Statement: Yeshua did not repeal the food laws, & we must abide by them today (or else we are in sin!)
Answer: Contrary to those who believe that the parenthetical statement is not authoritative or not as authoritative as the words of Christ Himself (which are actually the author’s words about what Christ said, the text clearly states He declared all foods clean (Mark 10:19).
Acts 10 analogizes between food & people. The entire point of the vision is that the Gentiles are now openly admitted to the covenant community on the basis of the vision, insofar as the food & the people directly correspond. By drawing Peter’s attention to Gentiles now being “clean,” the vision also draws attention to the suspension of the food laws.
The clean/unclean distinction in the OT is given for 3 essential reasons, two of which are sacrifice & health. Animal sacrifice is no longer required. In the Common Era, we have moved on to more thorough cooking methods. Thus, the 2nd reason behind the food laws is fulfilled via a functional equivalent.
The 3rd reason is strategic & prophetic. The food laws answer specific food related practices in the ancient world. The binding rite in the hands of the Witch of Endor is sorcery. In Ezekiel’s hands, it is prophecy that corresponds to her activities. The food laws operate the se way. For the health & safety of the nation, God’s policy was one of abstention that emphasized health & holiness.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul does not prohibit eating food sacrificed to idols, thereby reforming the food laws. Instead of answering sorcery & idolatry defensively via by abstention, the Christian tradition answers it offensively by engagement — which also corresponds to the reformation of the presentation of the Gospel which in the 1st century AD had become larded with works righteousness (cf. Romans 9:30 - 33).
The Bible legalism & works righteousness. Is man is made for the Sabbath, or is the Sabbath made for man? According to Mark 2:23 - 28, the Sabbath is made for man. This means that we are free to exercise discernment/wisdom & are allowed to alter & adapt our practices with respect to concrete particulars as long as we abide by the abiding principles in the Law & Gospel. The abiding principle is found in the first table of the Law, which concerns our relationship to God. The concrete particular is found in the casuistic laws concerning food & the clean/unclean distinction.
The food laws have been reformed. If some decides to abide by the abstention policy then by all means they may do so — but not because God condemns & commends without regard to the motives of the heart, which at the heart of legalism & works righteousness. Remember— some people think God condemns people’s dietary habits on the basis of the identity of their food. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible says He condemns & commends based on our motives not external factors like the origin of your meat (1 Samuel 16:7, Jeremiah 17:9 & 10, James 1:14 - 15, Matthew 5:27 - 28)
May God bless us all, each & every one, & “Go & sin no more.”
Comments
Post a Comment