Steward's Portion

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WHAT ABOUT HEALTH?

Clearly, the power of these Levitical laws are no longer in force.  But just as clearly, their purpose has not ceased to be relevant.  In light of this, are we really so sure that health had nothing to do with God’s distinction between meats?  There must have been a reason God chose certain animals over others when choosing what to call clean and unclean.

It doesn’t take much study to discover that all “clean” animals are ruminants.  A ruminant is an even-toed, hoofed quadruped that characteristically has a stomach that is divided into four compartments.  Ruminants generally chew a cud, consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.  As disgusting as that may sound, this actually makes ruminants far more healthy to eat than other animals.  Why?  Because their four stomachs vigorously process the food they eat resulting in less pollutants being stored in the animal’s flesh.  Even “clean” birds have gizzards which process foods more efficiently.  Additionally, ruminants are not subject to flesh worms, adding an even greater reason to count them as clean.

Unclean animals, however, store significantly more pollutants in their bodies than clean animals do.  Take the pig for example.  A pig stores poisons in its body fat.  In fact, their body fat is so effective at storing poisons that venomous snakes cannot kill pigs, because their poison is just absorbed into the fat.  This has made pigs a valuable asset in the Australian Outback during those times of the year when the rains drive certain snake populations out of hiding.  The pigs are immune to their bites, and even bite back, as snakes are one of their favorite foods.

Unclean creatures of the sea also store more pollutants in their bodies than their clean counterparts.  Prawns, crabs, shell fish etc., are all filter feeders.  Their role in ecology is to clean up the pollution in the oceans and store it in their bodies.  For example, Oysters thrive when they are downstream from sewerage outlets.  And fish without scales, such as sharks and catfish, are scavengers like pigs, so their bodies will contain a higher level of pollutants than creatures further down the food chain.  This means that if we eat certain sea foods on a regular basis, these pollutants will build up in our own bodies.  Health issues such as calcium kidney stones are often the result of over indulgence in such foods.

It would be naive to assume that this was all a matter of coincidence.  I have no doubt that it is significant.  And yet, its significance must be understood according to the scriptures, and not assigned by our logic as we see fit.  If the scripture does not tell us that the term “unclean” is given according to health concerns, we should not impute this interpretation upon scripture.  Because by doing so, we will jump to conclusions and lifestyles that run contrary to God’s revelation of purpose.

The natural health of an animal and it’s meat is connected to type and symbol, but has absolutely no bearing on what makes an animal clean.  In fact, the healthiness of meat is comparable to gender because it plays a role in typology to be sure, but is unrelated to the definition of “clean.”

For example, read God’s list of unclean meats in Deuteronomy chapter 14.  At the end of this list, a final category of unclean meat is added.  Listen to what God permitted His people to do with this unclean meat:

“You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner.  For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. …” (Deuteronomy 14:21, ESV)

The final category of meat that was to be viewed as unclean was meat that had come from an animal that died of natural causes.  This specifically referred to clean meat.  By law, the people were not permitted to eat the meat of an unclean animal, no matter how it had died.  So this prohibition specifically identifies a case where clean meat becomes unclean.  What caused it to become unclean?  Disease?  Rot?  Other health related concerns?

If we assume this restriction was due to health concerns, we must remember that while God’s people were forbidden from eating this meat, they could sell it to the Gentiles.  Think about that for a minute.  Would God forbid His people from eating something that is harmful or deadly, but then turn around and suggest that they sell it to the Gentiles?  Certainly not!  God is neither devious nor malicious.  He made it clear that His people are to love their enemies and their neighbors as they love themselves.  Thus, by permitting His people to sell unclean meat to the peoples of other nations, God was making it clear that the seriousness of the distinction was not a matter of health, but of ceremonial significance.  This is why He concluded saying, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 14:21, ESV).

So the question remains, what made this clean meat unclean to God’s people if health had nothing to do with the law?  The answer is this: the meat became unclean, not because of something physical, but because of a spiritual truth that was imposed upon that meat by way of symbolic representation.  In other words, the meat failed to meet a symbolic requirement, and therefore became unclean because it was no longer suitable as a type of Christ.

Here’s how.  Clean animals had a symbolic use as types of Christ.  Because of this, their death had to adhere to the death of Christ in type and shadow.  Christ would not die of natural causes, but would die as a sacrifice.  And so, no meat, even clean meat, could die of natural causes, but must be cut (like a sacrifice – as was Christ upon the cross).  This was a symbolic requirement that had nothing to do with health concerns.

In fact, this law operates upon the same principle as that of Holy Communion, wherein it is not the significance or attributes of physical food that is in focus, but the spiritual reality that they portray.  So the consumption of food is tied to a greater reality than the physical nature of the food itself.

So now that the law has changed, and ceremonial symbolism has been replaced with the truth it represented, how are we to understand the nature of terms like “clean” and “unclean” as they exist today?

THE NATURE OF UNCLEANNESS:

“I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” (Romans 14:14, NASB)

Uncleanness is a spiritual designation, and not a physical one.  As such, there is no such thing as something that is “unclean” in and of itself.  This again proves that health is not the determining factor in what is said to be clean or unclean.  In fact, we have just seen that this designation is imputed to things in accordance with their status as a symbol.  So the apostle Paul explained to the church in Rome that he was persuaded of this fact by the Lord Jesus Christ who had taught that “uncleanness” was unrelated to physical properties, being connected instead to spiritual realities.  Jesus had taught this to the religious men of Israel who took offense that Christ’s disciples ignored certain laws governing cleanliness.

“The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and {2} saw some of His disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. {3} (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. {4} When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) {5} So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” {6} He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. {7} They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ {8} You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” (Mark 7:1-7, NIV)

Was Jesus dismissing the value of cleanliness?  Which of us today doesn’t wash their hands, utensils, and dishes before eating with them?  Today, we are very much aware of the dangers that germs pose to our health.  Why would Jesus respond this way to a valid health concern?  It was because health concerns weren’t the issue at hand.

The Pharisees believed that it was the physical items they came in contact with that made them unclean (in a way unrelated to germs or dirt).  But Jesus was pointing out that uncleanness comes as a result of a spiritual violation, not a physical touch.  Thus, in the Pharisee’s effort to avoid the forbidden physical realm, they ignored the realm of spiritual significance and became unclean even in their keeping of the law.  The purpose of the law was to teach men about the principles of spiritual defilement, not to protect them from some imagined physical property that could make them defiled.  So Jesus turned to the crowd and called for their attention:

“And when he had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: {15} There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”  (Mark 7:14-15, NIV)

What was Jesus saying?  He was reminding the people that defilement is unrelated to the physical world because uncleanness is a spiritual matter.  Yet even today, there are those of us who are concerned that God’s laws governing that which is clean and unclean are based upon physical contamination or unhealthy properties.  This belief stands in direct opposition to Christ’s revelation.  When will we be persuaded as the apostle Paul was about the true nature of ceremonial uncleanness?  When will we agree with Paul, saying:

“I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” (Romans 14:14, NASB)

The apostle Paul encountered much difficulty in conveying the spirit of the law to men and women who could not see past the letter of the Law.  In fact, much of Paul’s teaching on the spiritual nature of uncleanness, and its relationship with meats and idols, resulted from the people’s misunderstanding of a single letter.

NOT THE LETTER, BUT THE SPIRIT:

In the days of the fledgling church, there was much debate between the saints over how the Law had changed under Christ.  Men who had become converted from the sect of the Pharisees were finding it particularly difficult to let go of the Mosaic Law, especially since it had defined their faithfulness from the days of their youth.

And yet, the fact that change had taken place was undeniable.  The Gentiles were clearly accepted by God, as was evidenced by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit now flowing through them.  But did that really mean that the Law, which is to say, the ceremonies, traditions, sacrifices, feasts, and diets introduced through Moses, were no longer pleasing to God?  Who would dare risk the approval of God by making such an assumption?

So some of the brethren went out and began teaching the Gentile converts to observe the Mosaic Law.  Naturally, one can’t begin to observe the Mosaic law if they are not first circumcised.  Thus, it was taught that unless the Gentiles became circumcised and began observing the law of Moses, they could not be saved (Acts 15:5).  And this return to the Mosaic Law threatened to divide the church, brother against brother.

“Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” {2} And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

{3} Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. {4} When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.  {5} But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” {6} The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.” (Acts 15:1-6, NASB)

So the apostles, elders, ex-Pharisees, and teachers of Christ entered into an open and public debate before the congregation.  This discussion was passionate and lengthy (Acts 15:7).  Everyone was allowed to explain their position.  But when the apostles stood up and gave their testimony, the people fell silent (Acts 15:12).  When they had finished, James was inspired by the Holy Spirit to stand up and bring conclusion to the matter, saying:

…”Brothers, listen to me. {14} Simon [the apostle Peter] has described to us how God at first showed His concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for Himself. …  {19} It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. {20} Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. {21} For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:13-21, NASB, italicized contend added for clarity)

What was James saying?  He was saying that the testimony of the apostle Peter proved that the Gentiles were already chosen by God, cleansed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to do the work of God, all without observing the Mosaic Law and its customs.  This fact proved that the spiritual truth behind the Mosaic Law had manifested itself in Christ and was therefore to be observed in spirit, and apart from the letter of the law.

Furthermore, these Gentiles would have plenty of opportunity to learn about the Law of Moses in the synagogues, as there was no shortage of teachers.  So instead of cramming the letter of the law down the throats of these new converts, they agreed to burden the Gentiles with nothing more than the spirit behind the Law of Moses, namely, that men must be holy and separate from the world.  Specifically, it was decided that because the Gentiles of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia had grown up observing pagan traditions, they must separate themselves from any activities that were part of the traditions and ceremonies they had been saved from.

This inspired conclusion set well with the council.  The peace of the Holy Spirit was with it.  And so a summary statement was drafted, and officially sent out to the Gentile churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia who were at the center of this theological tug-of-war.

“Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. {23} With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings. {24} We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. {25} So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— {26} men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. {27} Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. {28} It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: {29} You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.  You will do well to avoid these things.  Farewell.”  (Acts 15:22-29, NIV)

The convictions of the apostle Paul had been vindicated. He was returning now, supported by two prophets (Acts 15:32) who would corroborate his understanding that Law of Moses was to be observed in spirit and truth, and no longer in the letter of the law as some well-meaning brethren had claimed.

In the council’s letter were four restrictions.  The Gentiles believers of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia were to abstain from:

• meat sacrificed to idols
• blood
• things strangled
• fornication

Unfortunately, most people read these restrictions according to letter of the law, and assumed that they were a list of hand-selected laws from Moses that everyone had to obey.  But this list was never meant to be understood by the letter of the law, only by the Spirit of the law.  After all, it had been agreed upon that the Gentiles should not be burdened by the Mosaic Law.  The reason for this had been made clear by the testimony of the apostles; what once came only by law had now come apart from the law, through the Holy Spirit.

The Mosaic Law was now to be understood in Christ who was Himself the antitype of that law.  So if the burden of Mosaic law was lifted from off of the Jews, why should it be imposed upon the Gentiles?  This was the apostle Peter’s point when he stood up in the council and said:

“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. {8} God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. {9} He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. {10} Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? {11} No!  We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”  (Acts 15:7-11, NASB)

No, the burden of the law was not to be placed upon the Gentiles after being lifted from off the Jews.  Rather, the Spirit of the law was to be their portion under the Priesthood of Christ.  But if one was to apply the Law of Moses through Christ, what would that look like?  The Holy Spirit saw fit to provide an example and inspired the council to include four restrictions that were to be given to the Gentiles in place of the burden of the letter of the law.  Though four in number, they were in reality a single prohibition.  If we look carefully at the letter in which it was contained, we’ll see a two part message to the Gentile church.

The first message applied to all Gentiles, in all churches.  “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements…” (Acts 15:28, NIV).  In other words, the council had concluded that the Gentiles did not need to be burdened with the symbolic separation of meats, cattle, seed, thread, or circumcision.  The letter of the Mosaic Law was no longer in effect.  That idea had been defeated by the testimony of the apostles, which revealed that God had accepted men apart from those things.  And since no man could ever have been accepted apart from these things under the Old Covenant, that revealed that a spiritual change had taken place that was to be recognized and honored.

But there was a second message that was directed specifically to Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. And the message to them was intended to be simple.  They were to abstain from the ways of their past.  They were to leave the things of idolatry.  Thus, the intent behind the message they received from the council can be paraphrased like this:

“We will not burden you with the Laws of Moses.  Nevertheless, we must call you to observe the Spirit behind those laws.  You must be holy and separate from the ways of your past.  For example, you used to ceremoniously eat the flesh of animals strangled and offered to idols as part of your worship.  You used to ceremonially drink the cup of blood at the idol sacrifices.  You used to engage in ritual acts of fornication with temple prostitutes.  You, who were once involved in these things must now make a show of your departure from them.  The purpose of the Mosaic Law is to make a show of the separation between the things of God, and the things of demons.  For you, salvation is connected to your continued holiness and separation from all such things.”

In other words, these four seemingly disassociated prohibitions were completely unified around one theme: idolatry.  As such, they were never meant to be viewed as a law of general command, but as a law of conscience.  This is evidenced by the fact that, after Paul had personally delivered this letter forbidding the eating of meat offered to idols (Acts 15:22), he then wrote letters to other churches explaining why eating such meat is perfectly acceptable.

Why did Paul do this?  Because he was preaching the law of conscience, not the law of general command.  But carnal men do not read in the spirit.  They do not have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.  And so confusion followed after Paul as men continued to be confused by his permission and prohibition against eating meat offered in idiolatry.

So the Holy Spirit compelled Paul to teach further on this law of conscience.  For example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul explains what was meant by the four laws that were sent to the Gentiles churches.  To roughly paraphrase his message, he said, “Look, the prohibition against eating meat offered to idols was not given because idols literally are demons.  Idols are nothing.  That’s not the issue.  The issue is that some people are so accustomed to associating meat and idols with demon worship, that they simply cannot eat meat that has been offered in those ceremonies without their consciences erroneously condemning them as actual demon worshipers.  That is serious.  So, then, this law is for them, because it is a law of conscience.  As such, if your conscience does not condemn you, because you know the truth (that idols are nothing and meat is nothing), then you are under no such law.  Nevertheless, if you use your freedom to temp others to act contrary to their conscience, then you sin by causing them to sin, and this law once again applies to you.” Paul offered this same teaching in Romans chapter 14.

In 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, Paul discusses the significance behind eating meals, as it relates to worship.  Specifically, he compares the false communion of idolatry to the true communion of Christ.  Idols are representations of false gods.  So blood is the false wine of the idol’s communion cup, and strangled flesh is the false body of the idol’s communion dinner.  And because two are made one in sexual union, the temple prostitute is the false unity of the idol’s servants with their god.  All these things were once practiced by the Gentiles of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.  So the Holy Spirit revealed that these Gentiles must separate themselves from those realms that had become second nature to them.  There was a tie of conscience between them and the practices of idolatry that could not be ignored.  Thus, it was a necessary part of their confession to avoid all traces of their past, as a matter of conscience.

So Paul urged people to flee from those places where idolatry was practiced, not as a matter of law, but as a matter of conscience and common sense (1 Corinthians 10:14).  “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. {15} I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.” In other words, Paul was saying, “Use your common sense to apply what I’m saying, for it is not the letter of the law that I speak, but the law of conscience.  Judge what is right and wrong, therefore, by the approval or condemnation of your own consciences as confirmed by the Holy Spirit.”

As God’s people, we are called to partake of the Lord’s table, which is to say, we are to partake of those things that God offers and not those things that the world offers.  Our participation, therefore, is a form of faithfulness and witness, which is understood and interpreted by those things in which we partake.

“Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? {19} Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? {20} No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. {21} You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”  (1 Corinthians 10:18-21, NIV)

We associate ourselves with the significance of the food that we eat in the eyes of others.  We become partakers of the spiritual truth behind the symbol.

For example, if we refuse to eat certain meats due to Old Covenant laws, we testify of a separation between Jews and Gentiles in Christ.  If we bless all meats and receive them in thanksgiving, we bear witness to the fact that Christ is able to cleanse all men, and make them acceptable to be Divinely consumed, which is to say, made one with Christ’s body.  And while it is permissible to eat meats offered to idols, we are also to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV).  We must not give the appearance that we are in communion with the evil spirits while exercising our freedom in Christ.

But is this really the truth that we are professing when we either abstain from, or accept, meat on the basis of the Mosaic Laws governing clean and unclean meats?  Has the distinction between what is clean and unclean really changed under the New Covenant?

THE MESSAGE OF OUR CONFESSION:

“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. {10} He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. {11} He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. {12} It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. {13} Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter.  Kill and eat.”  {14} “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” {15} The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” {16} This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.”  (Acts 10:9-16, KJV)

Tradition can blind us.  We can become so used to following certain rules, that we no longer think about the spiritual message that created those laws in the first place.  Peter had forgotten that unclean meat was a symbolic reference to the Gentiles, who God was now cleansing through Christ.  So God reminded him by sending unclean meat that had been cleansed in a vision, and then sending newly cleansed Gentiles to call upon him when he awoke.

“While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. {18} They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. {19} While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. {20} So get up and go downstairs.  Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”" (Acts 10:17-20, KJV)

It was at this point that the Spirit of God made the connection in Peter’s mind.  By law, Peter was forbidden from eating unclean meat.  But in a vision, God had sent unclean meat to him and commanded him to eat it.  And when he refused, the Lord rebuked him saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This is a simple, but profound truth.  If an unclean meat is made clean, it is no longer unclean.  Period.  And if a symbol or type of something is cleansed, then so is the antitype.

So, while Peter pondered the significance of his vision, the interpretation came knocking.  God sent Gentiles to find Peter.  They requested that Peter come to their master’s house and speak to his family about the Lord.  By law, Peter was forbidden from associating with Gentiles for the same reason Jews were to abstain from eating unclean meat.  There was to be separation between what God called clean and unclean.  And yet God commanded him, saying, “Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” So Peter did not refuse the Lord this time, because he finally understood what the Lord was saying.  God had cleansed the unclean meat of his vision because He had cleansed its antitype; He had cleansed the believing Gentiles.

Arriving at the house of Cornelius (the man who had sent for him), Peter went inside and shared his revelation.

“Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. {28} He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.  But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. {29} So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.”  (Acts 10:27-29, NIV)

“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. {35} But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”  (Acts 10:34-35, KJV)

The law had been changed.  Through the atoning work of Christ, God was now cleansing things that were once unclean.  As such, God’s prohibition against eating unclean meat and associating with Gentiles was now amended to reflect the truth of atonement.  To say differently is to create a contradiction between type and antitype.  Meat is a type of men, and men are the antitype of meat.  What is true of one is true of the other.  This is why God gave Peter the vision.  If meat and men were unrelated, God could have simply skipped the vision altogether and just told him that the Gentiles were now clean without involving meat at all.  Instead, God first made sure to amend the type before giving revelation of the antitype.

I say that God amended the laws as opposed to canceling them due to the caveat that God gave to Peter.  God was not saying that everything that was once unclean is now clean, but that we are not to call anything impure that “God has made clean.” So this brings us to our next question.

WHAT HAS GOD MADE CLEAN?

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; {2} Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; {3} Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. {4} For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: {5} For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”  (1 Timothy 4:1-5, KJV)

Timothy was a young man who assisted Paul in his ministry.  At the time of this letter, Timothy was entering into leadership within the church.  So Paul set out to mentor him and lay a solid foundation for his ministry.

In his first letter, Paul repeatedly addressed a serious danger to Timothy’s leadership – false teachers.  After all, Paul had already been opposed in the council by brethren who taught error in all sincerity.  However, those men had repented of their error when the Holy Spirit revealed to them that the Mosaic Law was now to be interpreted in Christ.  Because of this, anyone who continued to teach against this revelation after hearing it was to be counted as a false teacher and as one void of the Spirit of God.

So Paul warned Timothy that these teachers would come brandishing the symbolic laws of holiness, which is to say, those Levitical laws that once governed the separation of the clean from the unclean.  So in the passage above, Paul lists two primary areas that these false teachers would target – marriage and meat.  Both of these issues had been strictly governed under the Old Covenant according to the ceremonial laws of separation.  But under the New Covenant, that law recognized a change in priesthood, and began to reflect the work of redemption, which is to say, the cleansing of sinners.

So Paul taught Timothy an important principle.  In effect, Paul said, “Timothy, you will hear false teachers expound upon the uncleanness of certain marriages and meats as they were understood under the Old Covenant, but you need to understand how things are made clean under the New Covenant.  Marriages and meats are made clean, first and foremost, by the declaration of the word of God, and secondly by prayer and thanksgiving.”

Under the Old Covenant, marriages between Jews and Gentiles were considered unclean because of the law which separated the Jews (who knew God) from the Gentiles (who did not know God).  In the Temple, this separation was illustrated, even between believers, by a wall which divided the inner court (reserved for the Jews) from the outer court (reserved for the Gentiles).  The wall was established because “…it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4, KJV), and thus the symbolic separation remained.  But when the Messiah came it was revealed that when men die to sin, and are born-again into Christ, both Jew and Gentile are cleansed in the same way and made one in Christ.  All distinctions of nationality and gender are removed (Galatians 3:28).  Thus, there is no middle wall of separation in Christ as there was in the temple.  In scripture, this spiritual reality is explained this way:

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— {12} 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. {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. {14} For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, {15} having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, {16} and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. {17} And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. {18} For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:11-19, NKJV)

And yet, the distinction between the clean and unclean remains.  For example, in marriage, men and woman may marry whomever they wish, but “…only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39, KJV).  This reveals that there is still a distinction between clean and unclean men and women, but it is no longer to be observed on the basis of nationality.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  {15} And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? {16} And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  {17} Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17, KJV)

Nevertheless, if a man or a woman becomes saved after they are married, the apostle Paul noted a way in which sanctification can occur within an unequally yoked marriage between a believer and an unbeliever.

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”  (1 Corinthians 7:14, KJV)

Now, it may be asked how an unbeliever, who is at enmity with God, can be sanctified.  Our answer is found in the nature of the sanctification that occurs.  It’s not the spirit or soul of the unbeliever that is sanctified, but the “meat” of their body.  This sanctification works according to the principle found in Hebrews 2:11, which states, “both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.” This reality is understood by the principle of ownership.

When this principle of ownership is applied to an unequally yoked marriage, we find that the right of ownership and use of a spouse’s body effects a temporary sanctification.  For “the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7:4, NASB). Thus, the believer has the authority to commission their spouses body for the purpose of bearing Divinely favored children.

This sanctification, however, is temporary, and lasts only as long as the believer (and thus presence of the Holy Spirit within them) is joined together with the unbeliever in sexual union under the covenant of marriage. For example, when the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush, His first command was that Moses take off his sandals before approaching, “for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5, KJV). Was the ground surrounding this bush holy before the Lord’s presence abode there?  No.  Has that ground remained holy to this day?  No.  The ground was only sanctified, and made holy, for the duration of the Lord’s presence upon it.

The same was true for Mount Sinai. There, the presence of the Lord descended upon an entire mountain.  So God instructed Moses to “set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it” (Exodus 19:23, KJV).  The mountain was already sanctified by God’s presence, but Moses was commanded to visibly mark what belonged to the Lord.  Moses obeyed, and the scope of God’s sanctifying presence was known upon the land and reserved for the Lord’s use.  But again, that sanctification only abode for the duration of God’s presence upon the mountain.

And so it is with conception and unredeemed spouses, for “both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one” in the flesh, for “know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot [or unbeliever] is one body? for two, saith He, shall be one flesh. {17} But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:16-17, KJV, italicized content added by author for the continuity of thought).  This is the distinction between the sanctification of one’s spirit, and one’s flesh.

All meat is sanctified in this manner.  After all, flesh is flesh.  So Paul explains to Timothy that meat is cleansed in the same manner that men are – through the power of Christ.  In effect, Paul says, “Understand this Timothy, every creature that God has made is to be considered good and clean on one condition – that you acknowledge the word of God which grants you the power to bless (cleanse) your food before eating it.  Armed with this knowledge and power, you must not refuse to eat what is put before you due to the Old Testament laws that reflected the spiritual reality of that day.  Because, today, all food is cleansed when it is blessed by the believer, just as all men are cleansed when they are blessed by God through the cross of Christ.  Every creature of God is good and has been created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-5, paraphrased).

This cleansing power is very real.  But if by the law of Moses you presume that you are still made unclean by the physical world, you have fallen from the grace of Christ’s provision for you.  It is possible to render Christ’s provisions ineffectual by clinging to the laws of type and shadow, ignoring their applications in Christ, and placing one’s hope in the letter of the law to the abandonment of the spiritual intent behind it (Galatians 5:4).

So if we continue to call blessed meat unclean, we defy the power of Christ and profess that the type remains unchanged because the antitype has failed.  In other words, we are professing that Christ died on the cross, but failed to cleanse the Gentiles.  That is a false teaching, regardless of our motivation for observing Old Covenant laws.

IN CONCLUSION:

We conclude, then, that the distinction between things that are clean and unclean is now to be understood by the cleansing power of Christ’s atonement, and its application to both men and material through the blessing of prayer and thanksgiving.  We understand that this cleansing is applied through faith.

Nevertheless, we also note that if something can be cleansed, it can also be left unclean.  In other words, if a man’s conscience refuses to embrace the truth, and clings to a past reality, then what that man calls unclean remains unclean to him by reason of conscience.  Therefore, if your conscience will not permit you to either marry or eat on account of uncleanness, then that becomes a law unto you of your own creation.  It is not a law to you because God made it to be, but because you have made it to be.

Let our consciences be conformed to the truth, and not ignorance, so that we may honor God in all things.