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1Peter 1:15
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, On the second Sabbath after Yeshua's second Passover with his disciples, Jerusalem Pharisees who came to check out this itinerant Rabbi caught his followers not being particular about the ritual hand washing before eating (Luke 6:1 KJV/DHE).Most English texts report the issue with Yeshua declaring all foods clean/edible which leads to readers to assume that Yeshua abrogated the Torah's dietary laws (Mark 7:19). The aforementioned clause in the ESV is in parenthesis. This was done to tell us that this particular clause is not part of the translated text, but rather an addendum to the text, which the editors pointed out. This part of the text does not even exist in the KJV which in general tries to keep a more literal translation of Greek sources. As we read this sort of issue in the apostolic texts, before coming to any conclusion, we also need to remember that the instructions Hashem gave the Children of Israel at Mt. Horeb are meant to be eternal and that according to his own words, Yeshua did not come to change them (Matthew 5:17-18). Some of the mix-up may come from a poor choice of words in English translations. There are two forms of what English biblical texts of Levitical instructions call clean or unclean foods. 1-What meats are edible or non-edible defined today with the Hebrew words, kasher כשר or taref טרף. 2-What is ceremonially fit or contaminated defined by the Hebrew words, tahor טהור and tamei טמא. The latter one concerns foods, walls, fabrics, and even skin afflictions. English texts usually use the expressions clean/ unclean for both which causes confusion. In the days of the Master the still new pharisaic religious majority was in the process of defining religious observance for everybody. In Judaism, one cannot come to the Temple or even in the presence of the Almighty in a ceremonially contaminated state. As a fence commandment, some Pharisees established that everybody should go though the ritual washing of hands before ingesting any food so as not to contaminate it. This was not part of Torah commandments but rather an interpretative application. In the days of the Master the discussion was still raging among rabbis, and as a Jewish Rabbi, Yeshua took part in the conversation giving it his own perspective, which reflected not only a better understanding of the laws of contamination, but also another side of the Talmudic teachings of the day. Rabbis always expected that the Messiah would one day come and settle their controversies and Yeshua did just that. The editorial mention that Yeshua made all foods clean with an understanding of an abrogation of the laws of kasherut really is out of place. The concern of the discussion between Yeshua and the Pharisees was not about the Disciples (not Yeshua) eating grains (not meat) with unwashed hands. To therefore interpret that added clause as being about edible or non-edible foods in the Bible is in itself erroneous. Thus again I advocate that is its crucial for one to know and understand the Levitical Laws, as well as the politics, the culture, and the linguistics present in the days of the Master in Israel in order to properly interpret the narratives left us by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The laws kasherut and ceremonial fitness were not given to us for health nor any other than an identification of being holy/set-apart as the people of God (Leviticus 11:44). Even today, we can tell people's cultural background by their eating habits, thus the old adage is true: "you are what you eat!" May we learn to apply these rulings in the perspective of the Master just because Daddy said so! P. Gabriel Lumbroso For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here.
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1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." The idea of mankind reaching holiness can be quite a daunting conundrum. First we are told that we are in a constant unalterable sinless state (Jeremiah 17:9), but then we are required to be holy (Leviticus 11:44). Could it be that holiness is not about being sinless? What could or should a man do to attain holiness? Let’s use the Sabbath for example. Why is it holy; why is it sanctified? Does it possess any properties than differs it from the other days of the week? Does the Sabbath day have two suns or two moons? Does creation stops its work on that? Is there some sort of ‘magic’ that fills the air on the Sabbath day? No! The Sabbath day is a day like any other day; it is holy/sanctified on the sole authority of the Word of God who made it holy by His commandment to be holy. The words ‘holy’, ‘hallowed’, or from the Latin root ‘sanctified’ all come from the Hebrew ‘kadosh/kodesh’ which present the idea of being ‘set-apart’ or ‘separated’. The Sabbath day is separated from all the other days of the week solely because of a command that proceeded out of the mouth of the Almighty. It is holy simply because God said so. In the same manner therefore we are separated by the commandments of God. The injunction to be holy is mentioned as the conclusion of the dietary laws in Leviticus eleven. No other reason, health or otherwise is given to us in the Torah for following these food rules but to be holy. I am not saying that holiness is solely in following the dietary laws, but on a general level someone’s culture and even of fellowship boundaries are largely defined by what they eat and how they eat. In the same manner our dietary laws often separate (sanctify) us from society at large who is not always biblically particular about they eat. The solution the holiness conundrum could then be found in the most common of Jewish Hebrew blessings which refers to the Almighty as the One, ‘asher kideshanu bemitsvotav’ meaning: ‘Who has sanctified/separated us by His commandments’. Then, all that makes us holy is not some form of ascetic lifestyle, an ability to extreme self-denial or the performance of miracles, but simply obedience the commandments uttered by the mouth of God., and His commandments are given to us because of His grace and mercy, not because of our works or worth. Simplifying the equation further, we are holy solely because of His mercy and grace. 1Pe 1:15
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, On the second Sabbath after Yeshua's second Passover with His disciples (Luke 6:1 KJV and Delizsch Hebrew NT), Jerusalem Pharisees who came to check out this itinerant Rabbi catch His followers not being particular about the ritual washing of hands before eating. Most English Bibles in reporting the issues, and in this case I will use the ESV, report that 'he (Yeshua) declared all foods clean' (Mark 7:19). Based upon that, readers assumed that Yeshua abrogated the laws of what is or is not edible in the sight of God. Let's talk about it but first I must mention that the aforementioned clause in the E.S.V. is in parenthesis. This was done to tell us that the particular clause is not part of the translated text, but rather an addition from the ESV editors. This part of the text does not even exist in K.J. versions, which in general tries to keep a more literal translation of Greek sources. We need to also include in our conclusions that the Instructions God gave to the Children of Israel are meant to be eternal and that according to His own words, Yeshua did not come to change them (Matthew 5:17-18). Some of the mix-up comes from a poor choice of words in English translations. There are two forms of what is called 'clean' or 'unclean' meats in Levitical instructions: 1-what is edible or not defined in Hebrew by the words 'kosher' or 'non-kosher'; 2-what is ritually pure of not defined by the Hebrew words: 'tahor' or 'tahmeh'. English texts use the expressions: 'clean' or 'unclean' for both and that causes problems. In the days of the Master the still new pharisaic religious majority was in the process of defining religious observance for everybody. In Judaism, priests must ritually wash their hands before handling any ritually clean foods, so as a fence commandment, some Pharisees established that everybody must go though the ritual washing of hands before handling any foods. This was not part of Torah commandments but rather an interpretation of certain religious tendencies so the discussion was still raging in the days of Yeshua. As a Jewish Rabbi, Yeshua took part in the conversation and merely established that it was not necessary. Religious Jews always expected that the Messiah would come and settle their controversies and Yeshua did just that. The context here is not about what is edible or not since these things concern meats. Our context here is about corn, bread, and ritually 'clean' or 'unclean' hands. To therefore interpret that added clause as being about edible or non-edible foods in the Bible is in itself erroneous. Thus again I advocate that is its crucial for one to know and understand the politics, culture and linguistics present in the days of the Master in Israel in order to properly interpret Gospel texts. The laws of edible were not given for health reason nor any other than an identification of being holy/set-apart as the people of God (Leviticus 11:44). Even today, we can tell people's cultural background by their eating habits, thus the old adage is true: "you are what you eat!" |
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