3:31 Paul said this…”Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” In Acts 24:14 Paul says “…so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. In Hebrews 10:28 he says “Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” As plain spoken as Paul is concerning his view of the Law and the Prophets, many still honestly believe Paul is anti-Torah. How can that be?
It turns out that Peter gives us an interesting warning in 2 Peter 3:15-16 concerning the writings of Paul. He says this…” our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures”. Peter then goes on to warn us not to be led away by their error. Sadly, many people including Bible teachers and many pastors, are untaught and unstable when it comes to understanding who Paul really was and the context from which he taught. So, what is the proper context? Listen up, and then check me out…
We know that Paul loved the Lord, and we know that Paul devoted his life to serving his Master. He was a bondservant of Messiah. We also know, and this is the important part…that Paul would never teach people to disobey the God of Israel, but… he did come against anyone who tried to add to what Jesus had done on the cross. This is what we see happening in the book of Galatians for example. In Galatians 5:4 Paul says “You have become estranged from Messiah, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace”. Remember, Paul was not against the law. His own words bear witness to this. So, what was he against? He was against those who would teach the law as a means for salvation. Do you see the difference? Most Bible teachers have missed the context of Paul’s writings, substituting obedience for justification. Paul was not teaching us to ignore God’s commandments when he said “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” Paul was warning us not to listen to those who would seek to put conditions on God’s unconditional love.
Rest assured that Paul does not teach us to ignore the instructions of the Living God. In fact, if he did, then he was a false prophet as according to Deuteronomy 13 and deserving of death by stoning. Speaking of stoning, do you know why Stephen was stoned to death? If you remember he too was falsely accused of something. You can find the answer in Acts 6:11-14. Hold on to your hat and check it out!
Anyway…
I will end with this for the moment…you mentioned the New Covenant….Question….or questions….who is it given to….does it do away with the law as given thru Moses…look it up in Scripture and see…(Jeremiah 31 or Hebrews 8). I think you will discover that according to God, it is given to Israel (of which we are grafted into are we not?) and that the Torah or the Law will be written on our hearts….I assume that means we will be obeying the Law of Moses. Does not the Law go forth from Zion?
Take care, Tim
This debate was amazing!!! This should be posted and or published. I once heard a prophecy teacher say..”i dont follow the law to BE saved, I follow the law because I am saved!!” All praise and glory be to Yahweh! Baruch ata Adonai!!
Shalom April,
Very well said. Not much i can add…
In Messiah, Tim
I agree with April, this discourse should be published. Tim, I appreciate your treatment of the scriptures and I am equally appreciative of the thoughts and questions that Corey has posed. This respectful discourse is refreshing in that no one is bashing or attacking the other. I must say as a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and a follower of the teachings of Paul and the Law of God as given by Moses, I am in agreement with Tim’s assessment of the scriptures. Because of our love for Yahweh and his son, Yeshua, our goal should be to keep all of the Law eventhough we are under grace. We fail to many times because we lack the faith and the discipline. God did not enact these laws to punish us or to withhold something good from us but rather to protect us. This was the case all the way back when Adam fell. Oh, but that’s another story. 🙂 Thanks again, Tim.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH… AS WAS IN MY HEART FROM WHAT IVE READ IN GODS HOLY WORD… YOU HAVE CONFIRMED AND MADE CLEAR THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. I JUST WISH ALL OR A GOOD PORTION OF THE CHURCH WILL COME TO TRUTH FOR IT IS CLEARLY WRITTEN Y NOT TO BE BELIEVED BY MANS INTERPRETATION DOCTRINES TRADITIONS Y RELIGION. BUT SEEK Y SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES PRAYING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REVEAL TRUTH Y GREAT DISCERNMENT WISDOM Y KNOWLEDGE Y THAN STAND COURAGEOUSLY FOR GODS TRUTH NOT MANS. I PRAY CHURCH DENOMINATIONS WILL ADMIT THE ERROR GOTTEN FROM Y FOLLOWED ALL THESE YEARS Y DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN LEADING Y TEACHING GODS PEOPLE.
THANK YOU AGAIN AND GOD BLESS!!!”
SINCERLY
TINA L DUBRY
You are deceived. Jesus Himself settled the matter. He said it is not what goes into the body that makes a person unclean, it is what comes out of the heart. You deny the Dispensational Facts that we are not under the Old Testament Law. We are not Israel. We are Church age Christians. God does not care what someone eats. Food is meaningless to God. God focuses on matters of eternal salvation and glorifying Him. God does not care what we wear as long as it is modest and not encouraging to sin. Whether you eat a bag of potato chips or a steak or kosher or not kosher means nothing. Paul said if you want to you can, if you dont want to, you dont have to. Christians have Godly liberty.
Thanks for your comments and for warning me about deception. It is true that in these last days it very important to “test all things” as Paul would say. Yet, Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16 that we could use all of Scripture to discern right from wrong…in fact there was no “new” testament when Paul spoke those words. That means Leviticus 11 is relevant to “Church age Christians”… However, since you may not agree with my interpretation of Paul concerning the “Old” testament I will stick to the “New” for your benefit. That said, you are correct in saying that I deny the so called “fact” that God has changed His mind of right and wrong due to a change in the calendar. Jesus made it quite clear that until heaven and earth pass away we are not to break and teach others to break even the “least” of the Commandments along with a warning you should heed. (Matthew 5:17-19) That should at least be enough to cause you to question which of us is deceived…the one who teaches obedience to God???
You said “We are not Israel”….yet please allow me to point out that Paul says…. “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ”…”Paul continues on and says “Now, therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens…”(Eph 2:12-13,19) In Galatians he says “And if you are Christ’s then you ARE Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29) “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds” (Eph 4:17) In Romans 11 he speaks of a grafting in does he not? It appears to me that I am a part of Israel thru the Blood of Messiah…Praise the Lord.
By the way, I have a question for you… as a New Covenant Christian can you tell me to whom the New Covenant was given to according to Scripture?? Read Hebrews 8:8-12 and let me know what you find….I will be interested in your thoughts.
Enough for now…Thanks again, Tim
Hello, I love your website! It is so wonderful that you are teaching that God’s laws are eternal, and that includes both Jew and Gentile! I don’t know if you know this, but you can research it. Romans 14, 1Cor.8 and 10 are about the Eighteen Measures and the sub-strata of rules associated with them. They deal with clean and unclean, and the Gentiles. A great web site that explains this is http://www.bereansonline.org. I hope you check it out!
Shalom,
Viola Rogers
The important thing I believe is that we live in The Love of God. I don’t believe in eating shrimp, pork and crab will make us closer nor will it seperate us from the love of christ. I believe all foods should be received with thanksgiving. I know many people who live in a strict diet but died before they reach 40 when the bible states it’s a grace of God to live up to 70 and over.
Live your life, be happy, forgive and stop pointing fingers. Thats all that I can say.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 1John5:3
Thanks for your comment and may God bless you as you follow him. Tim
One day I accidentally ate some pork that I was told was beef. I had the hardest day spiritually, I just kept getting hammered and I didn;t know why. It was horrible. I started making some calls to the resturant that we ordered food from and they told me that it was pork. I prayed and God showed me some things in the spirit. Things that He said not to eat spiritually contaminates us. It affects our spirt and our walk, big time. I cannot stress how bad my day had been, also eating food that has some blood in it is also defiling. This is not pointing fingers at anyone. God said something for our good and He knows what He’s talking about.
2 Timothy 3:16
I would love to reply on this but I’m a Muslim that might open up a whole other can of worms…I’ll just say great post! I’ve learned a lot…
Thanks so much Tonya for stopping by. I am glad you learned something. Unless someone is disrespectful in some way I have no problem with comments from anyone…especially from someone who carefully considers what I teach and might have questions. My teachings are in general aimed at Bible believing Christians but you are welcome to study and learn and comment if you wish. Tim
wow..Godbless you. so much insite from scriptures that I have looked over(Acts 10)
Thanks and may God bless you too as you follow Him… Tim
I thank God too much about you,He is using you to dig the truth and expell it out.Keep on working for Him,I like the way you teach His Word,be bless
Wow… Let me know how performing your portion of the 613 Mitzvot goes for you.. If you live by the law you will die by the law. JAmes 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. So if you are guilty of all then you’d better try the faith thing or simply tell Christ thanks but no thanks.. Sounds like folks want to revert back to Pharisee-ism as in Mat 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. [28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Christ was under the law as were they (the Pharisee’s) so he addressed them in these matters as he should have. They are different from gentiles, but the curtain was rent when Christ was sacrificed. We are not the tree but Grafted in to the tree (Jew/Israel/God’s chosen). Do any of you have a circumcision line going on at Church? How about the tithes that only the Levites are to recieve? Do you tithe to a non-Levite? Does the receiver own land or property that was not given by the other 11 tribes? It that ok with you according to the LAW you supposedly live by? Do you not see the ignorance you operate in by trying to be holy by the law when you don’t even know how it was to be done and by whom? If it could have been done by the law and men trying to fulfill holyness by them, I think we would have done it already if we could and in turn would have had no need of the Messiah! Thus the need for Christ and living life By Faith in Him and what he saved us from. I hope and pray that didn’t sound mean, I just get so tired of half truths spoken of as if it it the end of all knowledge when the old is what is new. As for the diet law..
Here is the Old to the Hebrew/Jew..
Gen 9:3-4 [3] Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
[4] But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Deut 21] If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
[22] Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
[23] Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
New to the Gentile and all Else (By Faith)
Acts 15:1-29 to get the full picture of what is expected of the Gentiles and why.. There is more but I do not have the time right now to go into greater detail. Follow Christ and he will Guide you in all truth. We were grafted in but not with the same law that was expected of the Jew (Chosen) of God. Those were mere shadows.. It is time to come out of them now.. Peace to all.. What ever is not of FAITH is of sin
Read all of Romans 14 if you are a Christ follower.
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As for me, I will follow Christ.. Spare me the circumcision..
Wow. You don’t even know me. Yet I readily admit I fall way short of the mark at times. I have definitely failed in more than one point…yet do you teach men not to obey God? (Matthew5:19) I am saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ….reconciled to God by the atoning work of Messiah…yet…surely that does not give me license to sin (break God’s Commandments) does it? You say you are a Christ follower and allude to me not being one. Yet the Jesus I follow kept the law. Do you know what a Disciple is? Did He keep the Sabbath? Did He eat pigs? You talk about faith yet Paul says “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” What does he mean? I await your answers. Newcolors
I think this writeup is complicated. I think, the moment God knew He had to send Christ to die for mankind as we would all technically be be a lost case due to His laws, He declared all foods clean….cause a whole chunk of His people would end up in hell because of Bah Kut Teh, deep fried pork knuckles and KFC (me being the first in line to be sent straight to hell)….i can agree with eating healthy, and keeping your body (the temple of the Holy Spirit) in good care. But to say God has a trivial mind, is to say He didnt send His son cause He cared.
Shouldnt watching what you feed your spirit be more important? See i think, and this is just purely my thought process, His laws were to bring His people to Him, to teach them how to live right and to be disciplined….isnt that what laws are for? So why would there be need for Jesus if the laws were enough? And the other thing is this, Jesus spoke all these words BEFORE dying on the cross. Before fulfiling His ultimate plan. Try to put yourself in those situations back in time.
What happenes if you’re stuck on an island alone…..and pork was the only thing to eat? Would you starve yourself to death? I dont know about you….but im just going to thank God and eat the whole pig oink oink
Thank you!!!