By further reading of Acts 10 one will not be able to find Peter coming to conclusion that it was okay to eat unclean animals. Instead Peter realized that God was revealing to him that he should not call Gentiles or any man “common or unclean”. Peters Vision clearly states that God had opened salvation to the Gentiles and therefore the Gentiles should no longer be regarded as “common” or unclean. Again, this passage has nothing to do with clean and unclean animals. b) Translations errors of scripture: Mark 7:18 (NIV) Are you so dull? he asked. Dont you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him unclean? Mark 7:19 (NIV) For it doesnt go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body. (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) Mark 7:18 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Mark 7:19 (KJV) Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? Those two translations do not say the same thing. The King James does not have Jesus declaring all foods clean. It is saying all food passes through the body and is expelled. Jesus is not removing the prohibition on eating unclean animals. Modern translations like the NIV that say Jesus declared all foods clean are in error, and are intentionally mistranslated in order to justify eating the biblically unclean animals. The NIV translators removed 64,576 words as compared to the King James Bible. Many of them have misunderstood that” Jesus just declared all foods clean “ but when you read at the end of verse 20 tells us exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said, “but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man.” Clean and unclean foods were not the subject here, but rather washing hands according to the traditional laws man had made. Were the Pharisees arguing about clean and unclean meats or animals? they were not even discussing about meat, rather the Pharisees were taking exception to Christ’s disciples eating with “unwashed hands”. The Pharisees were insisting on the “tradition of the elders” of washing their hands in a special way before eating. SO Christ response was in Mark 7:6-9. that the people were into ritualistic washing of hands was a practice before eating instead of ordinary washing of hands hence Jesus Christ said it was the doctrine or commandment originated by men rather than by God. It is obvious from Christ’s comment that the Pharisees were hiding behind the outward show of “righteousness” of washing their hands to deflect attention from their disobedience to God’s law . In all this account there is no discussion of clean and unclean animals. Hence, we cannot use this passage to make conclusions regarding clean and unclean animals. Rather, it revolved around Jewish traditional of ritual purity, such as ceremonial hand washing.” Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes from Jerusalem came together to Him. And when they saw some of His disciples eating with defiled hands (that is, unwashed hands),they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding fast to the tradition of the elders, do not eat unless they wash their hands thoroughly. For this reason, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, saying, ‘Why don’t Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?’ ” (Mark 7:15). Drawing a sharp distinction between the Jews’ traditions and the commandments of God, Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees of invalidating the Word of God by their traditions.” And He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.” For leaving the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men, such as the washing of pots and cups [and ritual hand washing]; and you practice many other things like this.’ Then He said to them, ‘Full well do you reject the commandment of God, so that you may observe your own tradition’ ” (verses 69). Jesus sternly rebuked the Jews for “nullifying” the authority of the Word of God by their countless and restrictive traditions (verse 13). Notice that Jesus’ primary response was to defend and fully support the laws and commandments of God. In no way have God’s laws been abrogated. Having made that point, He went on to deal with the question of eating with “unwashed hands.” Addressing the multitude, He said, “Hear Me, all of you, and understand. There is nothing that enters into a man from outside which is able to defile him; but the things that come out from within him, those are the things which defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (verses 14-16). Obviously, unwashed hands will not particularly defile a person. But Jesus said there was “nothing that enters into a man from outside which is able to defile him.” Does that mean unclean meats were no longer prohibited by God’s law—that literally nothing can defile a person? What did Jesus mean? For this reason, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, saying, ‘Why don’t Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?’ ” (Mark 7:15).
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 16:52:00 +0000