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!"
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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