To Eat Or Not To Eat

1Tim 4:1 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.

There are a couple of things here we would not have tied into seducing spirits or doctrines of devils. We would have disagreed with them, but never seen the tie that Paul gives here.

Do we know any groups that forbid members of their group to remain celibate? Yes, and we have seen a group or two who forbid members to not marry anyone unless the leader sets up the match and even wait a year to consummate the marriage.

God only forbids marriage to unbelievers. Even though Paul clearly states the advantages of celibacy especially in times of persecution he does not forbid marriage. Indeed, he encourages it if you have a strong reproductive drive.

Should we seek to bring people out of those groups? Absolutely!

Do we know any groups that command to abstain from certain foods. Meat was used to describe all food. Usually, it is a flesh prohibition. I don’t know of a group who forbids vegetables. We know a group that forbids certain flesh on one day a week and others who forbid all flesh or those who are still under the Mosaic dietary law.

The key word here is forbid. If you choose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle because you think it is healthy that is fine. If you choose not to eat pork or other things in the Mosaic law because of health concerns that is fine. It is when those things are commanded that Paul says it becomes a doctrine of devils.

Paul said all creatures which clearly speaks to the meats he was speaking of are not to be refused if it is received in thanksgiving. Prayer sanctifies it. This was an issue when the Gentiles and Jews became one Body in Christ. Romans 14 shows that the Law was clearly done away with and a ham sandwich is fine. Peter was offered unclean animals in Acts 11:5-10. Still, you do not come to the church supper and slobber over it in front of your Jewish brother who has not quite grasped all the changes in the New Testament. Freedom has responsibility.