Foods
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1. Should a Christian abstain from eating the unclean foods the law
speaks of? |
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No, he
shouldn’t. For Christ declared all foods ‘clean.’ That’s what He did when He
said: “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make
him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and
then out of his body” (Mark |
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Therefore,
if anyone comes to you and commands you to abstain from the unclean foods of
the law, know that he tries to bring you again under the power of the law. See
that you don’t accept his enticing words. Rebuke him so that he may come to
his senses and acknowledge the truth. To command people to abstain from
certain foods is a doctrine of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-5) which many have
accepted in these last days. |
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Instead,
if you meet a brother who is of the opinion that a certain food is unclean
and he abstains from eating it, but without imposing his opinion on you, then
you should behave differently toward him, I mean you should receive him and
bear with his scruples and you should do your best not to afflict him –
either with words or with acts – because of his opinion. For the apostle Paul
says: “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful
disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is
weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and
let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received
him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he
standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him
stand. …. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this
rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his
brother's way. 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. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now
walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ
died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the |