I. A Clean Diet Taught in the New Testament
1. God's instruction: "Touch not the unclean thing." 2 Cor. 6 :16-18.
2. Separation from unclean practices a New Testament doctrine. 2 Cor. 6:17.
3. Holiness includes cleansing from all filthiness. 2 Cor. 7:1.
4. Flesh cleansed as well as spirit. 2 Cor. 7:1.
II. Unclean Meats of the Old Testament still Unclean.
1. All God's prohibitions based on reason. Rom. 12:1-3; Isa. I:18, 19.
2. Eating affects thinking and actions. Prov. 23 :6-8.
3. God's people in every age to be a holy people. Lev. II :43-47; Rev. 22 :11.
4. Disregard of "unclean" brings general carelessness. Eze. 22:26. (Observe that Sabbathbreaking is here mentioned.) Swine's flesh still unclean when Jesus comes. Isa. 66:15-18.
Last generation marked by unclean thoughts and deeds. Verse 18.
Some in last days who claim holiness eat swine's flesh. Isa. 65 :1-5.
Heaven has a record of these unclean practices. Verse 6.
What God calls "unclean" man cannot now make clean. Job 14:4.
III. Holy People Enter a Holy Cirty
The "abomination'" and "curse" cannot enter the city. Rev. 21 :27; 22:3.
Unclean not found on the way of holiness. Isa. 58:8.
Swine's flesh remains an "abomination." Lev. II :43, 46, 47.
Overcoming on all points necessary. Rev. 21 :7, 8 ; 14:1-5.
True church must restore a clean dietary. Matt. 28 :20.
IV. Answers to Difficult Texts.
I. Acts I0:9-16.-Peter's vision had a deeper significance than the eating of food. Peter, a Jew, regarded all Gentiles as "unclean."
It required a special command from God for Peter to enter the home of Cornelius, a Gentile. But Peter's vision clearly revealed to him God's plan to save even the Gentiles. "God hath showed me that I should not call any man, [not "any animal] common or unclean." Acts 10:28. (See also verses 34, 35.) Issue involved was salvation of a Gentile, and not eating of unclean animals. Every conscientious Jew was careful of his dietary.
2. Col. 2:14-17.-These texts refer to the ceremonial "meat" offerings mentioned in Leviticus 23 :37, 38. The cross brought no change to meats God had stated were unclean. Christ's blood was shed for sinners, not for animals that never sinned. I John I :9.
3. I Tim. 4:1-5.-"Meat" here means food generally. God expected man to refuse unclean animals for food. "Meats" to be "received with thanksgiving" are those which God provided for man's diet. (Gen. 1:29; 2 :16 ; 3:18.) Flesh foods of any kind were only a temporary provision after the Flood. At that time Noah's family already knew which animals were clean or unclean. (Gen. 7:2.) Some who now argue the text's true meaning might be brought into a real predicament should they not "refuse" any "creature" as food. This is evident from the scriptures that list "abominable" creatures, including rodents and vultures. (Leviticus ii, Deuteronomy 14: Isa. 66:17.) The setting of Timothy 4:1-5 proves that there is here no allusion to Seventh-day Adventist dietary practices.
L. C. K.
* It is difficult for some of our readers to give up the eating of unclean meats. They seek excuses to justify their course, claiming that this is not a New Testament prohibition. Again, some argue that the proper care of these animals eliminates their uncleanness. This study presupposes that previous instruction on the subject has been given.
