Posted By: James Saptenno
Clean and unclean meats - 06/04/02 03:58 PM
In line with my thoughts in the topic “Ten Commandments”, I would like to share of another “law” that was also ended in Christ. It was the law of clean and unclean meats (Leviticus 11).
The basic principle to this thought was written in;
1 Corinthians 10:25 –“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” (NIV)
As this letter was written to the Gentiles believers in Corinth, Achaia – Macedonia, we must understand that the meat market is not the same as a meat market in Jerusalem. It is a Gentiles market, where anything is sold. The Gentiles didn’t have a law of clean and unclean food, so, what ever is sold in the market will be a mix of clean and unclean meat according to the Jewish customs.
But what did Paul said to those gentiles believers; “they may eat whatever is sold in the market.” That means they may eat clean food or unclean foods as according to the Jewish custom (Levi. 11). In other word, we come to know that for a believer in Christ, the Leviticus law of clean and unclean food was also nailed to the cross, it doesn’t exist any longer. There is no more distinctions between meats, all is permissible and you may eat everything now. It is no longer a sin to eat unclean food.
Again, 1 Corinthians 10:27 –“If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.”
An unbeliever Gentile invite a Gentile believer, that might be his family or his friend and use to their customs. So, whatever he served for his guest of course would not be according to the Jewish custom and Leviticus law. He might serve unclean food according to the law, but what did Paul say? “Eat whatever is put before you!”
Since Christ has released us from the wages of sin and justify all men to eternal life, there must be no more law that would judge us and condemn us for our sins. We have been justified once and for all, we have been made perfect once and for all, we have been made holy once and for all (Hebrew 10:10,14).
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” – Romans 5:18,19.
It is now a sin to teach people “don’t eat this and don’t touch this”, and it is an apostasy to teach people that eating unclean food according to the Leviticus law will closed the gate of heaven for them.
In His love
James S.
The basic principle to this thought was written in;
1 Corinthians 10:25 –“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” (NIV)
As this letter was written to the Gentiles believers in Corinth, Achaia – Macedonia, we must understand that the meat market is not the same as a meat market in Jerusalem. It is a Gentiles market, where anything is sold. The Gentiles didn’t have a law of clean and unclean food, so, what ever is sold in the market will be a mix of clean and unclean meat according to the Jewish customs.
But what did Paul said to those gentiles believers; “they may eat whatever is sold in the market.” That means they may eat clean food or unclean foods as according to the Jewish custom (Levi. 11). In other word, we come to know that for a believer in Christ, the Leviticus law of clean and unclean food was also nailed to the cross, it doesn’t exist any longer. There is no more distinctions between meats, all is permissible and you may eat everything now. It is no longer a sin to eat unclean food.
Again, 1 Corinthians 10:27 –“If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.”
An unbeliever Gentile invite a Gentile believer, that might be his family or his friend and use to their customs. So, whatever he served for his guest of course would not be according to the Jewish custom and Leviticus law. He might serve unclean food according to the law, but what did Paul say? “Eat whatever is put before you!”
Since Christ has released us from the wages of sin and justify all men to eternal life, there must be no more law that would judge us and condemn us for our sins. We have been justified once and for all, we have been made perfect once and for all, we have been made holy once and for all (Hebrew 10:10,14).
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” – Romans 5:18,19.
It is now a sin to teach people “don’t eat this and don’t touch this”, and it is an apostasy to teach people that eating unclean food according to the Leviticus law will closed the gate of heaven for them.
In His love
James S.
