Pope Eliminates Pork from Banquet out of Respect for Muslims

Mark 7:14.

Well again the point that Jesus was making and the point that everyone took away was NOT that Jesus was changing the scriptural designations of what animals to eat or not eat. If they THOUGHT he was doing that there would have been a huge uproar.

This was the point that Jesus was addressing:

Mar 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
Mar 7:2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.
Mar 7:3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mar 7:4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
Mar 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"

Those washings were NOT scriptural. They were customs. They were concerned that they were going to become "unclean" because of what they touched.

This is how he responded:

Mar 7:15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

Notice that he's responding to the Pharisees charge that they should be washing their hands in a ritualistic manner or else they would become unclean. This an attack on that non-scriptural teaching.

Mar 7:18 So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mar 7:19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"

Again this is to a specific point: That eating with unwashed hands was going to make you unclean. He made the point that if you do have a speck of dirt on food your body can handle it. It will be pooped out if it's not digestible.

And here's the real point he was making:

Mar 7:20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

In other words the Pharisees' were consumed with non-biblical things....and Jesus said these are the things you should be concerned about.

One more point about this. Nobody said "He's teaching that we can eat pork!!!" Can you imagine the controversy if he did teach that?

One other point:

Act 10:14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

This was perhaps 10 or 15 years after the death of Christ. Yet Peter STILL had never eaten anything "common" (or koinos...really what became kosher food laws for jews) or "unclean" (akathartos....animals designated as not to be eaten in the bible). Peter was with Jesus. Peter knew Jesus's teachings and he did NOT teach that they could eat whatever animals they wanted....at least to Peter or apparently to anyone else.

Now again I realize that these verses are used to JUSTIFY the practice. But that's now how they understood them at the time.

Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” you need to read more.....................................

I know those verses very well. The lesson you got out of it is not the lesson that Peter or the first Christians got out of it. Not at all.

It does clearly support Jesus Words. Peter was hungry if you read in context, You CANNOT DISREGARD THAT VERSE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FIT YOUR NARRATIVE. I think Peter heard the echo of Jesus words.

Not at all? So they kept all the dietary restrictions? AND INSISTED ON THE DIETARY RESRICTIONS?

The application many times is multiple. Two issues are being presented, Read closely.

What Defiles a Person

Mar 7:14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” He said, “and try to understand.
Mar 7:15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. “

It does clearly support Jesus Words. Peter was hungry if you read in context, You CANNOT DISREGARD THAT VERSE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FIT YOUR NARRATIVE. I think Peter heard the echo of Jesus words. Not at all? So they kept all the dietary restrictions? AND INSISTED ON THE DIETARY RESRICTIONS?

I agree that context is important. But so is what actually happens.

1. Despite being told to kill and eat..Peter NEVER does kill OR eat. If God was commanding him to eat unclean food then he was disobeying God.

2. Peter did not KNOW what the vision meant UNTIL the circumstances made it clear.

Act 10:17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate

He did NOT jump to the conclusion that he could now eat bacon. He NEVER came to that conclusion. This was his conclusion:

Act 10:28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peter had made the mistake of believing the non-biblical JEwish tradition that gentiles were unclean. That gentiles were loathsome and weren't going to be given salvation. God showed him that clean and unclean applied to animals, not people.

That is the ONLY conclusion that is ever came to in scripture and the fact that Acts 10 is all about the giving of God's spirit to gentiles backs it up.

Now I understand that MODERN Christianity has gone BACK and attached meaning to verses that biblical figures don't have....but i don't think that's kosher myself.

About dietary restrictions...the Jews did and still do have a plethora or rules concerning diet...many of them (perhaps most) are non-biblical. But the bible has just a few basic rules...mainly about what animals are good for food and what are not.

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