CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOODS.
Of a clean and an unclean food, which is of a true christian?
Most people say that there exists no unclean foods. For God
himself said there are unclean foods and so commanded his people not to defile
themselves with unclean foods. Genesis.6:21 And take with
you of all food that is eaten,... there's food that is eaten and one that is not
eaten. What ever a christian does as a holly person must be holy, (clean), even
in eating; Leviticus.11:43 Do not make yourselves unclean by
eating any of these (unclean foods). 44 I am the LORD your God, and you must
keep yourselves holy, because I am holy.[GNB].
Food is defined as a liquid or a solid that can be eaten by man,
animals, used by plants to carry out one or more functions in the body of an
organism.
Most people say that unclean foods were not to be eaten by
Israelites in the old covenant but this started right from the beginning of the
earth. In Genesis.7:8 A male and a female of every kind of
animal and bird, whether ritually clean or unclean.[GNB]. God
asked Noah to take in, the clean and the unclean animals, this shows us that God
had already taught the people of the old testament about clean, and unclean
foods, even before the old covenant (agreement between God and Israelites on
mountain Sinai in the presence of Moses).
We also see that the disciples of Jesus, also never ate any unclean
foods; Acts.10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter;
kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything
common or unclean.
Jesus also never taught or
himself never ate any unclean foods according to the right interpretation of
the scriptures.
Clean and unclean foods are clearly listed and explained in the
books: Leviticus, Dueteronomy, and so on.
Leviticus.11.1 - 47 ...3
whatsoever parts the hoof, and is cloven footed, and chews the cud, among the
animals that shall you eat. ...9 These shall you eat that of all that are in the
water: whatsoever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the
rivers, then shall you eat. ...13 And these are they which you shall hold in
abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination:
the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey. 14 And the kite; and the falcon
after it's kind. ...20 All winged insects that creep, going upon all fours,
shall be an abomination unto you. ... Also read Deuteronomy.14:3 - 21.
Some people say, "Jesus cleansed everything" I know
everything includes everything, that is, alcohol, tobacco smoking, puffing
marijuana, eating pork, beef, mutton,
banana peelings, dog meat, rats, snakes, crabs, doves, eagles,
Mosquitoes, Flies and so on. Do you think this is right?!, I think it is not. A
true christian has a limit according to the scriptures. In palaces, royal
people do not just eat anything they come across, but follow the rules which
govern them thus the bible tells us, the princes and princesses of the
king-Jesus Christ that such worldly
things should teach us things of Heaven.
There are some of the scriptures that people read, and then eat unclean foods but according to the
true meaning of these scriptures, some of which we shall discuss below, is not
at all encouraging one to eat unclean foods.
Most people read the scriptures below, to encourage other people
in eating unclean foods, I will list them because many people interpret them
wrongly:
Mark.7:14-,Roman14.3-, Acts.10:8-, Colosians.2:16-,1Timothy.4:4- and
many others.
Above are some of the scriptures that seem to be confusing but
this is what they mean:
As we discuss this, I want you to remember that our topic is about
clean and unclean foods.
-Mark.7:15 There's nothing from outside a
man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of
him, those are they that defile the man. Was Jesus talking about
clean and unclean foods in the context of this scripture? Before we find what
this means, let's read another scripture about the same story which was recorded
in Matthew.15:1 - 20. 2 why do your disciples transgress
the tradition of elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3
But he answered and said unto them... 11 Not that which goes into the mouth
defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. 20
...but to eat with unwashed hands defile not a man. In
this scripture still we hear nothing like clean or unclean foods but Jesus is
saying that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.
I want you to remember in verse 3 of Matthew.15 that Jesus says
that Jews were teaching their own
tradition instead of God's commands. Among the Jewish tradition was; washing
hands before eating food, washing plates, pots, and so on. This is what Jesus
was talking about. In actual sense, the topic was about eating with washed
hands or unwashed hands but not clean and unclean foods.This was the same topic
Jesus was addressing in Mark.7:14-.In these scriptures Jesus makes it very clear
that if some one eats food with dirty hands, it has nothing to do with one's
spiritual life, It might affect your physical life but it's not an unrighteous thing but the unrighteous things are the ones
mentioned in Matthew.15:21-.
Also remember our definition for food, It is always something one
can eat.., this means that what one can't eat is not food. What is it that a
true christian can not eat?, That is any unclean food. whatever is unclean can
never be called food, just because it is not edible to a true christian, thus we read;
Mark.7:19 ...In saying this, Jesus declared that all foods are fit to be eaten.[GNB]. Jews had declared most foods unfit to be eaten.
depending on their traditions like washing hands. Jesus declared all foods
(only clean foods are referred to as foods) as long as they are not unclean.This
means that one can eat one's food without following the traditions of other
cultures that are not of God.
-Acts.10:9-28 On the next day, as
they went on their journey, and drew
near unto the city , Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth
hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten, but while they made
ready, he fell into a trance. 11 And saw heaven open, and a certain vessel
descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet held at four corners, and let
down to the earth: 12 In which were all manner of four footed beasts of the
earth, and wild beats, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there
came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill, and eat. 14 But peter said, Not so,
Lord; For I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. 15 And the
voice spoke unto him again the second time, what God has cleansed that call not
common. 16 This was done three times: And the vessel was received up again into
heaven. 17 Now while Peter wondered in himself what this vision which he had
seen should mean, behold the men who were sent from Cornelius...stood before
the gate, ...19 ...the spirit said unto him(Peter}, Behold, three men seek
you. 23 Then he (Peter) called them in and lodged them. ...Most
people say that Peter was commanded never to call any food unclean.This is very
correct according to the vision but not according to the interpretation of the
scripture.
There're visions, dreams and revelations in the bible, but ,they
all at least have interpretations. An interpretation can seem to look different
or similar to the dream, vision or revelation.
What then is the correct interpretation for the vision in
Acts.10:8-18?
We see that this action took place three times according to the
scripture, the bible continues that immediately after this peter met three men
awaiting him at the door.This means that the action of clean and unclean beasts
in the sheet that took place three times represented the gentiles {seen as
unclean by the Jews} and the Jews {seen as the clean in the eyes of the Jews themselves}.The Jews had not realized that Jesus had died for all the universe
including every kind of nation, and they were still regarding them as the unclean, just because they were not
circumcised.This is what God was trying to teach Peter: God is for every one,
no more Jew, no more gentile but all are one in Christ: Romans.3:30 God is one, and he will put the Jews right with
himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentile right through their faith.[GNB]. .This is why peter says: Acts.10:28- And
he said unto them, You know that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a
Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God has showed me
(through the vision) that I should not call any man common or unclean. God
had showed him that he should not ever call
gentiles; unclean, again, as was the Jewish law, because God had made
them clean through Jesus Christ, but he never said that God had showed him that
unclean foods are now clean.
In other words, the vision included food, which represented people,
and not food again.
-Romans.14:1-4, 1 Welcome those who are weak
in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. 2 Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the
faith eats only vegetables. 3 Those who will eat anything are not to despise
those who don't; while those who eat only vegetables are not to pass judgment
on those who will eat anything; for God has accepted them. ...[GNB]. Again we
have to be careful about the major points or the topic being discussed in this
scripture. Is it all about clean and unclean foods or meat (clean foods that
can be offered to gods) and vegetables? The topic is meat and vegetables. Most
of the Romans were Idol worshipers; Almost every kind of meat {Including the
clean } that was sold in markets was first dedicated to idols, this is why Paul
says;1Cor.8:4 ...we know that an idol is nothing in the
world, and that there's no other God but one. We know that an idol is not God, the only God
we know is the one we worship, and this is why Paul says; 1Cor.10:25 You are free to eat anything sold in the meat
market, without asking any questions because of your conscience. Buy,
without asking [cleansed meat though expected to have been offered to idols}..,
therefore if one has faith and does not fear eating meat dedicated to idols,
then it has no harm on one's spiritual life, but if some one has little faith,
let this person not eat that kind of meat that was offered to idols.
Romans.14:3, is therefore waring that; he who has faith and does
not mind eating meat offered to idols should not blame the one who does not eat
it, who should also not blame the one who eats it. If your faith is little, do
not eat the meat that was offered to idols, instead, eat vegetables, if the
only available meat has been dedicated to the idols as was the case in Rome, but if you have enough faith, you
can do as the holy spirit directs you, however, the scripture adds; 1Corithians.8:13 Therefore if food makes ny brother to stumble,
I will eat no meat while the world stands, lest I make my brother to stumble. It is
better no matter how much faith you have, not to eat meat that has been offered
to the idols.
The scripture is not talking about clean and unclean foods but meat
offered to idols and eating vegetables as an alternative.
-Colosians.2:16. Let no man therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect
of a holy day ... This scripture has many things
it addresses, but we shall pick out our main interest: Foods and Drinks. It is
plain and easy to understand, some one always careful, is rarely judged. If you
do some thing right, why should you be judged? This therefore encourages us to
do the right thing,eat and drink in a way that will not prompt any one to blame
you. Let not any one Judge you, in other words always do the right thing to
avoid being blamed or judged.Use your knowledge so that you are not blamed of
simple matters like foods and drinks because no one can ever force you to eat a
particular kind of food, it is you yourself who decides what to eat and what
not to eat. So do not be subjected to being judged all the time for such
matters as shown in the scriptures, however, if you make a mistake, you have to
be blamed,this is why Paul says: 1Corinthians.6:4 If
then you have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge
who are least esteemed in the church. You can
be blamed or judged by your fellow christian, if you make a mistake but if you
do not want to be blamed, do the right thing and as the scripture has said; you
will not and you are not supposed to be judged.
If you do what is right in the eyes of God: who should judge you, then no man will dare judging you.
So let no man judge you, not only in
food or in drink, but also in every
righteous deed: by doing what is pleasing to God. In this, you will have
prevented man from judging you.
-1Timothy.4:1-5. ...4 For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving: ... It is true that there are people
who forbid others from eating some foods that God created to be received with
thanksgiving prayers.This is so bad, if God made a particular kind of food to
be eaten, then let it be eaten. You should only forbid food that God made not
to be eaten. Do not forget, this scripture is talking a bout food, not any
thing that is not food. Remember that unclean foods are not termed as food by a
true christian because he or she can not eat them and yet food is what can be
eaten. Do not use these verses to eat unclean foods, they are not food. For
example, if some one says that beef can affect your spiritual life, so
you should not eat it, then that is the
kind of wrong person the scripture is talking about. Let's continue;Verse 5 For it is sanctified by the word of
God and prayer. It is
very true that what ever God created is good and there's nothing to be thrown
away only on condition that it is purified by;
a)The word of God. b)A thanksgiving prayer.
Which one is the word of God talked about in this scripture? The
word of God, that purifies food is; the Holy scriptures.
This means that you must know how the scriptures talk about a
particular kind of food before it is prayed about, and then eaten.
Most people skip one step, of scriptures purifying the food they
eat and instead pray for the food which is wrong. If the scriptures say that
the food you are going to eat is unclean (not purified), then do not pray for
it because only the prayer can not purify that food. On the other hand, if
scripture say that the food you have is clean (purified), then give a thanksgiving prayer, and then eat that
food.
Please I urge every christian, that according to this scripture, let
us all follow every step as shown above, before we eat any thing.
If you insist that every creature God created is edible (without
any conditions), then why should you blame the cannibals who eat dead bodies of
people? People are also God's creatures.
This is what God urges us to do; 2Corinthians.6:17
And so the Lord says, "You must leave them and separate
yourselves from them (who are evil). Have nothing to do with what is unclean,
and I will accept you."
So, dear friend, do not use scriptures to perish, but use them to
have life.There are clean and unclean
foods in Christianity, eat only the clean and not the unclean foods and God will be happy with you.
He will accept you, or else, he will reject you.
You might not be eating these foods, but believe that they have no
problem, and also think; it is okay with people who eat them. No, it not okay
with you, who believe they are good and also not okay with the one who eats
them.
The bible says; Hebrews.3:15 While it is
said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not you hearts ,... If you
come to know God's word, ask yourself; why you are the one to know this and not
many other people?, do not harden your heart, if you know've the truth, do not
keep it with you alone, but do your best to get it to other people who would
like to listen to it.
This is what I think is right, what do you think is right?
We are looking forward to listening from you.God bless you.
For more information:
Call:+256 775657055
+256 772414257
E-mail: matophilip@yahoo.com
