Romans 14: Part 4 Is Clean Meat Made Unclean?
Again, evidence consistently shows that in Romans 14 Paul’s (debate # 1: is clean meat made unclean?), is addressing the issue of eating meat from the meat market that has been sacrificed to idols. He teaches that it is fine to eat if we are unaware of it’s origin and do not give the impression to others that sun god temple sacrifice is acceptable. If those criteria are met then it is Paul’s opinion and understanding that the meat is just fine.
As a guideline to balance our understanding, we can contrast this with the decree James made in Acts 15:20 along with what the Master Yahshua said in Revelation 2:14,20. The bottom line is consistently made clear that we are to not directly, knowingly participate in the purchase or eating of pagan cultic temple sacrifices. Thus there is a difference.
Knowingly eating meat sacrificed to idols, as it relates to directly partaking in the cultic pagan practices, is different than unknowingly eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and purchased from the marketplace. It is all about whether one is knowingly participating directly or indirectly(ignorantly) in sun god worship and/or giving the impression of participating in sun god worship, and consequently causing others to stumble.
Clearly in both Paul’s and Yahshua’s day there was also much debate on whether food (broma) considered clean by Yahweh Elohim’s Word (law) can be made unclean. Yahshua dealt with this issue in Mark 7, surrounding the Pharisee tradition of forcing and compelling others to wash their hands before eating. One who did not wash his hands according to the prescribed method defiled his food and made it unclean, according to the man made “oral law”. Again, there is a difference between commandments of men and commandments of Elohim.
Yahshua taught that clean food cannot be made unclean by such practices. It is because of this teaching Yahshua provided in Mark 7 that Paul in Romans 14, can declare in confidence what he teaches in verse 14:
Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Yahshua that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Paul is convinced by the Master Yahshua because Yahshua stated this:
Mark 7:18-19 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, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods(broma)?”
In this case, Yahshua states that all “foods” (broma) are purified by the stomach. We must keep in mind that to the Master Yahshua, Paul, and those Paul addressed in the church of Rome who knew Yahweh’s Law, (Rom 7:1) only animals defined as clean in Leviticus 11 were to be considered food(broma). In the context of this declaration, Yahshua was rebuking the Pharisees for nullifying the Law of Moses (Elohim’s Law) in their traditions:
Mark 7:6-13 6Yahshua answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.7They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’c
8You have disregarded the commandment of Elohim to keep the tradition of men.d ” 9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the commandment of Elohim to maintaine your own tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’f and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’g 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of Elohim by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
Obviously the Master Yahshua is not rebuking the Pharisees for nullifying the Word of Elohim (Yahweh’s Law written by Moses) and then abolishing it Himself. Likewise, Paul who followed Yahshua is not doing that either.
It is through this teaching of Yahshua that Paul said that he was convinced by, that all things are clean. In the context the “things” are defined as “broma.” “Broma” is defined as animals that are already clean. Paul applies Mark 7 by teaching that clean animals (broma) that are sacrificed in pagan temples and sent to the marketplace are still considered clean and thus, still considered food(broma).
With this in mind lets get back to looking at the situation involving debate # 1(is clean meat made unclean?); in Romans 14…
Romans 14:1 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
So again here in Romans we are dealing with a weak brother. There will always be new believers coming into the congregation. There will be times when with good intentions and all sincerity, these immature in knowledge and faith brothers and sisters can get caught up into strongly believing a half baked thought process or approach to an issue is right.
These man made thought processes and their corresponding actions which are disputable and not supported in the truth of Yahweh’s Word (law) can be categorized as “doubtful things“. So Paul says the older and more knowledgeable believers need to lead them along gently. As we’ve seen both the earlier studied Corinthian and currently studied Roman assemblies have the common thread of needing to help weaker brethren. So what in Romans 14(debate# 1) are the “doubtful things“?
Romans 14:2 – For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Here is a very key verse. Clearly it is talking about vegetarianism. The weak person is the one eating vegetables. The question is, why is this person considered weak? In Rome there were over 400 pagan temples. If one were to go to the marketplace to buy meat, quite possibly nearly all the meat would have been supplied from a pagan temple sacrifice somewhere.
Many new converts to faith in Messiah were Gentiles who just came out of seriously deep practices of pagan temple animal sacrifices and worshiping towards false gods or idols. These pagan practices were probably passed down and ingrained into them as little children from countless generations of family traditions and belief.
Part of their worship included taking some of the meat home for dinner and giving thanks to the idols from whose temple the meat was sacrificed. Since the majority of meat sold in Rome came from Pagan temple sacrifice, if a weak brother wanted to avoid thinking of an idol when eating meat, the easiest solution would be to eliminate eating meat altogether.
This explanation makes the most sense. It would explain why the vegetarian was “one who is weak” and it would explain why there are parallel statements like these I quoted earlier:
Rom 14:15 – Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Messiah died.
1 Co 8:11-12 – And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah.
And again
Rom 14:21 – It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
1 Co 8:13 – Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Again, unlike the more spelled out 1 Corinthian 8, when reading Romans 14, it is evident that Paul and the Roman assembly are aware the issue, but we are left to figure out what it is. It is much like listening to one side of a phone conversation. We hear Paul, but we don’t know what the Romans would have said to him or what they might have said to him in the past.
Again, we’ve already found abundant scripture evidence eliminating the possibility that Paul could be nullifying the Law of Moses. We saw that this would not only be inconsistent to what the Master Yahshua whom Paul followed did and taught, but also to what Paul himself wrote several chapters earlier. To those with years of indoctrination in the traditional Christian law abolishing interpretation, it’s important to keep in mind that in Romans 14 Paul is addressing,”doubtful things” or disputable matters that aren’t really that important. Based on Paul’s own statements in Romans, the commandments of Yahweh would not be counted among the doubtful or disputable matters. His view of the Law was that it was very important; and actually clearly defines sin:
Rom 7:7 – I would not have known sin except through the law.
Rom 3:20 – by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:31 – Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Rom 8:6-7 – For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim; for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, nor indeed can be.
It’s indisputable that it is the law which teaches us what sin actually is and that those who are spiritually minded will subject themselves to it. Paul would not turn around and say in Romans 14 that whether or not we keep the commandments found in the law are “doubtful” or disputable things. Remember the situation with the “weak” brother in the Corinthian assembly?
This persons faith was hindered by his temptation to follow an idol. But it appears to be a more advanced situation in Rome. Brothers have taken more of a stance on both sides of the issue and are getting into “disputes”over it.
In Romans Paul taught that those who have a weakness of understanding that compels them towards a course of action that is doubtful or not according to the revealed knowledge of the Law, are to be cautiously and lovingly upheld by those who are strong in knowledge.
The strong in knowledge, should understand that the weak has a lack of knowledge which causes a reluctance to do something that they think is wrong. This may lead to them adopting man made disputable actions and thought processes that are man made and not according to Yahweh’s law.
Out of love and care for them, we who are strong should be willing to modify our practices for those who don’t yet understand Yahweh’s Law as thoroughly as we do. It’s important that we understand Paul’s overall point; starting in 14:1…Rom 14:1 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
…is whether talking about the disputable man made actions involving the current discussion of …Debate # 1(is clean meat made unclean?) Romans 14:2,”For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.“
…or the later to be discussed… See the next part
As a guideline to balance our understanding, we can contrast this with the decree James made in Acts 15:20 along with what the Master Yahshua said in Revelation 2:14,20. The bottom line is consistently made clear that we are to not directly, knowingly participate in the purchase or eating of pagan cultic temple sacrifices. Thus there is a difference.
Knowingly eating meat sacrificed to idols, as it relates to directly partaking in the cultic pagan practices, is different than unknowingly eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and purchased from the marketplace. It is all about whether one is knowingly participating directly or indirectly(ignorantly) in sun god worship and/or giving the impression of participating in sun god worship, and consequently causing others to stumble.
Clearly in both Paul’s and Yahshua’s day there was also much debate on whether food (broma) considered clean by Yahweh Elohim’s Word (law) can be made unclean. Yahshua dealt with this issue in Mark 7, surrounding the Pharisee tradition of forcing and compelling others to wash their hands before eating. One who did not wash his hands according to the prescribed method defiled his food and made it unclean, according to the man made “oral law”. Again, there is a difference between commandments of men and commandments of Elohim.
Yahshua taught that clean food cannot be made unclean by such practices. It is because of this teaching Yahshua provided in Mark 7 that Paul in Romans 14, can declare in confidence what he teaches in verse 14:
Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Yahshua that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Paul is convinced by the Master Yahshua because Yahshua stated this:
Mark 7:18-19 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, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods(broma)?”
In this case, Yahshua states that all “foods” (broma) are purified by the stomach. We must keep in mind that to the Master Yahshua, Paul, and those Paul addressed in the church of Rome who knew Yahweh’s Law, (Rom 7:1) only animals defined as clean in Leviticus 11 were to be considered food(broma). In the context of this declaration, Yahshua was rebuking the Pharisees for nullifying the Law of Moses (Elohim’s Law) in their traditions:
Mark 7:6-13 6Yahshua answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.7They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’c
8You have disregarded the commandment of Elohim to keep the tradition of men.d ” 9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the commandment of Elohim to maintaine your own tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’f and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’g 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of Elohim by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
Obviously the Master Yahshua is not rebuking the Pharisees for nullifying the Word of Elohim (Yahweh’s Law written by Moses) and then abolishing it Himself. Likewise, Paul who followed Yahshua is not doing that either.
It is through this teaching of Yahshua that Paul said that he was convinced by, that all things are clean. In the context the “things” are defined as “broma.” “Broma” is defined as animals that are already clean. Paul applies Mark 7 by teaching that clean animals (broma) that are sacrificed in pagan temples and sent to the marketplace are still considered clean and thus, still considered food(broma).
With this in mind lets get back to looking at the situation involving debate # 1(is clean meat made unclean?); in Romans 14…
Romans 14:1 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
So again here in Romans we are dealing with a weak brother. There will always be new believers coming into the congregation. There will be times when with good intentions and all sincerity, these immature in knowledge and faith brothers and sisters can get caught up into strongly believing a half baked thought process or approach to an issue is right.
These man made thought processes and their corresponding actions which are disputable and not supported in the truth of Yahweh’s Word (law) can be categorized as “doubtful things“. So Paul says the older and more knowledgeable believers need to lead them along gently. As we’ve seen both the earlier studied Corinthian and currently studied Roman assemblies have the common thread of needing to help weaker brethren. So what in Romans 14(debate# 1) are the “doubtful things“?
Romans 14:2 – For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Here is a very key verse. Clearly it is talking about vegetarianism. The weak person is the one eating vegetables. The question is, why is this person considered weak? In Rome there were over 400 pagan temples. If one were to go to the marketplace to buy meat, quite possibly nearly all the meat would have been supplied from a pagan temple sacrifice somewhere.
Many new converts to faith in Messiah were Gentiles who just came out of seriously deep practices of pagan temple animal sacrifices and worshiping towards false gods or idols. These pagan practices were probably passed down and ingrained into them as little children from countless generations of family traditions and belief.
Part of their worship included taking some of the meat home for dinner and giving thanks to the idols from whose temple the meat was sacrificed. Since the majority of meat sold in Rome came from Pagan temple sacrifice, if a weak brother wanted to avoid thinking of an idol when eating meat, the easiest solution would be to eliminate eating meat altogether.
This explanation makes the most sense. It would explain why the vegetarian was “one who is weak” and it would explain why there are parallel statements like these I quoted earlier:
Rom 14:15 – Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Messiah died.
1 Co 8:11-12 – And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah.
And again
Rom 14:21 – It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
1 Co 8:13 – Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Again, unlike the more spelled out 1 Corinthian 8, when reading Romans 14, it is evident that Paul and the Roman assembly are aware the issue, but we are left to figure out what it is. It is much like listening to one side of a phone conversation. We hear Paul, but we don’t know what the Romans would have said to him or what they might have said to him in the past.
Again, we’ve already found abundant scripture evidence eliminating the possibility that Paul could be nullifying the Law of Moses. We saw that this would not only be inconsistent to what the Master Yahshua whom Paul followed did and taught, but also to what Paul himself wrote several chapters earlier. To those with years of indoctrination in the traditional Christian law abolishing interpretation, it’s important to keep in mind that in Romans 14 Paul is addressing,”doubtful things” or disputable matters that aren’t really that important. Based on Paul’s own statements in Romans, the commandments of Yahweh would not be counted among the doubtful or disputable matters. His view of the Law was that it was very important; and actually clearly defines sin:
Rom 7:7 – I would not have known sin except through the law.
Rom 3:20 – by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:31 – Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Rom 8:6-7 – For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim; for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, nor indeed can be.
It’s indisputable that it is the law which teaches us what sin actually is and that those who are spiritually minded will subject themselves to it. Paul would not turn around and say in Romans 14 that whether or not we keep the commandments found in the law are “doubtful” or disputable things. Remember the situation with the “weak” brother in the Corinthian assembly?
This persons faith was hindered by his temptation to follow an idol. But it appears to be a more advanced situation in Rome. Brothers have taken more of a stance on both sides of the issue and are getting into “disputes”over it.
In Romans Paul taught that those who have a weakness of understanding that compels them towards a course of action that is doubtful or not according to the revealed knowledge of the Law, are to be cautiously and lovingly upheld by those who are strong in knowledge.
The strong in knowledge, should understand that the weak has a lack of knowledge which causes a reluctance to do something that they think is wrong. This may lead to them adopting man made disputable actions and thought processes that are man made and not according to Yahweh’s law.
Out of love and care for them, we who are strong should be willing to modify our practices for those who don’t yet understand Yahweh’s Law as thoroughly as we do. It’s important that we understand Paul’s overall point; starting in 14:1…Rom 14:1 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
…is whether talking about the disputable man made actions involving the current discussion of …Debate # 1(is clean meat made unclean?) Romans 14:2,”For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.“
…or the later to be discussed… See the next part