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by Guy C LaMar
AN ADDED PHRASE
THERE are those who believe the Old Testament commands about NOT CONSUMING BLOOD were only for the Jews – and were “done away with” by our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the first-century apostles of Christ were still instructing the New Testament (New Covenant) Christians, including Gentiles, that mankind is not to consume blood! – Acts 15:20, 28-29.
In the Book of Mark chapter 7, our Lord Jesus explained to His detractors why His disciples ate without following the Pharisees’ ceremonial hand-washing tradition.
Now, some Bible translations add words to our Lord Jesus’s answer. In verse 19, suggesting that He “did away” with the dietary laws. As an example, the New Living Translation adds this phrase, “ … (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes).” Even the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus DOES NOT HAVE THIS ADDED PHRASE!
This was added to mislead and put words in our Lord Jesus’s mouth that He did not say!
Which is partly why so many who are not well-studied in God’s living word can be easily fooled.
Our Lord and Savior’s point was that orally ingested dirt, which is eventually eliminated, does not spiritually defile the person, since it does not enter the “heart” and influence attitudes – vss. 18-23.
Dirt passes through the digestive tract and is eventually eliminated.
The LORD God’s living word should say – concerning this verse – “’ For it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and then passes out into the sewer, purging all food.’” – New English Translation.
In fact, the dietary laws regarding clean and unclean animals ARE NOT BEING DISCUSSED in this chapter of Mark – nor in Matthew 15:10-20. Actually. The apostle Matthew plainly sums up our Lord Jesus’ teaching – “’ These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man’” – Matthew 15:20, NKJV.
Next, let’s move to the apostle Peter’s vision recorded in Acts 10.
In this vision, the LORD God showed Peter a collection of unclean animals and told him THREE TIMES to “eat.” Peter declined each time, because he knew eating anything common or unclean was against the LORD God – vss 13-16.
Understand – this was the same apostle Peter that was taught by our Lord Jesus Christ for three-and-a-half years! The same Peter who heard our Master regarding eating with hands unwashed would not defile a man. Years after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter still knew and believed that eating common or unclean animals was against the LORD God.
The apostle Peter queried over the meaning of this vision (Acts 10:17) until THREE GENTILES (which just simply means non-Israelites) were seeking him downstairs to hear the gospel explained – vss 19-27.
The apostle Peter would not have previously associated with Gentiles who were outside the covenant community, because Jews considered Gentiles “unclean.”
The meaning of the vision suddenly came to him – “Then he said to them, ‘You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call ANY MAN common or unclean” – vs. 28.
It became clear to him that the LORD God wanted the gospel to also be taught to the Gentiles. And, that these Gentiles were to become members of JESUS CHRIST’S CHURCH as equals to those from a Jewish background!
The apostle Peter never concluded here, or anywhere else in God’s living New Covenant (New Testament), that the dietary laws were abolished.
To teach anything different is to interpret his vision completely different than he himself knew and taught.
Also, a great many try and use 1st Timothy 4:1-5 to suggest that the dietary laws are no longer for the New Testament (New Covenant) Christians.
However, the apostle Paul in these verses was discussing FALSE TEACHERS, DECEIVING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS “speaking lies and hypocrisy” – teaching and propagating that Christians can be “more spiritual” by practicing asceticism (a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures) or vegetarianism (abstaining from foods that the LORD God has allowed us to consume).
When the apostle Paul writes, “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,” ask yourself – “Where in God’s living word are creatures “sanctified” or “set apart” for human consumption!?”
We find the answer in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. THE LIST OF ANIMALS WHICH WE MAY EAT AMONG ALL THE ANIMALS THAT ARE ON THE EARTH.
Where in God’s living word would the apostle Paul have seen UNCLEAN ANIMALS be “sanctified” or “set apart” for human consumption?
Nowhere.
The apostle Paul was not setting aside the LORD God’s command and declaring unclean animals possible to eat! Quite the opposite: He used the living word of God - saying, “if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to [worldly] regulations ─” such as “’ Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle’” – which are ─ “according to the commandments and doctrines of men” – Notice Colossians 2:20-23.
Also, there are several Old Testament Scriptures that discuss the glorious coming kingdom of God and would not make any sense if our Lord Jesus had “done away” with the dietary laws. As an example – Isaiah.
The prophet Isaiah records for us a prophecy regarding our Lord Jesus’ attitude on this very subject upon His glorious and powerful return! Notice –
“When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. 15) For BEHOLD, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16) For BY FIRE and BY HIS SWORD The LORD will judge all flesh; And the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17) Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves [the self-righteous], To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse [or rather, rodent], SHALL BE CONSUMED TOGETHER,’ Says the LORD” – Isaiah 66:14-17.
Speaking of the Day of the LORD!
The LORD (known today as the living Jesus Christ) plainly warns that His judgment will fall upon all who ignore and reject His divine laws – including the biblical dietary laws of clean and unclean animals!
So truly praying over meat that He calls an abomination is INSULTING THE LORD GOD!
The Jamieson Fausset and Brown writes concerning verse 17 –
“17. in … gardens – Hebrew and LXX rather require, “for (entering into) gardens,” viz., to sacrifice there [MAURER]. behind one tree – rather, “following one,” i.e., some idol or other, which from contempt, he does not name [MAURER], VITRINGA, etc., think the Hebrew for “one,” Ahhadh, to be the name of the god; called Adad (meaning One) in Syria.” 1
Interestingly, while looking up the name Ahhadh, I came across that Al-Ahad is the Islamic name for god.
Minister Michael C. Garrett –
“as civilization was developing in Mesopotamia following the Noachian deluge, the people of Assyria, Chaldea, and Babylon, developed a religion that deified and worshiped Nimrod and his mother/wife (that’s quite a combination)! The original Madonna and Child. The original mother goddess and deified son. And, throughout history and different cultures, Nimrod has been given different names and titles. He’s often gone by the title Ninus, from which Nineveh comes from, back in ancient Assyria and Babylon. And, Nineveh means the “habitation of Ninus.” We have the word, BAAL which applies to Nimrod. We have Horus and Osiris from Egypt, which apply to Nimrod. We have Tammuz, we have Saturn, Jupiter, Bacchus, Apollo, and Adonis. All these names, and we hear them, and they are a part of our culture!” 2
Our Lord Jesus Christ “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” – Hebrews 13:8. It’s mankind that changes God to fit their Satan the devil influenced and led religious TEACHERS, DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS! □
Bibliography:
1) Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.R., Brown, D., Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary of the Whole Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, pp. 594.
2) Garrett, M.C., Prophecy Series End-Time Babylon, 2019, pg. 4.
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