Rachel Redux
Well-known member
Yes, he was advocating it.There are health issues associated with the food laws. Obeying them is also honoring God, but He wants to protect His people. If you eat too much shellfish you can get horrible food allergies. You can get rabies from bats, viruses from wild rabbits and mice, etc.
Again, Paul was not advocating eating things dedicated to idols. He was instructing people who were ministering to Gentiles. He understood that saving a soul was more important to God and everything else is secondary to that purpose.
This would have been his opportunity to reinforce the command from Jehovah to not eat such food and the instructions of the Jerusalem Council, but he didn't do that. Instead, he said only to avoid it if it might offend a "weaker" Christian.
Yes, we should be separated from Pagans in all ways...through our food and what we ingest through our eyes,, etc.. and we should also be obedient to God in everything.The basic principle behind eating things sacrificed to idols is separation. We are to practice separation from the pagan practices around us. The quote in Revelation as it applies today means the same. While we don't have pagan temples in many countries, when a Christian watches unclean things on television, etc. he is not practicing separation and is spiritually eating things dedicated to idols. In other words he is ingesting through his eye gates and ear gates things that are displeasing to God. Holiness means separting ourselves to God from the things God hates. The Apostle Paul very clearly taught holiness and emphasized the holiness of the inner man which is far more important than outward legalism.