pumkinspice
Established
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2018
- Messages
- 129
Let's go back to when it all started, before the Law, before the flood....When God told Noah to chose which animals to take into the ark, he he had animals bow before Noah, and Noah was told to chose 7 pairs of out the clean animals, and 2 pairs out of the unclean animals. Why? Because the clean animals would need to procreate and sustain mankind for food and other uses, while the unclean would not, therefore they would procreate freely without their numbers dwindling due to being hunted.This passage is worth airing, as Paul seems to be inferring that satan has some kind of influence in the matter of what people think they can or can't eat-
"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..
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.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
" (1 Tim 4:1-4)
So there was a distinction between clean and unclean, even before the law was given to Moses. The laws that were given to Moses, were laws ordained by God in the beginning. He was giving Moses, who was chosen to pass them on to the people, laws from the Heaven, that were intended for mankind to live by, for the success of their nation. They were commandments and laws, ordained by God, as part of what we would call their governmental structure. Israel did not have a king at this time. God gave them their governmental structure, through the laws and commandments. This was not only intended for Israelites, but anyone who followed the God of Israel. This is really how the world is supposed to run. Another example is how the 7th day (the Sabbath) was hollowed because God rested on that day after creation. The Sabbath became a law, before Moses.
So going back to 1 Timothy, there were doctrines springing up at this time forbidding to marry (like we see now with nuns and Catholic priests) and abstaining from meats (vegan and vegetarianism. If not I'm mistaken, I believe the Essenes at this time period were promoting this doctrine). But Paul is saying no, these 2 doctrines are not God given but are doctrines of men, because in the Law there was no such doctrine or law forbidding someone to eat meat. In fact, God had given Israel a thorough list of meat that was fit for consumption.
Paul was using the Law to refute heretic doctrines of that time. Because the law is the standard God set in the beginning, even before Moses.
So when it says in that scripture "which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth",
where can we find the creatures that God created to be received with thanksgiving?? Those there were listed in the law, that Israel was allowed to eat. Some of these same animals were also used in offerings (God did not allow unclean animals to be offered. There was a distinction. Likewise, Christ, the unblemished lamb, was worthy to be offered because of his cleanliness from sin.)
Why would Paul even add the part "them which believe and know the truth"?? Everyone in the world eats anything they want, for the most part. They are not bound by a law. No one is bound by the same laws the God of Israel requires. Only those that believe and know the truth will receive these with thanksgiving, knowing the truth, and not following the heretic doctrine that they cannot eat meat at all.
Because Paul is addressing the doctrine of someone not being able to eat meat at all. He is not refuting the law. Like I stated, he is using the law to refute a false doctrine.
1 Timothy says, "every creature of God" that was given in the beginning, as referenced in the verse before "is good, and nothing to be refused".
Remember it is Paul that says “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:31)
Many people have a hard time understanding Paul's scriptures, as it is said by Peter.
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