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Food in the New Testament
As we saw yesterday, the distinction between clean and unclean foods did not start with the Jewish nation. Nevertheless, many today assert that in New Testament times, the Bible obliterated this distinction, and it does not matter now what people eat.
Yet, that really does not make a whole lot of sense, if you think about it. Diet, after all, plays such an important role in our health; thus, it is very hard to imagine why the New Testament would show no concern about diet, which is so crucial to healthful living.
Read 1 Timothy 4:1–5. What is Paul saying? Does this mean that we can now eat unclean meat?
In this particular case, Paul was dealing with future heresies that would forbid believers to partake of two things that God gave humanity at creation, food and marriage. The foods involved are all foods that God had created for human consumption. Paul’s words here should not be taken to mean that unclean foods were “created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3, NIV). Otherwise, what? A rat should be “eaten with thanksgiving”?
In his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians (Romans 14, 1 Cor. 8:4–13, 10:25–28), Paul addressed the implication for Christians of the widespread practice in the Gentile world of offering flesh food to idols. Early Christians struggled with the question of whether the eating of such food was an act of pagan worship. Those strong in their faith did not believe it was, and thus they could eat all edible things offered to idols. Those who did not have such a strong faith used only vegetables, which were not offered to idols. Paul urged that no one should despise those who eat only vegetables or judge those who “eat all things” suitable for food.
What's wrong with using Acts 10 as proof that the New Testament has done away with the clean/unclean distinction in regard to human diet? See Acts 10:28.
Where are you in the whole question of diet? What improvements do you know that you should make in what you eat, in how you eat it, or even in the amount you eat?
| TUESDAY | June 15 |
As we saw yesterday, the distinction between clean and unclean foods did not start with the Jewish nation. Nevertheless, many today assert that in New Testament times, the Bible obliterated this distinction, and it does not matter now what people eat.
Yet, that really does not make a whole lot of sense, if you think about it. Diet, after all, plays such an important role in our health; thus, it is very hard to imagine why the New Testament would show no concern about diet, which is so crucial to healthful living.
Read 1 Timothy 4:1–5. What is Paul saying? Does this mean that we can now eat unclean meat?
In this particular case, Paul was dealing with future heresies that would forbid believers to partake of two things that God gave humanity at creation, food and marriage. The foods involved are all foods that God had created for human consumption. Paul’s words here should not be taken to mean that unclean foods were “created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3, NIV). Otherwise, what? A rat should be “eaten with thanksgiving”?
In his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians (Romans 14, 1 Cor. 8:4–13, 10:25–28), Paul addressed the implication for Christians of the widespread practice in the Gentile world of offering flesh food to idols. Early Christians struggled with the question of whether the eating of such food was an act of pagan worship. Those strong in their faith did not believe it was, and thus they could eat all edible things offered to idols. Those who did not have such a strong faith used only vegetables, which were not offered to idols. Paul urged that no one should despise those who eat only vegetables or judge those who “eat all things” suitable for food.
What's wrong with using Acts 10 as proof that the New Testament has done away with the clean/unclean distinction in regard to human diet? See Acts 10:28.
Where are you in the whole question of diet? What improvements do you know that you should make in what you eat, in how you eat it, or even in the amount you eat?
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