QnA: Mark 7:1 (Video) , Acts 10
How was man created?
Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Since we are created in his own image, How concerned is God towards our physical health?
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Why does God want us to be in good health?
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
He wants us to prosper even in physical health because our body is the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. If the body is not healthy, how can the Holy Spirit dwell in us?
What is the guiding principle that should govern our lifestyle?
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Anything we do should be that to glorify God.
Did God really require us to glorify Him?
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
How can we glorify God in our body?
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
What is God’s original diet for man?
Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
On that diet, how long did Adam live?
Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Following that diet for many generation, how long did men live?
Genesis 5:8 Seth And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
Genesis 5:11 Enos And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
Genesis 5:14 Cainan And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
Genesis 5:17 Mahalaleel And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
Genesis 5:20 Jared And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
Genesis 5:27 Methuselah And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
Methuselah – the oldest ever recorded to have lived on earth
After the flood, what was added to man’s diet since all vegetation have died?
Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
After eating flesh of moving thing or shall we say animals, how long did man live?
Genesis 11:10-11 These [are] the generations of Shem: Shem [was] an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
So after the flood, man was permitted to eat flesh but as we can see the age of man decreased drastically.
After many generations from the flood, how long did men live?
Genesis 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Psalms 90:10 The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
1 score = 20 years
3 score and 10 = 70 years old
4 score = 80 years old
When God allowed man to eat animals, what is the guiding principle to follow?
Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, [and] cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
Parted hoof, clovenfooted and chew its cud, otherwise it is an unclean animal that man cannot eat
For further list of unclean animals, please read Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14
What are other guide that God gave to man regarding flesh meat?
Leviticus 3:17 [It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
If we follow our appetite than what God prescribed us to eat, who is now considered our God?
Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
What happens to those who will serve their belly more than following God?
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
Laws of Health – Rebuttals (Acts 10:15) || video
Many believe and preach that God cleanse all animals since Jesus Christ died on the cross. They have used Acts 10:15 which says “And the voice [spake] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.” They believe that we can eat anything we want and nothing should be called unclean.
Read Acts 10:1-27 -
Things to understand what Acts 10 is talking about:
Back in the days of old, Jews and Gentiles do not go along or it is against the law for a Jew to mingle or befriend a Gentile. A Gentile is someone who is not from the Jewish blood.
Peter had a vision. If it is a vision it has a meaning.
If it has a meaning, it should not be interpreted as literal.
The interpretation of any biblical vision should be from the Bible. The Bible interprets itself.
When trying to understand a vision, one should not read a single Bible verse to convey a meaning to the vision and then make it a doctrine to preach. Isaiah 28:13 applies.
Understanding:
Cornelius was a gentile and since during their days it was unlawful for a Jew to mingle with the gentile and Jews were strict about this law, the Lord had to send a message to Peter to let him know this ordinance was abolished in the cross.
Ephesians 2:15-19 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
After Jesus died, both Jews and Gentiles were reconciled, no more strangers but fellowcitizens in the same household of God.
God sent a vision to Peter to let him know things have changed.
The Vision:
Peter was hungry and when waiting for the food he went to the rooftop to pray. While he was praying he received a vision. He saw a sheet with four corners filled with all sorts of animals or beasts. When the Lord asked him to kill and eat, he said he had not eaten anything unclean. This tells you that Peter follows Levitical law. He doesn’t eat anything unclean according to the Word of God.
The Symbols |
The Meaning |
Acts 10:11 Four corners of the sheets |
four corners of the earth (north, south, east, west) |
Beast |
|
Acts 10:13 Kill and eat |
he has to go with the men to go to Cornelius house |
Acts 10:14 for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean |
Acts 10:28 Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; (he had not mingled or befriended Gentiles) |
Acts 10:15 What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common |
Acts 10:28 but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. |
The whole vision means that God had removed all divisions between Jews and Gentiles. It is not about unclean animals made clean. It is a vision and it is not to be interpreted literally.
If this is to be interpreted literally, we saw Peter did not kill and eat literally while people today literally kill and eat unclean animals.
Another note:
Peter was confuse as to what the vision meant yet majority of the people today are not confused but go ahead misinterpret the vision themselves thinking it is a literal command to kill and eat unclean animals. Is it saying the people today are better than Peter who received the vision from God?