The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 11
07/09/16 (5/4) Video Broadcast
Today's study is entitled
The Book Romans Verse by
Verse Part 11.
We have now entered our
11th segment on this
particular book in the
scriptures, next week we
will wrap up Yahweh
willing with part 12.
That's the plan.
And then, we will be
finished with the Book of
Romans.
We've covered up
to chapter 14.
We're going to go over
chapter 14 on today's
broadcast.
And, you know, Romans 14
is definitely a chapter
contains scripture verses
that are typically used by
those who are in
traditional Christianity
to justify Sabbath
breaking or changing the
Sabbath or moving the
Sabbath to a different
day, and also,
eating unclean meats.
And so we're going to
examine Romans 14 in great
detail.
We're going to dig in,
dive in, open up your
scripture book to the
Book of Romans chapter 14.
Again, I'll be reading
for the New King James
version.
Something most people are
familiar with, so that we
don't divert from what
you're familiar with.
And we're going to look
first of all here at--just
kind of jump ahead a
little bit and just look
at verses 5 and 6 in the
Book of Romans chapter 14.
It says, "One person
esteems one day above
another: another esteems
every day alike." And the
word alike is an italic
which means you can cross
it out.
It's not in the original.
"Let each be fully
convinced in his own mind.
He observes the day,
observes it to Yahweh and
he who does not observe
the day to Yahweh, he does
not observe it." He who
eats, eats to Yahweh for
He gives Elohim of thanks
and he who does not eat to
Yahweh he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks." To a
person who is inherited more of a western gentile culture, the mindset, I'm sure many of them would immediately assumed--this is talking about the Sabbath day. But is this really true? In Romans 14:14 say, "I know and I am convince by the Master Yasu that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." And again, to a person who is inherited a western gentile I'm sure it would immediately assumed this verse is telling us we are free to eat unclean meats like pork and shellfish. But is this really what it's talking about?
And probably some of you are going, how on the world Tom are you going to get out to that one? I mean that's plain as day. Nothing is unclean of itself, Tom. How could you say anything could be unclean? Bear with me, please. I implore you. Bear with me. There is a mistranslation. And this verse which I will prove undoubtedly, 100% is a mistranslation. But in this segment, we're going to examine each of these scriptures in full context. I'm not afraid of being wrong even if one scripture contradict something I believe. I'm willing to make a change. I am. I've got no--it's a whole lot easier to follow less commandments, right? I mean so why would I be afraid to make a change? But theirs is--but one of the problems that happen with those who believe that these scriptures advocate changing or breaking the Sabbath or eating pork, is that in order to believe that you have scriptures on your own side that you're going to have to figure out how you're going to avoid the plain verbiage? For instance, plenty of scriptures that tell us that Yahweh's law is a standard for right living and He's talking about the law that was given in Genesis 2 Deuteronomy. For instance, Romans 2:13 say, "For not the hearers of the law are just in the side of Elohim, but the doers of the law will be justified." Now, if the law is of no value anymore, it does not mean anything to us, how could that even be true? Or Romans 2:17 to 18 say, "Indeed you were called a Jew and restest on the law and maker boast in Elohim and know His will." That means they know what Yahweh's will is and approve the things that are excellent, be instructed out of the law. The law tells us don't eat pork. That must be one of the things that are excellent. Otherwise you have a real problem here. So, and then Romans 7:12, this is often in the book Romans alone. "Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good." You would have to say while those commandments dealing with clean and clean in Sabbath, they're no longer part of what's holy and just and good. But scripture says it is holy. The law is holy, just and good.
Romans 7:14, "For we know that the law is spiritual carnal so I sin." Romans 8:7, "The carnal mind is enmity against Elohim" why? For it is not subject, that means subordinate to the law of Elohim. No ending and can't be. So how do you get, don't eat pork over here with the law says, and then, say, "Yeah." I mean according to the scripture, if I don't subject myself to that commandment that says, do not eat pork, than I have a carnal mind, believe it or not. I mean it doesn't seem like you do because you're not use to having that as a standard that you need to live by, but according to the scripture, if you're not subject to the law of Elohim, that's what the carnal mind's all about. Now, we could be ignoring, could not know any better. We just--who knows, there might be things in my own life I don't realize I should be doing that I'm not doing and it's a process of discipleship were I learn and apply his word. By my point is this, you can't reconcile these scriptures with the belief we can change or break the Sabbath but we can eat pork. And those who hold the view that you can have some serious explaining to do because holding that belief basically causes these scriptures to no longer be true, the laws no longer the standard for holiness, just and goodness. The law is no longer, you know, something spiritual we need to yelled ourselves too, and the law is not something that if you look at, you can say, "That's just--those are just commandments." And you don't approve the things that are excellent at the law anymore. And so, you're going to have that problem.
And so, either way you look at it, you have some real, you know, verses that you're going to have to try to understand what the original intent was. And understanding the original intent is my intent as we look here at Romans chapter 14. I start at verse 1, "Receive one who is weak in the faith but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat. Let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for Elohim has received him." Now, anyone look
here at verse 2. We'll start there. As immediately connect the all things with pork.
And so those who refrain from eating pork are connected to the one who's weak in the faith, that's how they look at it. While those who eat pork are the stronger ones in the faith, and therefore the Jews are seeing as being weak in faith and the pork eating gentiles are seeing as strong in faith.
But look at what it says; it says the weak one eats only vegetables. That means the weak person doesn't eat any meat at all. It says they eat vegetables, so, essentially vegetarianism. Now, what is it about a person who is weak in the faith that would cost him to refrain from eating any kind of meat? I mean Jewish people don't have a problem with eating certain meats. They had no problem slaughtering a sheep or an ox or something clean, it's just not a pig.
And so, who is the actual weak brother here? It could be a gentile, it could be a Jew. But he's only eating vegetables, he's a vegetarian. But no details are given as to why such a person would be weak in faith. There's no details. I know a number of people who are vegetarians by choice. They're not struggling with their faith. And so, there must be something else that would
cause this people in Rome to be eating only vegetables besides just to desire to eat vegetables only. There must be something else to it. And that's one other challenges in reading this particular chapter, this passage in Romans. Paul knew the specific kind of person he's talking about. And the people of Rome know exactly who is talking about. But here we are 2000 years later listing to what's equivalent of one side of a phone conversation. You've ever done that? You've ever misunderstood somebody who's talking on the phone? You only heard their side, what they were saying. You thought they miss something over here and they were--it wasn't what that was really intended? I mean the same thing can happen when you are reading a book of Roman chapter 14. Paul knows specific kind of person, he knows the details of what kind of person he's talking about. And the people of Rome know exactly who is referring to. But we are here 2000 years later trying to figure out some reason why a weak person in faith would feel like they need to eat only vegetables.
And so, all we can do is we can look for clues.
Because vegetarians isn't taught in Judaism, it's not--I mean probably the biggest meat eaters in the bible are the priest. So, hopefully we can look to scripture though for our clues rather than tradition, you know, rather than history books or whatever. Can we look to scripture? Because traditional Christianity has seized on the vagueness here of Romans 14 and used this verses to justify the eating of unclean animals. And so we have to be very careful about assuming things especially when our assumptions result in dismissing Yahweh's commandments and just toss them out. Be really careful before you do this. Scripture says, "Test all things, hold fast to what is good." And so, looking to scripture for our clues, we'll find another situation where Paul wrote a congregation and he was again speaking of somebody who is weak in faith and it was in specific relation to food. Let's take a look. I Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6. You can keep your thumb there on Roman 14 and just flip forward to I Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6. It says, "Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to , we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other Elohim but one. For even if there are so-called mighty ones, where in heaven or on earth (as there are many mighty ones and many lords or masters), yet for us there is one Elohim, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Master Yasu a Messiah through whom are all things, and through whom we live." So all things are from Yahweh, all things are through Messiah.
So, he's talking about, okay concerning food offered to idols and things offered to idols, we know an idol is nothing. It's nothing in the world. There is only one Elohim, the Father through whom we live. And then he says, however, there is not in everyone that knowledge for some with the consciousness of the idol until now eats it as a thing offered to an idol. And their conscience being weak is defiled. And so when they partake of this particular meal, they are thinking of the idol. That's what's in there in mind. Their conscience is bothering them and they're thinking of the idol. But food those not command us to Elohim for an either if we eat are we the better nor we do not eat are we the worst? Whether you eat or whether you do not eat. This sound familiar? It does reminds you of Romans 14, right? Where we said, "Some eat and some do not eat."
Right? Okay. So it's sounds awfully familiar doesn't it? And then verse 10, "If anyone sees you who have knowledge eating an idols temple will the not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of you knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah. Therefore, my food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." I guess somebody were going--some people were going to the extreme of going right into an idol's temple and say, "Well, idol's nothing. I can eat this food if I want to." He's dead against that. In fact Acts 15 says not to do that eating food offered to idols. And the context of Acts 15 was going into an idol's temple, going into the restaurant partaking the fellowship meal with that idol. That's the context of it. And so, he's dead against that as were all the apostles. So the one who is weak in the faith in this
particular instance is the one who cannot help but think of that idol when they eat the meat, the one who's strong in faith is saying, "Well, idols is nothing in the world. There is no Elohim but one." And so my question is, could 1 Corinthians and Romans be speaking of the same situation? Well, look at some of the parallel statements that Paul makes to both Rome and the Corinthians. Romans 14:15 says, "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 the whom Messiah died." And 1 Corinthians 8, 11 and 12, we just read, "Because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?" I mean do you see this? Don't destroy, don't let them perish for whom Messiah died. When you sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah. And then we have this two parallel verses, Romans 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." And then, I Corinthians 8:13, "Therefore, if my food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." So we have almost identical statements coming out of both chapters. The verses in I Corinthians are more descriptive and he specifying that he's talking specifically about food offered to idols, but Romans 14 is more vague and open to interpretation. So the only question is, why then is Paul speaking of the vegetarian being weak in faith?
Well, the answer to that question could reasonably be answered by continuing to look at the situation in Corinth. This time from I Corinthians chapter 10 where it says in verse 24, "Let no one seek his own, but each the other's well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake; for "the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness." In here, he's quoting Psalms 24, "The earth is Yahweh's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." And so what he's saying here is, everything belongs to Yahweh. That meat sold in the meat market, even though it might be something that was offered to an idol, that animal still belongs to Yahweh. The animal hasn't changed its ownership.
And so we see here that Paul did not think it was necessary to even ask questions. Didn't have to ask a question about the origin of the meat because everything belongs to Yahweh anyway and with we, with a pure heart are eating that animal that Yahweh has not forbidden us to eat, then, surely there's no sin in that. The problem was that the believers in Corinth also i Rome were surrounded by paganism, and so what does that mean? There were people there who couldn't help to think at the idol, ex gentiles. It couldn't help to think at the idol and so, he says, "If any of those who did not believe invites you to dinner, he desire to go, it was set before you, asking the question for conscience sake." But
actually if you look at the scripture, there's a very similar scripture in what Yasu was said in Luke 10:8. And some people look at this and they go, "Well, I'm just going to go in my friend's house and he has food even though I know its pork and just not ask any questions." That's not what it saying. It's talking about whether that the clean meat is set before you was offered to an idol or not. You don't have to ask that question. Okay? Because that's it said in verse 26 earlier, "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake." So the same thing is when you go to someone's house, so--now, you look here in Luke chapter 10:8 to 9. It say, "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you." This is Yasu talking to His disciples. And heal the sick there and say to them the kingdom of Elohim is coming near to you. Now, this is before Yasu would die for our sins, right? Certainly he could not be suggesting, go ahead and eat the pork they set before you.
Those who believe he would are contradicting their own theology because this was still during that time before Messiah died for our sins. And the law against eating pork according to their own theology would still be in place and the Messiah would have been telling his disciples to do something that the scriptures forbid them from doing and that is not paying any attention to the commandment that says don't eat pork.
So what is he doing? The same thing Paul is doing, offered to an idol, offered and offered to an idol whatever. Don't worry about it, juts eat it, you know, its clean food. You could tell by its texture, it's taste, everything. It's clean, so don't worry about it. So verse 28, "But anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is Yahweh's, and all its fullness." "Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. But of that of the other for why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience?" So look here, it says the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness, remember, everything belongs to Yahweh and since you believe that, your actions he's saying in their presence needs to benefits that belief unless they would think that you, yourself would not agree with the idea that the earth is Yahweh, and all its fullness. And so, it's quoted to support the idea of not eating and ask questions for conscience' sake in terms of meat offered to idols, but then it's also quoted and support of one's refusal to eat the meat because someone mentioned it was offered to idols.
Because by eating the food offered to the idol, the other person might be tempted to think that you do have idolatry's thoughts and you don't really acknowledge that the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. And knowing that all things were created by Yahweh is a key to proving that all idols are worthless because Yahweh truly made all things. Now, there are some differences though between the Corinthian situation and the situation in Rome.
Rome had 400 temples. 400, that's a lot. And so, you go in the marketplace and all likely it had pretty much everything's offered to an idol. It's higher percentage of everything.
And so we had a little different situation in the book of Rome, in the--in the--book to the Rome--letter to the Romans, I'm sorry, in Rome. And Paul says, "Receive one who's weak in faith but to disputes over doubtful things for one believes he may eat all things but he who is weak eats only vegetables." So why with the weak person only be eating vegetables? Because there's no hardly any places out there you'll going to find with over 400 pagan temples in one city, and you go to the marketplace to buy meat, quite possibly almost all the meat sold there is going to come from a temple sacrifice somewhere. And so, if the weak brother want to avoid thinking of the idol when eating the meat, he would have to eliminate all meat at all and basically become the vegetarian.
Now to me, that explanation makes the most sense. It would explain why the vegetarian was the one who's weak. And it would explain why there are these parallel verses between Romans and I Corinthians about, "Yet your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for the whom Messiah died." And then, I Corinthians 8, "Because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?" and these kind of things are very, very close in their verbiage to one another.
And Romans 14:21, "It's good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." And I Corinthians 8:13, "If food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat." So these parallel verses to me show a connection between the two. And it's the most reasonable explanation as to why they're refusing vegetables--refusing meat at all in Rome because there's no--everything pretty much in the meat market 400 temples in the city. I mean there's a lot of paganism going on. The central city of the pagan world was Rome, so. Looking again at Romans 14, now look at verse 3. It says, "Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, let not him who does not eat judge him who
eats; for Elohim has received him." So the one who decides to go and eat meat should not judge the one or despise the one who does not eat and vice versa. Some believe they can eat meat, don't despise the one who doesn't. The one who doesn't eat meat don't judge the one who eats meat.
Now, this phrase doubtful things, to me I think it's kind of doubtful. That's a good translation. The scripture actually talks about thoughts, you know, doubts and thoughts are kind of related to each other and sometimes its just Greek word is translated doubt but doesn't always mean doubt. It could mean thoughts. But base on these statements, we're talking about things that are--if it is--if it is doubtful, things that doesn't really matter one way or the other. And so, disputable matters. And so, when we're talking about disputable matters, we can't be talking about something that the law commands, it had to be something that it could go one way or the other doesn't really matter like vegetarianism. And so, we wouldn't be talking about something from the law specifically for base scripture. Actually he said himself Roman 7:7 "I would not know sin except through the law." And since the law is informing you of what sin is, he's not talking about sinful stuff. He's talking about vegetarianism, food offered to idols and all the magnifications of that. And so, he says in verse 4, "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he would be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand." Now, remember the situation with the weak brother in the Corinthian assembly. This person's faith was hindered by his temptation to follow the idol. But perhaps we have a more advance situation here in Rome where brothers have taken more of a hard stands on both sides of the issue and they're judging and despising each other or the whole matter. So they kind of taking this hardened position. They've kind of entrench in their little belief systems there and become more judgmental to each other over it. and that would make sense that Rome was a little bit more of a mature knowledgeable group. And so they become more hardened in their positions. We see I Corinthians 15:34, he's talking to the Corinthians and he says, "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of Yahweh. Speak this to your shame." But to the Romans he says, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge." We got the knowledge. "Able also to admonish one another." And so, you know, they once more mature than the other. And so, the folks in Rome are kind of in their maturity, kind of gotten their knowledge down and with knowledge and knowledge puffs up and then, you have people-entrenched in their positions, judging and despising one another unnecessarily.
And so based on the available evidence from scripture and the parallels from I Corinthians to Romans, the best available evidence suggest that Paul is referring to the question of whether ones should be refrain from eating meat because it might have been offered to an idol and or just go ahead and eat it. You don't really know, doesn't really matter, the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. Some people say, "Well, I'm not going to eat any meat around here man, 400 temples. I'm just going to go to the vegetarian lifestyle." There was like, "Well, it doesn't really matter. The earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. He to him everything belongs." So, both cases the one with the weaker faith would not eat the meat in the marketplace. It's just that Paul happens to identify the ones in Room as vegetarians.
So, let's move on now to the second issue. This mentioned in the book of Romans chapter 14. The one many would use to suggest that we don't have to observe the Sabbath anymore or we don't need to observe it on a particular day of the week. Let's take a look, Romans 14:5 to 6, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes to Yahweh; and he who does not observe the day, to Yahweh he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh and he gives--for he gives Elohim thanks; and he who does not eat, to Yahweh he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks." Now, a lot of people in our modern area look at this verse in Romans 14 and conclude, we can choice any day of the week for a day of rest. You choice, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, whatever, Sunday usually. Pick your day of rest, one day out of seven is all it matters. Others will look at this verse and conclude, "Look you can make every day your Sabbath now, every day. I mean every day is my Sabbath." The Messiah is my Sabbath. He is my rest. But Yahweh decide that the Sabbath was holy on the seventh day of creation, right? That's when he made the decision. That's when he blessed the Sabbath day. That's when he sanctify it, the seventh day.
And so, some people that I believe that as long as you work six days and rest on the seventh, you observing that commandment. You're respective of how or when you choice to begin the week. Another words, you can say you begin your week on Monday according to the pagan title Monday for the second day of the week. And then on quote Sunday and quote, that would be your seventh day. In other words, you don't--they don't believe the seventh day cycle that we see on the calendar on the wall use here in the United States is necessarily a reflection of Yahweh's established week in Genesis. So you just pick one day out of seven that's all it matters. So let's take a look here and see whether that lines up with what Yahweh had said in the scriptures.
Genesis chapter 2:1,2,3 says, "Thus the heaven and the earth, and all the host of them, were finish. And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which he had done. Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made." And so Yahweh blessed a specific day in a specific week that He Himself created.
And so, Adam being created on the six day of the week, whenever enjoyed the Sabbath sanctification with Yahweh on that seventh day of creation and listen as Yahwah blessed and sanctify the seventh day and rested from the work which He had done. And so, after the Sabbath, Adam would began his week in the garden to tend it, to keep it and would have work for six days and just as Yahweh did, rested on that seventh day. Now, notice Yahweh didn't just create. In six days he work, seventh day you rest concept. He set in motion a seven-day week for Adam to participate in. Adam would not have been able to choice when to begin working and resting. It was already chosen for him. Now, moving down to the ages, Jacob's descendants
lost track of the Sabbath day being enslaved in Egypt. And Yahweh had to make known to them his Sabbath in Romans--and I'm sorry, Nehemiah chapter 9:13 and 14. It says, "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments and you made know to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant." So he made known to him hiss holy Sabbath. How did he make known to them as holy Sabbath? Did they say, "Hey, guys pick your week, you know, start whatever you want to, just rest on, you know, pick a Sabbath and rest on that day." no.
Acts 6:16 Yahweh again, as he did in Genesis chapter 2 instituted the Sabbath as a specific day with in a specific week that he himself created and established in Israel. When He gave them mana for six days, and then withheld the mana on the seventh day.
He set in motion ones again, the six days you work, seventh day you rest pattern in a specific context of it's specific week that he expected them to live in and reside in and follow.
All right. And in fact it says, Leviticus 23:15 to 16, " And you shall count for yourselves from the day after Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbath shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new brain offering to Yahweh." Now be close attention to what it just said. If the Sabbath was not on a specific day of a specific weekly pattern that He himself set in motion, there would have been no day after the Sabbath to begin their count from for Pentecost. This is a count to Pentecost to the--the word Pente comes from the Greek word Pentecosta means 50th or 50. And so, you count seven weeks and there's seven Sabbath in seven weeks and you count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath and that's when they would offer the green offering. Now, if anybody could keep a Sabbath in the old time they wanted too, there would have been no day that they could pinpoint and start--even start from--everyone have their ideas.
And so, wehn all the disciples gathered together for, you know, Pentecost in Acts II, there are been, you know, several different Pentecost throughout the week. That's not how it works. And there is specific offerings that Yahweh commanded is real to be done on the Sabbath day. Number 28:8, 9 to 10 "On the Sabbath day, until the end and there first year without blemish and so uncertain burnt offerings for every Sabbath." And so there, he set in motion a seven-day week a pattern he expected them to yield to a recurring seven-day pattern, it's a cycle that he demanded they follow.
That was his commandment and that's how he established His holy day. And then, later on, after the exile and they got back from Babylon, here's the Nehemiah, he says, " I
saw--on those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions." Well, could they just say, "Well, you know, I'm keeping my Sabbath tomorrow." No. It was never the practice of Israel to pick one day out of seven he wants to do. And so, when he did, he shut in the gates just before sundown as the Sabbath begins and no one could go in there on the Sabbath day. It was a unified day. Everybody recognize with in a seven-day week pattern that he demanded everyone follow. That is the only context that Sabbath has ever, ever been done with in a specific seven-day pattern that Yahweh himself established in Genesis and in Israel when he made known to them His holy Sabbath, and he made a man to come down six days and not on the seventh. Luke 4:16, "Now He came to Nazareth..." Here's where he going to show, "...where He had been brought up as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day..." not a Sabbath day, THE Sabbath day, "...and stood up to read." Luke 23:55, "And the women who come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid and they returned and prepared spices of fragrant oils and rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." There's one specific day identified as the Sabbath, the Israel would have continued to have been observing.
Acts 13:14, "But when they departed from Parga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down." There's only one day were that happens, that's on the seventh day of the week come only called Saturday.
Acts 17:1 to 2, "Now when they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of a Jews. And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures." In Acts 18:4, "He reasoned in the
synagogue every Sabbath." There's one day in a specific week that Yahweh himself established as
identified as a Sabbath day. There's zero indication that anyone ever, ever, at any time in scripture was permitted to choice which day of a particular week, he keeps his own week where he could week his own Sabbath day whenever he wanted to. Never, ever, ever is that seen in the scripture. The consistent pattern all throughout scripture, Genesis to Revelation, is that there was a seven day week, Yahweh established from the very beginning and as reflection of Yahweh's images and memorial to His creation, His creation, we as human beings, every single human being on the planet by the way, is expected to submit themselves to that cycle that Yahweh established in that very beginning, that seven day cycle where the seventh day is identified as the Sabbath. That seven day cycle has never change since the Messiah walked the earth. We have records from three separate Roman historian saying that Jewish people observed Sabbath on a day that the Roman historians had identified as the day of Saturn which we know today as Saturday. Here's one of those historians. 84 CE 14 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, it says that the deified--this is Frontinus, he was a Roman historian. He says that the deified Augustus Vespasian attacked the Jews on the day of Saturn, a day on which it's sinful for them to do any business, Sabbath day. And so the Sabbath day has not been lost. I mean after the 70--80 evasion and Jews were scattered all over the world, in order for them--if anything that change regarding the Sabbath, these Jews all around the globe would had have woken up one day and simultaneously change their Sabbath to a different day, all without a trace of evidence. And besides that Christianity was quite interested in keeping track of the first day of the week, right? So they could keep their Sunday. I mean traditional Christianity. But they were actually Christians in the third and fourth century history shows that we're keeping the Sabbath on a seventh day of the week. Even some of them will go on the first day of the week meeting, but would keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. And in fact, the Greek Orthodox Church still does that. Now history shows that the seven-day cycle has not changed since the first century. And since the Messiah kept it at the correct time along with the Jewish people, I don't have to go any back--I don't have to go back any further than that. And so looking at Romans 14, the idea that this will be talking about the Sabbath and you can keep it any all day you want is completely foreign to anything ever written anywhere in scripture. It's a completely foreign idea.
And so there's no way that Paul could be claiming, "Well, you keep the Sabbath any all day." That would fly in the face of what Yahweh has himself had established as a precedent in every single scripture up to that point. And the precedent is that Yahweh invented the seven-day week. He expects us to follow that seven-day week pattern so that we can rest on the day our Father in heaven rested.
Now besides all these things, there are several reasons why I believe this verse cannot even be speaking about the Sabbath at all.
And they are as follows. First of all, there's no mention of the Sabbath in the chapter. In fact, there's no mention of the Sabbath anywhere in the book of Romans, nowhere.
Second of all, the Sabbath would not qualify as the kind of commandment where a person could decide for themselves where they want to esteem one day above another. That doesn't--that disqualifies it as being the Sabbath at all biblically.
And then it would disregard other passages in the book of Romans such as Romans 8:7 which says the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim for it's not subject to the law. And clearly the law tells us to keep the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week. And therefore unless we want to be at enmity with Yahweh, we would need to keep the law that tells us to observe the Sabbath day. Also this chapter is said to be about doubtful things. Commandments of Yahweh are not doubtful things especially when he writes them with his own finger, not a doubtful thing at all.
So in order to believe that you can break the
Sabbath, you would have to be at variance with the law of Yahweh. The law of Yahweh, there's nothing doubtful about it. He wrote that with his own finger in stone, in stone.
Now the alternative to esteeming one day above another according to the book of Romans is to esteem every day. One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day. In other words one says this Sabbath--this day is the Sabbath, another says every day is the Sabbath. Now, come on, does that make any sense? If this was talking about the Sabbath, it would mean every day is a day of rest and we would never be able to work at all. You wouldn't get anything done, you e wouldn't make any money. You'd starve to death. So these are some logical reasons why I don't believe it could possible even be talking about the Sabbath. So in order to believe Romans 14:5 that's talking about the Sabbath, you would have to inject that into the text from your own mind because it's not there. Based on a pretty conceived believe, you'd have to inject it there and we cannot use--even if you want to do that, you cannot use one verse in the book of Romans, a vague verse mind you, as your basis for cutting out and sawing out the fourth commandment which was written in stone by Yahweh's own finger.
Yet when things are written in stone, that signifies the finality and eternal nature of all 10 of those commandments. And so you can't do that. Not even Paul can do that. Nice guy, but he can't do that either. He doesn't have the ability to saw out the fourth commandment or mess with it as nice as he is. And so what is this talking about?
One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observe the day observes it to Yahweh and he who does not observe the day, to Yahweh he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh for he give Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat, to Yahweh he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks. What's he talking about? Well since it seems to be talking about, based on this translation, the observance of particular days and Paul is putting us on the same level as to whether or not we eat or don't eat meat, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. It would be something that would be an observance of particular days that would be optional. The scripture never commands their observance
but you could do it if you want to and it wouldn't matter if you did or didn't. Does he tell us what kind of days he's talking about? No, it does not say Sabbath and so we should not say Sabbath either.
Again, we're listening to towards the equivalent of one side of a phone conversation between Paul and the congregation in Rome. They know exactly what he's talking about. He knows exactly what he's talking about and we're just trying to look at the evidence and try to figure out what specifically he's addressing there.
And so again, let's try to look at the scripture and see if we can determine the best possible answer. One possibility would be it's referring to days in which one would fast and that would have support in the verse, one who does not eat and one who does eat, one who does not eat. Now Paul could be referring this verse, right--this portion right here, "He who eats, eats to Yahweh, gives Elohim thanks," as a reference to the earlier verse regarding eating or not eating meat. Or it could be referring to not eating at all and actually fasting. We're not a hundred percent certain, either way. But I know this, there were traditions regarding fast days. One of the traditions of the Pharisee's in Luke 18:11-12. The Pharisee stood up and prayed thus with himself, "The Elohim, I thank you. I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess." There was a Jewish tradition of fasting twice a week in ancient times. There's also a Jewish tradition in Zechariah 8:19 where it says, "Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and tearful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love, truth, and peace." Of these fasts, only the fast of the seventh month is one that's commanded in the scriptures and that's the day called Yom Kippur. The others were marking times in Jewish history where the temple was destroyed and so on. And these are the only extra biblical fast that I know of mentioned in the scriptures which one could legitimately observe to Yahweh and Yahweh wouldn't have a problem with that. He's just saying one day these fasts are going to be joy, feast of joy.
And so Luke 5:34-35, we're talking about the disciples here, when the people from--disciples of John came to--Yahushua says, "Why don't you--why aren't you fasting like the disciples of John?" I don't know if it was the disciples of John that came to him but someone came to him and said these things. He said, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with him?" But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they will fast in those days. So we're talking about fast days, the context here in Romans 14. If it's talking about fasting days, the days that are observed as fasting days, then the entire chapter of Romans 14 would be woven with a common thread and that would be food and eating. And it would explain why later he says, "Kingdom of Elohim is not about eating and drinking, it's about these other things." So it seems to be--I mean, like 20 some different times he's talking about eating and food in the book of Romans 14. And so it does seem like to me, it could be the most likely candidate that he's talking about days of fasting.
Now another possibility is we're looking at these verses here in Romans 14:5-6 is that some of the disciples would avoid eating food in the meat market after certain Roman festivals.
Historically, there are 40 days throughout the Roman year that Romans observed as pagan festivals. And so there would a greater likelihood that the meat in the marketplace would've been food offered to idols. Now that may have cause them to maybe on certain days, "We're just not going to eat any meat from the meat market, certain days of the year because we know what that meat's all going to be about." That's just another theory. I'm not presenting it as fact. But those who haul that belief would have to translate Romans 14:5-6 differently. For instance, the word is translated above as in one person esteems one day above another, we'll have to translate that differently. And it would make sense because Greek word 3844,
the primary meaning given here, the first definition is the word "from" or "at" or "be by" or "besides," and "of" is the most common translation. So it's a very broad, broad word, this word "para" in the Greek, highly subjective. And so you could legitimately make that case. And also the word translated "observe" has a little different meaning than "observe" in literal sense in the Greek. It says it comes from phroneo which means to have understanding, be wise, to feel, to think. It's got a whole slew of definitions here. And we see it's translated "think" and "regard" being the most common or "mind" being the third most common. And so if we chose this one right here, regard, as a legitimate possibility for translating this verse, then we would come to Romans 14:5-6 and it will be read this way, "One person esteems one day from another. Another esteems every day. Let every--each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards the day, regards it to Yahweh. He who does not regard the day, to Yahweh he does not regard it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh for he gives Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat to Yahweh, he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks." And so if things are translated this way, we could have a situation where some disciples may have made the distinction to go ahead and buy meat from the marketplace on certain days while others would just avoid eating meat from the marketplace every day. Each person will have to be persuaded in their own mind as to what they need to do. Each person will have the freedom to do what his conscience would dictate. One would eat vegetables only while another would feel like they had the freedom to go ahead and meat--buy meat in the marketplace on other days where there was not a festival. So this possibility, those who regard the day did so
to Yahweh because they wanted to honor Yahweh by not thinking of the idol. Those who didn't regard the day did so to Yahweh because he did not think about the idol at all. Some at the meat, gave Yahweh thanks. Others ate the meat, gave Yahweh thanks. No big deal either way, that's the point.
So there's two ways of looking at it that I could see where--I think both of them are pretty--have pretty sound reasons behind them but I'm trying to share with you some alternative ways of looking at it that are very possible, are quite biblical, I mean, as far as getting our reason from scripture and not from our own traditions and ideas and make perfect sense. So our desire is to let scripture interpret scripture. That's what we want to do. We want to let scripture interpret scripture, get our information from scripture to discern what's going on in Romans 14. And so in verse 7, he says, "For none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. If--for if we live, we live to Yahweh and if we die, we die to Yahweh. Therefore whether we live or die, we are Yahweh's. And so he's expounding on his earlier point that we do all things or don't do things to Yahweh by saying, "We all live and we all die to Yahweh because we belong completely to him." Right? And that matches well with his point in 1 Corinthians 8 that the earth is Yahweh's in all its fullness. He's saying the same thing here in Romans 14, another parallel verse.
All right. So Romans 14:9, for to this end Messiah died and rose--and lived again, that we might be master of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah, for it is written as I live, says Yahweh, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to Elohim. So then each of us shall give account of them self to Elohim. Each of us will give account." And so what was condemned here in Romans was the attitude of one brother toward the other.
Like the situation in 1 Corinthians, the stronger brother could be saying to the weaker brother, "What's the matter with you anyway? Don't you believe that Yahweh is the true mighty one, idols are nothing?" And in Romans, the more advanced entrenched positions, people would be saying the weaker brother might be saying, "Well, what's the matter with you? Don't you realize that meat was offered to an idol? You wouldn't want to eat that." He couldn't shake the idea it was offered to an idol. And so now it was commonly believed according to historical record that there were Jewish people in the first century who believed that once meat was offered to an idol, that render the meat unclean. According to the Encyclopedia Judaica under the heading purity, it says, "In the case of idolatrous offerings, the law is even stricter than the impurity of the idol itself." And Judah B. Bava says that it conveys impurity by overshadowing as does a corpse. And so they're trying to--it seems like the Jews are trying to figure out some way to make this food offered to an idol unclean. And so in Number 19:14, it says that if a person dies in a tent, everyone who's in the tent's unclean. And so they're deducing here that in the case of idolatrous offering, the meat became unclean because of what was done with it. It was in an idol's temple. It was--and so in the same way, the people who were in the tent are unclean because the corpse's in the room then because the unclean idol, the unclean meat happened to be in the temple area--or the clean meat I should say happen to be in a temple area, it became unclean through what they called overshadowing.
And so in the same way the people in the tent were made unclean through the dead person in the tent. The meat was made unclean because of the activities around that particular animal. That was something that they understood from
their--adding to Yahweh's word basically. And so Paul says let us not judge one another anymore but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall on our brother's way. I know and I'm convinced by the Master Yahushua that there is nothing unclean, that's from the Greek word koinos, of itself but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 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 who Messiah died." Now verse 14 here is often used,
"Hey, there's nothing unclean, nothing." For you to say it's unclean, you're going against scripture because my bible says there's nothing unclean of itself. Now you say it's unclean, all right. Maybe it's unclean to you but it's not unclean to me. I've heard those words before.
And so those who teach that Yahweh's laws abolished, the clean and unclean food laws are changed or abolished, they look at this and jump on it. But we have a problem and I'm really saddened by this problem actually because I think probably a lot of people have been led astray by what is a clear mistranslation.
This word translated--unclean is the Greek word koinos. I want you to know there's another place where the word koinos is found. Acts 2:44, it says, "Now all those--all who believe were together and had all things in koinos." And all things unclean? No. Obviously the word does not really even mean unclean. Here, it's translated "common." There's something--there's a different thing between common and unclean, there's two different things. And common is based on a Jewish tradition, unclean is based on scripture. Now that which is unclean would be probably classified as common but something that is common is not necessarily unclean if you understand what I'm trying to say. So the word common is actually a good translation. It's a term designating every day common things which are not consecrated to Yahweh. And some Jews, in Messiah's day, believe that such things were to be avoided but there was no biblical basis for their claims. Look at Matthews 7:2.
It says--talking about the Pharisees. When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled that is unwashed hands, they found fault. I'm sorry, the word koinos is over here defiled. I put that in the wrong place, it belongs over here. With koinos hands, they found fault for the
Pharisees and the Jews do not eat unless they was their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. That's washing to the third joint and so on. When they come from the marketplace, the marketplace, same thing we saws in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hauled like the washing of pitchers--cups, pitchers, copper vessels and kelches. And so there's nothing in the scriptures which tells us the hands are unclean or common unless we watch them--wash them prior to eating. There is no scripture anywhere that says, "You must wash your hands with..." No, it's the tradition of the elders. And they are saying--actually the scripture is saying they're eating bread with koinos hands, with common hands, didn't wash, didn't do anything to them. And so therefore the koinos spoken of in Romans 14:14 is not speaking about pork or some biblically unclean meat. It's talking about traditions of the elders and how they regarded the marketplace as being a place that would make your hands common and in need of some special kind of washing and therefore they're asking Yahushua's disciples, "What are you doing? You're not washing your hands in a special way according through tradition of the elders?" And so Yahushua in a parallel verse in Matthew 15:19 says, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, these are things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." Again, that which is unclean would be common but which is common is not necessarily unclean. So looking again at the verse in Romans with that in mind, therefore let us not judge one another anymore but rather resolve this not to put a stumbling block or cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced master Yahushua that there is nothing common of itself but to him how considers anything to be common to him, it's common. 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. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil. And so Paul, a former Pharisee himself was persuaded. He was convinced by the master Yahushua nothing was common of itself. And you could see where he get that convincing from, from the book of Mark where he's talking to the Scribes and Pharisees and he says, "That's not what makes yourself common, that's not." And so it's the traditions once more. And we looked earlier where Paul--where they believe that when you had a meat offered to an idol, once it was offered to an idol, it was then considered to be common.
In reality, there is not a separate class of uncleanness called common in the bible in a sense that they need to be avoided.
The scriptures already supply us with a correct classification of what's clean and what's unclean. We don't need a special set of laws, especially ones based on traditions of men to make other classifications of things we have to avoid now in order to not be common, okay? And so we don't--those are traditions. And so here in Romans 14, we have a situation where Gentile believers are avoiding meat because they're weak in their conscience and couldn't help but think of the idol. And it appears that they were judging others. Remember it says those who don't eat are judging others and perhaps one of those ways they were judging others was saying, "that's meat is common. That meat is common. It's defiled. You can't have it." And so in the eyes of Gentile who wanted to avoid the meat and go vegetarian, the meat sold at the marketplace, he would latch on to that and say, "Look, even you guys, even the Pharisees around here are all telling me that meat is common. You can't eat that." Well Paul says, "No. I was convinced by Yoshu, there's nothing common of itself." But if you consider it to be common, okay, to you it's common.
All right, so whatever. So rather than harassing each other about it, he's saying, "Look, if your brother's grieved because of your food, you're not walking in love. Don't destroy with your food the one for whom Messiah died." Yes I know nothing is common but look, don't destroy your brother and say, "Hey, it's not common," and get into a big argument over it and say there's that and then the other. And then they end up eating the food offered to the idol and they're thinking about that idol.
And therefore that brother, he becomes tempted to worship that idol that he's worshiped since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, right? And so Paul is saying, "Don't let him who eats despise him who does not eat. Let not whom who does not eat judge him who eats." Don't hate each other this. Let your conscience--if your conscience is bothering you over it, then don't it. Go ahead, be vegetarian. Go right ahead. If you want to avoid certain days, all right because of the meat--the festivals or whatever might be--then fine. And for those that just say it doesn't really matter, I agree with you but we don't want to wound our brother's conscience.
To me, it all makes perfect sense. It all lines up perfectly and beautifully.
Romans 14:17, for the Kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who serves Messiah in these things is acceptable to Elohim and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work Elohim for the sake of food. All things are indeed pure but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Once again, there are people who say, "Oh, there it is Tom, you cannot get out of this one. You're not going to weasel out of this man. All things are indeed pure." What are you going to say about that one? Relax, relax, notice the context of verse 20.
Don't want to see your brother destroyed over food, right? Now, what is food? Now food to a Western Gentile is pork, shellfish, whatever you want to eat.
But food according to scripture is never pork, never ever is it ever pork. Yahweh specifically said, "Do not eat that. That is not to be eaten and therefore it is not food." Actually there are numerous places in the bible where it says it's not food, don't eat it.
And so of the things that are actually food, yes, all things are pure. You don't have to worry about whether it was offered to an idol or not. Don't worry about it, it's pure. It's food.
Now, I believe that's also why Yahushua told the crowds, he said in Luke 11:38-41, it says when the
Pharisees saw, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner. Oh, he violated the traditions of the elders. He's eating with common hands.
Then the master said to him, "Now you Pharisee, you make the outside of a cup and dish clean but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones. Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?" Now they were all caught up in making sure their hands were washed but their hands were spiritually full of blood.
But rather give alms of such things as you have then indeed all things are clean to you.
Once again, we're dealing with the question of something being common and the food he was eating was not unclean. The food he was eating was clean. Just because he didn't wash his hands, in the eyes of the Pharisee he was eating something defiled, eating with his common hands.
And so he's saying well, everything on the table be clean if you just--if you start giving instead of trying to take. If you would get off your selfishness and start focusing on getting and loving, then your heart would be clean. It wouldn't be full of greed and this wickedness. You'll be focusing on love.
And then you'd realize as you're focusing on love, this stuff you're adding to the bible, you're trying to clean yourself up on the outside trying to make yourself feel better for all the dirtiness you feel inside. And so then you would realize you're clean. You don't need to go wash a pitcher and a cup and your hands all these things. And you would regard everything you're eating to be clean but you're so focused--because you feel so dirty inside, you feel like you got to wash the outside. So in a Jewish mind, he's not--Yahushua's not tell the Pharisee, "Go chomp the pork chop now. Go--you go give money to the poor and then you can eat rats, bats, cats and snakes." No. That was never even food to begin with. And if the Pharisee had even thought that Yahushua was advocating eating pork, he would've thrown him out of the house. If so, even if you do think that's the case which it cannot be, all right, I want you to understand something. Even if you think dietary laws are abolished when Josiah died, Yahushua's talking during a time when these dietary laws were still in place and he would've been advocating disobedience to Yahweh, something he could never do, all right? And so the all things of Romans 14:20 is in the context of what is legitimately considered to be food and pork and shellfish, rats, bats, cats and snakes are not food, or turtles.
All right. I know that's controversial today but it's not food. And the meat sold in the marketplace was legitimately clean. It was pure. There was nothing wrong with it. And so when Yahushua comes back from the marketplace, it's pure, don't worry about it. And so Paul who was persuaded by Yahushua that all things--that there's nothing common of itself is again drawing on his words here in verse 20. Now, if you're not convinced by how I define food, that means you are already convinced somewhere else that you can eat pork but we don't have time to go into all those scriptures. But either way, all things--does it really mean all things? I mean, look here at Colossians. Bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. Well, what if your masters according to the flesh told you to go commit murder or commit adultery? It does say all things. of course most of us would say, "Well there has to be an exception because the scripture say not to do those, not to commit adultery and the scripture say not to go murder someone." Oh, okay, so you can make an exception for you because you understand of course not murder, of course not adulteries, but you can't make an exception here when he says all things are pure. You can't make an exception there even though the scripture says do not eat the unclean meats. And so I'm exposing a little bit of a inconsistency in that line of thinking. Okay. Another example where all doesn't mean all, Romans 16:19. For your obedience has become known to all. Really? Did every human being on the planet know about the obedience of the believers in Rome? It says all. Yet we know that just from common sense, he didn't really mean every human being on the planet. This means most people. All people heard about you. Even in our language, all doesn't even always mean all. For instance, if I say, "Well my daughter ate all of her breakfast." Someone walks over and says, "No, she didn't. There's one crumb right here on the plate." I mean, can we give each other a little bit of a pass here? I mean, she--all can mean all but it doesn't always mean every little tiny little thing with no exceptions. So we have to understand context, don't we? We can't just look at a verse and say, "Well all things are indeed pure," and assume because of our Western Gentile mindset that we understand what the obvious exceptions are.
Here's another, to the pure, all things are pure. Okay. Does that mean, okay, if I'm a pure person, I can look at a pile of buzzard droppings and say, "Oh, look at those rotting corpses over there, how pure." Pure as the wind-driven snow.
Or would you say sexual immorality is pure because hey, to the pure, everything's pure. How about murder? Absolutely not. So we know buzzard droppings, corpses, sexual immorality, murder, those aren't pure things. What's he trying to say?
He's saying when you look at something that--you can look at something and it can be completely pure and yet you're looking at it because you have a defiled conscience and nothing can be pure. And so everything is defiled and your own defilement is causing you to look at a pure thing and not say that's pure. And we do see that today. So Romans 14:20 say all things are indeed pure and we understand what the obvious exceptions are based on the word of Yahweh and based on just old fashion common sense, okay? Listen, no one, no one, not even Paul can go against scripture. And Yahweh's word is not divided against itself. We don't have contradictions in the bible. And for this reason, we have to work within the obvious parameters of what Yahweh has already said and what have been common sense to a first century Jew when it comes to understanding the obvious exceptions. And the concept of clean and unclean do not come Levitical law or from the Jews. Noah, Noah was told to take seven of all clean animals into the ark with him and two of the unclean. I mean, he had to something to eat when he's in the ark. He couldn't grow a garden, right? So Noah knew the difference because it was common knowledge even to his day the clean and the unclean. And so context of Romans 14:20 has everything to do with actual food, clean meats and the unnecessary, unbiblical classification of clean meats becoming common and thus needing to be avoided for that reason. All right. And so Paul says, "It is good to neither eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or made weak." All right. I'm going to get my hammer out. I'm going to put the final nail in the coffin of this belief that he's talking about pork. Because this is where Paul actually clarifies he's talking about meat offered to idols. It's hidden from our eyes by translation but is nonetheless there. And if you look at the Greek word translated meat, number 2907, here is the Thayer's lexicon and
the definition here is the flesh of a sacrificed
animal. And to me, this solidifies everything I've said up to this point. He's talking about food offered to idols. That's what he's talking about this whole chapter. He's not talking about pork. And in fact, this same exact word, 2907, is found in 1 Corinthians 8. I guess I don't have it up there. But 1 Corinthians 8:13. I'm going to go ahead and put this up on the screen, hold one second. I want to put this in the study. I don't want to miss it. So I will put up here on the screen for us.
1 Corinthians 8:13, therefore if my food make--if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat sacrificial meat lest I make my brother stumble. Otherwise Paul himself is becoming a vegetarian, right? But the context here is the food offered to idols,
the flesh of a sacrificed animal. And that would explain why he says if that's the case, I'll never again eat meat. Okay. So looking here, it is good to neither eat sacrificial meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Now these are the only two places in the New Testament where this word, 2907, kreas is even used. In both cases, I submit to you, it's talking about food offered to idols. Now if anyone has any doubts about the earth
being Yahweh's and all the fullness therein, if anyone is tempted by this idea that this idol is
something in the world, then that person would be condemned if he eats. He'll be in a dangerous situation because he would be thinking of the idol. And so by that, he would be in sin. He would be sinning because--we--the person would be putting a stumbling block before them, a temptation before them. And so Paul says, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before Elohim. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith would be sin because you're thinking of the idol." So the one who has faith can--is not weak. They can eat and have no problem. But the one who has the weakness and they have these doubts, they would be condemned if they ate because they're thinking of the idol. And so that is the difference here. Do we understand that? Sometimes people take this, verse 23, whatever is not of faith is not from faith is sin, and take it out of context. But the context has to do with eating food offered to idols. So it seems pretty obvious to me that the apostle
Paul is speaking of the same situation in both Corinth and in Rome, same situation. But in Rome there--people are more entrenched in their position. There seems to have been more Jewish people in Rome, bringing their baggage and thought patterns into things. And so the stronger believer had to cleanse their minds of these thought patterns and they're warned to walk in love and not do things that cause weakness in others. And we're going to be talking about that again next week as we close out our study on the book of Romans, about not being a temptation to other people because there's a lot of different ways that can apply. But Paul at no time during this chapter considers liberty to be a license to sin.
At no time in this chapter does he do anything that would contradict his earlier statements that by the law is the knowledge of sin, that if the law tells you not to eat pork then you go do it then that would be a sin. It's as simple as that. The law is just and holy and good. So we can't throughout the whole scripture teaches against eating pork because of a one-sided conversation in the book of Romans. It can be proven that this chapter is not speaking of unclean meats. There are many other passages that teach we should keep the commandments and there are--also passages would say that when the Messiah returns and Yahweh sends fire and judgment on the earth, he is going to--he says he's going to consume and destroy those who eat swine's flesh.
In Isaiah 66:15-17 says for behold, Yahweh will come in fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword, Yahweh will judge all flesh and the slain of Yahweh shall be many. This hasn't happened yet, has it? Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens after an idol in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination
in the mouth shall be consumed together says Yahweh. Do you know that there are cancer treatments that they put mouse parts into? It says they will all be consumed together, eating
abominations. It's still considered an abomination in Yahweh's eyes to eat swine's flesh. He said so in Leviticus and he said so again at the final age before Messiah returns. That's what he says he's going to do when he come and judges the world with fire. This has not occurred yet so Yahweh is still concerned that we do not eat things that are abominations to him. There are few things in Yahweh's word that he considers to be an abomination but the eating of flesh of unclean animals is one of them. He said so. It would not make any sense for something to be an outright abomination, Messiah dies, "Eat what you want, it's not an abomination anymore." It doesn't make any sense. Really, just think logically here. It went from abomination, abhorrent, something terrible, awful. All of a sudden, freely eat. No. It says he will destroy the swine eaters. You might have to take a second, look at Act 10:11. Take a second look at your 1 Timothy 4 and maybe come to a different conclusion on those because all scripture has to line up. It does, and it does. It does all line up. And for those who would say, "Well the Sabbath has been done away with," what's going to happen when the Messiah comes? Isaiah 66:22 and 24, for as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, so shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before me says Yahweh. Now if the Sabbath was pick a day, any day, that'll be a real problem. The Sabbath was not something we keep anymore. Why is it coming back? It doesn't make any sense. He takes it away, comes back, he's playing peek-a-boo with the Sabbath.
And so they--and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. 1 John 3:4 says sin is a transgression with the law, for their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. They shall be in abhorrence to all flesh. I am not trying to condemn anybody, I am not. I believe Yahweh is tremendously merciful especially when we're doing something wrong we don't even know it's wrong. But looking at the entire council of Yahweh's word, Romans 14 cannot be suggesting, "Yeah, eat swine's flesh. Yeah, break the Sabbath." Otherwise he would be leading the Romans into transgression, to setting themselves at enmity with Elohim, to give them a carnal mind that is not subject to Yahweh's law and placing them under a condition of being judged on the final day. What he is concerned about is that someone would have idols in their heart and that believers would be coming along and causing them to stumble over those idols in their heart. Let's not wait until Messiah comes back to set a theology straight. And he returns and he reestablishes the Torah, the law of Yahweh as being the law of the earth. Let's seek to subject ourselves to it today while cleaving to the understanding yes, it's only by grace am I saved.
And just because I choose to keep a couple extra commandments that you don't keep, that doesn't make me fallen from grace.
A person can fall from grace by thinking that they're giving to the poor is what saves them. A person could fall from grace by me going to church every week, that saves me. It's not the commandment you keep that determines whether you're fallen from grace, it's your motive for keeping it. Am I doing this because I know when I come to Yahweh on judgment day, I can brag on myself and say, "Look, I kept your laws," or am I doing this because wow, Yahweh decided to look upon me and my sinful and wicked heart and sin Messiah die for me so that I could be saved. And because I want to live like Yahushua lived, I know he didn't eat pork. I know he did keep the Sabbath. And because I love my Father in heaven and I know Messiah was not a Sabbath breaker and I want to be like him, he's the same yesterday, today and forever, I want to let his life be manifest through me, all the goodness that he was because he is the same yesterday, today and forever. In Sabbath day and the clean and the uncleans, food laws, were things were established in the book of Genesis, that was yesterday. And at the time of Messiah, he followed them. That was yesterday. And they're still here today. And we just read in Isaiah, they'll be here forever. We just read it. And so what are we going to do? What are we going to do? I'm going to pray. Father Yahweh, I pray for anyone who has been
deceived by the traditional Christian theologian who has used these scriptures to turn people away from some very important commandments in your word. The Sabbath is in your top 10 list, your 10 commandments that you thunder from Sinai. The clean and unclean, you said in your word, we make ourselves abominable by eating these things and to not even touch them, let alone eat them.
And yet there are people in the world who through tradition, through Gentile mentality, through anti-semetic mentality over the ages in the past, were trying to avoid looking like Jews, who rejected these commands and went on to establish their own principles and standards they wanted to live by and used Paul's letters to twist them in such a way that they would disobey your word. And Father I pray that you would take the scales off of people's eyes and let them see, Father Yahweh, this book Romans does not teach against your law.
And the law that you are going to establish is the law of the land with the new moons and the Sabbaths and the clean and unclean. Father, it's still there. It's forever. Throughout the generations, you said, they keep these things and that through Messiah, we have been joined to Israel. And Father, we want to live like you called Israel to live and your Sabbath will be a sign between us and you because you said in your word, Galatians 3:29, if I'm Messiah's, I'm Abraham's seed and I was once a Gentile. Ephesians 2, but now I'm brought near to the common wealth of Israel by the blood of Messiah. And Father, we want to live like Yahushua, the ultimate Israelite lived. And I pray you would open people's eyes to see the importance of that and the blessing of that. Oh my, Father, your Sabbath is such a blessing and the health now, I feel much more healthy. The first 19 years of my life, I did not heed your word regarding the clean and the unclean. But Yahweh you have kept me healthy all these years.
Thank you for that. I know that your laws are not just about health but I'm certain, Father, you know why you gave these commandments. You know these things are not good for our bodies and even science is now learning what you said long ago, pork is not healthy, shellfish is not healthy. These things are unclean, don't eat them. But Father I pray that in any way, shape or form, I'm deceived any way, open my mind and heart to see your truth. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all praise, honor and worship belongs to you. Yahweh, Elohim knew, Yahweh our mighty one forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name, we praise you. Blessed be your name forever. Amen and HalleluYah.
Yahweh he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks." To a
person who is inherited more of a western gentile culture, the mindset, I'm sure many of them would immediately assumed--this is talking about the Sabbath day. But is this really true? In Romans 14:14 say, "I know and I am convince by the Master Yasu that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." And again, to a person who is inherited a western gentile I'm sure it would immediately assumed this verse is telling us we are free to eat unclean meats like pork and shellfish. But is this really what it's talking about?
And probably some of you are going, how on the world Tom are you going to get out to that one? I mean that's plain as day. Nothing is unclean of itself, Tom. How could you say anything could be unclean? Bear with me, please. I implore you. Bear with me. There is a mistranslation. And this verse which I will prove undoubtedly, 100% is a mistranslation. But in this segment, we're going to examine each of these scriptures in full context. I'm not afraid of being wrong even if one scripture contradict something I believe. I'm willing to make a change. I am. I've got no--it's a whole lot easier to follow less commandments, right? I mean so why would I be afraid to make a change? But theirs is--but one of the problems that happen with those who believe that these scriptures advocate changing or breaking the Sabbath or eating pork, is that in order to believe that you have scriptures on your own side that you're going to have to figure out how you're going to avoid the plain verbiage? For instance, plenty of scriptures that tell us that Yahweh's law is a standard for right living and He's talking about the law that was given in Genesis 2 Deuteronomy. For instance, Romans 2:13 say, "For not the hearers of the law are just in the side of Elohim, but the doers of the law will be justified." Now, if the law is of no value anymore, it does not mean anything to us, how could that even be true? Or Romans 2:17 to 18 say, "Indeed you were called a Jew and restest on the law and maker boast in Elohim and know His will." That means they know what Yahweh's will is and approve the things that are excellent, be instructed out of the law. The law tells us don't eat pork. That must be one of the things that are excellent. Otherwise you have a real problem here. So, and then Romans 7:12, this is often in the book Romans alone. "Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good." You would have to say while those commandments dealing with clean and clean in Sabbath, they're no longer part of what's holy and just and good. But scripture says it is holy. The law is holy, just and good.
Romans 7:14, "For we know that the law is spiritual carnal so I sin." Romans 8:7, "The carnal mind is enmity against Elohim" why? For it is not subject, that means subordinate to the law of Elohim. No ending and can't be. So how do you get, don't eat pork over here with the law says, and then, say, "Yeah." I mean according to the scripture, if I don't subject myself to that commandment that says, do not eat pork, than I have a carnal mind, believe it or not. I mean it doesn't seem like you do because you're not use to having that as a standard that you need to live by, but according to the scripture, if you're not subject to the law of Elohim, that's what the carnal mind's all about. Now, we could be ignoring, could not know any better. We just--who knows, there might be things in my own life I don't realize I should be doing that I'm not doing and it's a process of discipleship were I learn and apply his word. By my point is this, you can't reconcile these scriptures with the belief we can change or break the Sabbath but we can eat pork. And those who hold the view that you can have some serious explaining to do because holding that belief basically causes these scriptures to no longer be true, the laws no longer the standard for holiness, just and goodness. The law is no longer, you know, something spiritual we need to yelled ourselves too, and the law is not something that if you look at, you can say, "That's just--those are just commandments." And you don't approve the things that are excellent at the law anymore. And so, you're going to have that problem.
And so, either way you look at it, you have some real, you know, verses that you're going to have to try to understand what the original intent was. And understanding the original intent is my intent as we look here at Romans chapter 14. I start at verse 1, "Receive one who is weak in the faith but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat. Let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for Elohim has received him." Now, anyone look
here at verse 2. We'll start there. As immediately connect the all things with pork.
And so those who refrain from eating pork are connected to the one who's weak in the faith, that's how they look at it. While those who eat pork are the stronger ones in the faith, and therefore the Jews are seeing as being weak in faith and the pork eating gentiles are seeing as strong in faith.
But look at what it says; it says the weak one eats only vegetables. That means the weak person doesn't eat any meat at all. It says they eat vegetables, so, essentially vegetarianism. Now, what is it about a person who is weak in the faith that would cost him to refrain from eating any kind of meat? I mean Jewish people don't have a problem with eating certain meats. They had no problem slaughtering a sheep or an ox or something clean, it's just not a pig.
And so, who is the actual weak brother here? It could be a gentile, it could be a Jew. But he's only eating vegetables, he's a vegetarian. But no details are given as to why such a person would be weak in faith. There's no details. I know a number of people who are vegetarians by choice. They're not struggling with their faith. And so, there must be something else that would
cause this people in Rome to be eating only vegetables besides just to desire to eat vegetables only. There must be something else to it. And that's one other challenges in reading this particular chapter, this passage in Romans. Paul knew the specific kind of person he's talking about. And the people of Rome know exactly who is talking about. But here we are 2000 years later listing to what's equivalent of one side of a phone conversation. You've ever done that? You've ever misunderstood somebody who's talking on the phone? You only heard their side, what they were saying. You thought they miss something over here and they were--it wasn't what that was really intended? I mean the same thing can happen when you are reading a book of Roman chapter 14. Paul knows specific kind of person, he knows the details of what kind of person he's talking about. And the people of Rome know exactly who is referring to. But we are here 2000 years later trying to figure out some reason why a weak person in faith would feel like they need to eat only vegetables.
And so, all we can do is we can look for clues.
Because vegetarians isn't taught in Judaism, it's not--I mean probably the biggest meat eaters in the bible are the priest. So, hopefully we can look to scripture though for our clues rather than tradition, you know, rather than history books or whatever. Can we look to scripture? Because traditional Christianity has seized on the vagueness here of Romans 14 and used this verses to justify the eating of unclean animals. And so we have to be very careful about assuming things especially when our assumptions result in dismissing Yahweh's commandments and just toss them out. Be really careful before you do this. Scripture says, "Test all things, hold fast to what is good." And so, looking to scripture for our clues, we'll find another situation where Paul wrote a congregation and he was again speaking of somebody who is weak in faith and it was in specific relation to food. Let's take a look. I Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6. You can keep your thumb there on Roman 14 and just flip forward to I Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6. It says, "Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to , we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other Elohim but one. For even if there are so-called mighty ones, where in heaven or on earth (as there are many mighty ones and many lords or masters), yet for us there is one Elohim, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Master Yasu a Messiah through whom are all things, and through whom we live." So all things are from Yahweh, all things are through Messiah.
So, he's talking about, okay concerning food offered to idols and things offered to idols, we know an idol is nothing. It's nothing in the world. There is only one Elohim, the Father through whom we live. And then he says, however, there is not in everyone that knowledge for some with the consciousness of the idol until now eats it as a thing offered to an idol. And their conscience being weak is defiled. And so when they partake of this particular meal, they are thinking of the idol. That's what's in there in mind. Their conscience is bothering them and they're thinking of the idol. But food those not command us to Elohim for an either if we eat are we the better nor we do not eat are we the worst? Whether you eat or whether you do not eat. This sound familiar? It does reminds you of Romans 14, right? Where we said, "Some eat and some do not eat."
Right? Okay. So it's sounds awfully familiar doesn't it? And then verse 10, "If anyone sees you who have knowledge eating an idols temple will the not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of you knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah. Therefore, my food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." I guess somebody were going--some people were going to the extreme of going right into an idol's temple and say, "Well, idol's nothing. I can eat this food if I want to." He's dead against that. In fact Acts 15 says not to do that eating food offered to idols. And the context of Acts 15 was going into an idol's temple, going into the restaurant partaking the fellowship meal with that idol. That's the context of it. And so, he's dead against that as were all the apostles. So the one who is weak in the faith in this
particular instance is the one who cannot help but think of that idol when they eat the meat, the one who's strong in faith is saying, "Well, idols is nothing in the world. There is no Elohim but one." And so my question is, could 1 Corinthians and Romans be speaking of the same situation? Well, look at some of the parallel statements that Paul makes to both Rome and the Corinthians. Romans 14:15 says, "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 the whom Messiah died." And 1 Corinthians 8, 11 and 12, we just read, "Because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?" I mean do you see this? Don't destroy, don't let them perish for whom Messiah died. When you sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah. And then we have this two parallel verses, Romans 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." And then, I Corinthians 8:13, "Therefore, if my food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." So we have almost identical statements coming out of both chapters. The verses in I Corinthians are more descriptive and he specifying that he's talking specifically about food offered to idols, but Romans 14 is more vague and open to interpretation. So the only question is, why then is Paul speaking of the vegetarian being weak in faith?
Well, the answer to that question could reasonably be answered by continuing to look at the situation in Corinth. This time from I Corinthians chapter 10 where it says in verse 24, "Let no one seek his own, but each the other's well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake; for "the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness." In here, he's quoting Psalms 24, "The earth is Yahweh's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." And so what he's saying here is, everything belongs to Yahweh. That meat sold in the meat market, even though it might be something that was offered to an idol, that animal still belongs to Yahweh. The animal hasn't changed its ownership.
And so we see here that Paul did not think it was necessary to even ask questions. Didn't have to ask a question about the origin of the meat because everything belongs to Yahweh anyway and with we, with a pure heart are eating that animal that Yahweh has not forbidden us to eat, then, surely there's no sin in that. The problem was that the believers in Corinth also i Rome were surrounded by paganism, and so what does that mean? There were people there who couldn't help to think at the idol, ex gentiles. It couldn't help to think at the idol and so, he says, "If any of those who did not believe invites you to dinner, he desire to go, it was set before you, asking the question for conscience sake." But
actually if you look at the scripture, there's a very similar scripture in what Yasu was said in Luke 10:8. And some people look at this and they go, "Well, I'm just going to go in my friend's house and he has food even though I know its pork and just not ask any questions." That's not what it saying. It's talking about whether that the clean meat is set before you was offered to an idol or not. You don't have to ask that question. Okay? Because that's it said in verse 26 earlier, "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake." So the same thing is when you go to someone's house, so--now, you look here in Luke chapter 10:8 to 9. It say, "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you." This is Yasu talking to His disciples. And heal the sick there and say to them the kingdom of Elohim is coming near to you. Now, this is before Yasu would die for our sins, right? Certainly he could not be suggesting, go ahead and eat the pork they set before you.
Those who believe he would are contradicting their own theology because this was still during that time before Messiah died for our sins. And the law against eating pork according to their own theology would still be in place and the Messiah would have been telling his disciples to do something that the scriptures forbid them from doing and that is not paying any attention to the commandment that says don't eat pork.
So what is he doing? The same thing Paul is doing, offered to an idol, offered and offered to an idol whatever. Don't worry about it, juts eat it, you know, its clean food. You could tell by its texture, it's taste, everything. It's clean, so don't worry about it. So verse 28, "But anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is Yahweh's, and all its fullness." "Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. But of that of the other for why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience?" So look here, it says the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness, remember, everything belongs to Yahweh and since you believe that, your actions he's saying in their presence needs to benefits that belief unless they would think that you, yourself would not agree with the idea that the earth is Yahweh, and all its fullness. And so, it's quoted to support the idea of not eating and ask questions for conscience' sake in terms of meat offered to idols, but then it's also quoted and support of one's refusal to eat the meat because someone mentioned it was offered to idols.
Because by eating the food offered to the idol, the other person might be tempted to think that you do have idolatry's thoughts and you don't really acknowledge that the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. And knowing that all things were created by Yahweh is a key to proving that all idols are worthless because Yahweh truly made all things. Now, there are some differences though between the Corinthian situation and the situation in Rome.
Rome had 400 temples. 400, that's a lot. And so, you go in the marketplace and all likely it had pretty much everything's offered to an idol. It's higher percentage of everything.
And so we had a little different situation in the book of Rome, in the--in the--book to the Rome--letter to the Romans, I'm sorry, in Rome. And Paul says, "Receive one who's weak in faith but to disputes over doubtful things for one believes he may eat all things but he who is weak eats only vegetables." So why with the weak person only be eating vegetables? Because there's no hardly any places out there you'll going to find with over 400 pagan temples in one city, and you go to the marketplace to buy meat, quite possibly almost all the meat sold there is going to come from a temple sacrifice somewhere. And so, if the weak brother want to avoid thinking of the idol when eating the meat, he would have to eliminate all meat at all and basically become the vegetarian.
Now to me, that explanation makes the most sense. It would explain why the vegetarian was the one who's weak. And it would explain why there are these parallel verses between Romans and I Corinthians about, "Yet your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for the whom Messiah died." And then, I Corinthians 8, "Because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Messiah died?" and these kind of things are very, very close in their verbiage to one another.
And Romans 14:21, "It's good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." And I Corinthians 8:13, "If food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat." So these parallel verses to me show a connection between the two. And it's the most reasonable explanation as to why they're refusing vegetables--refusing meat at all in Rome because there's no--everything pretty much in the meat market 400 temples in the city. I mean there's a lot of paganism going on. The central city of the pagan world was Rome, so. Looking again at Romans 14, now look at verse 3. It says, "Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, let not him who does not eat judge him who
eats; for Elohim has received him." So the one who decides to go and eat meat should not judge the one or despise the one who does not eat and vice versa. Some believe they can eat meat, don't despise the one who doesn't. The one who doesn't eat meat don't judge the one who eats meat.
Now, this phrase doubtful things, to me I think it's kind of doubtful. That's a good translation. The scripture actually talks about thoughts, you know, doubts and thoughts are kind of related to each other and sometimes its just Greek word is translated doubt but doesn't always mean doubt. It could mean thoughts. But base on these statements, we're talking about things that are--if it is--if it is doubtful, things that doesn't really matter one way or the other. And so, disputable matters. And so, when we're talking about disputable matters, we can't be talking about something that the law commands, it had to be something that it could go one way or the other doesn't really matter like vegetarianism. And so, we wouldn't be talking about something from the law specifically for base scripture. Actually he said himself Roman 7:7 "I would not know sin except through the law." And since the law is informing you of what sin is, he's not talking about sinful stuff. He's talking about vegetarianism, food offered to idols and all the magnifications of that. And so, he says in verse 4, "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he would be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand." Now, remember the situation with the weak brother in the Corinthian assembly. This person's faith was hindered by his temptation to follow the idol. But perhaps we have a more advance situation here in Rome where brothers have taken more of a hard stands on both sides of the issue and they're judging and despising each other or the whole matter. So they kind of taking this hardened position. They've kind of entrench in their little belief systems there and become more judgmental to each other over it. and that would make sense that Rome was a little bit more of a mature knowledgeable group. And so they become more hardened in their positions. We see I Corinthians 15:34, he's talking to the Corinthians and he says, "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of Yahweh. Speak this to your shame." But to the Romans he says, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge." We got the knowledge. "Able also to admonish one another." And so, you know, they once more mature than the other. And so, the folks in Rome are kind of in their maturity, kind of gotten their knowledge down and with knowledge and knowledge puffs up and then, you have people-entrenched in their positions, judging and despising one another unnecessarily.
And so based on the available evidence from scripture and the parallels from I Corinthians to Romans, the best available evidence suggest that Paul is referring to the question of whether ones should be refrain from eating meat because it might have been offered to an idol and or just go ahead and eat it. You don't really know, doesn't really matter, the earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. Some people say, "Well, I'm not going to eat any meat around here man, 400 temples. I'm just going to go to the vegetarian lifestyle." There was like, "Well, it doesn't really matter. The earth is Yahweh's and all its fullness. He to him everything belongs." So, both cases the one with the weaker faith would not eat the meat in the marketplace. It's just that Paul happens to identify the ones in Room as vegetarians.
So, let's move on now to the second issue. This mentioned in the book of Romans chapter 14. The one many would use to suggest that we don't have to observe the Sabbath anymore or we don't need to observe it on a particular day of the week. Let's take a look, Romans 14:5 to 6, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes to Yahweh; and he who does not observe the day, to Yahweh he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh and he gives--for he gives Elohim thanks; and he who does not eat, to Yahweh he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks." Now, a lot of people in our modern area look at this verse in Romans 14 and conclude, we can choice any day of the week for a day of rest. You choice, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, whatever, Sunday usually. Pick your day of rest, one day out of seven is all it matters. Others will look at this verse and conclude, "Look you can make every day your Sabbath now, every day. I mean every day is my Sabbath." The Messiah is my Sabbath. He is my rest. But Yahweh decide that the Sabbath was holy on the seventh day of creation, right? That's when he made the decision. That's when he blessed the Sabbath day. That's when he sanctify it, the seventh day.
And so, some people that I believe that as long as you work six days and rest on the seventh, you observing that commandment. You're respective of how or when you choice to begin the week. Another words, you can say you begin your week on Monday according to the pagan title Monday for the second day of the week. And then on quote Sunday and quote, that would be your seventh day. In other words, you don't--they don't believe the seventh day cycle that we see on the calendar on the wall use here in the United States is necessarily a reflection of Yahweh's established week in Genesis. So you just pick one day out of seven that's all it matters. So let's take a look here and see whether that lines up with what Yahweh had said in the scriptures.
Genesis chapter 2:1,2,3 says, "Thus the heaven and the earth, and all the host of them, were finish. And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which he had done. Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made." And so Yahweh blessed a specific day in a specific week that He Himself created.
And so, Adam being created on the six day of the week, whenever enjoyed the Sabbath sanctification with Yahweh on that seventh day of creation and listen as Yahwah blessed and sanctify the seventh day and rested from the work which He had done. And so, after the Sabbath, Adam would began his week in the garden to tend it, to keep it and would have work for six days and just as Yahweh did, rested on that seventh day. Now, notice Yahweh didn't just create. In six days he work, seventh day you rest concept. He set in motion a seven-day week for Adam to participate in. Adam would not have been able to choice when to begin working and resting. It was already chosen for him. Now, moving down to the ages, Jacob's descendants
lost track of the Sabbath day being enslaved in Egypt. And Yahweh had to make known to them his Sabbath in Romans--and I'm sorry, Nehemiah chapter 9:13 and 14. It says, "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments and you made know to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant." So he made known to him hiss holy Sabbath. How did he make known to them as holy Sabbath? Did they say, "Hey, guys pick your week, you know, start whatever you want to, just rest on, you know, pick a Sabbath and rest on that day." no.
Acts 6:16 Yahweh again, as he did in Genesis chapter 2 instituted the Sabbath as a specific day with in a specific week that he himself created and established in Israel. When He gave them mana for six days, and then withheld the mana on the seventh day.
He set in motion ones again, the six days you work, seventh day you rest pattern in a specific context of it's specific week that he expected them to live in and reside in and follow.
All right. And in fact it says, Leviticus 23:15 to 16, " And you shall count for yourselves from the day after Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbath shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new brain offering to Yahweh." Now be close attention to what it just said. If the Sabbath was not on a specific day of a specific weekly pattern that He himself set in motion, there would have been no day after the Sabbath to begin their count from for Pentecost. This is a count to Pentecost to the--the word Pente comes from the Greek word Pentecosta means 50th or 50. And so, you count seven weeks and there's seven Sabbath in seven weeks and you count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath and that's when they would offer the green offering. Now, if anybody could keep a Sabbath in the old time they wanted too, there would have been no day that they could pinpoint and start--even start from--everyone have their ideas.
And so, wehn all the disciples gathered together for, you know, Pentecost in Acts II, there are been, you know, several different Pentecost throughout the week. That's not how it works. And there is specific offerings that Yahweh commanded is real to be done on the Sabbath day. Number 28:8, 9 to 10 "On the Sabbath day, until the end and there first year without blemish and so uncertain burnt offerings for every Sabbath." And so there, he set in motion a seven-day week a pattern he expected them to yield to a recurring seven-day pattern, it's a cycle that he demanded they follow.
That was his commandment and that's how he established His holy day. And then, later on, after the exile and they got back from Babylon, here's the Nehemiah, he says, " I
saw--on those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions." Well, could they just say, "Well, you know, I'm keeping my Sabbath tomorrow." No. It was never the practice of Israel to pick one day out of seven he wants to do. And so, when he did, he shut in the gates just before sundown as the Sabbath begins and no one could go in there on the Sabbath day. It was a unified day. Everybody recognize with in a seven-day week pattern that he demanded everyone follow. That is the only context that Sabbath has ever, ever been done with in a specific seven-day pattern that Yahweh himself established in Genesis and in Israel when he made known to them His holy Sabbath, and he made a man to come down six days and not on the seventh. Luke 4:16, "Now He came to Nazareth..." Here's where he going to show, "...where He had been brought up as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day..." not a Sabbath day, THE Sabbath day, "...and stood up to read." Luke 23:55, "And the women who come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid and they returned and prepared spices of fragrant oils and rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." There's one specific day identified as the Sabbath, the Israel would have continued to have been observing.
Acts 13:14, "But when they departed from Parga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down." There's only one day were that happens, that's on the seventh day of the week come only called Saturday.
Acts 17:1 to 2, "Now when they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of a Jews. And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures." In Acts 18:4, "He reasoned in the
synagogue every Sabbath." There's one day in a specific week that Yahweh himself established as
identified as a Sabbath day. There's zero indication that anyone ever, ever, at any time in scripture was permitted to choice which day of a particular week, he keeps his own week where he could week his own Sabbath day whenever he wanted to. Never, ever, ever is that seen in the scripture. The consistent pattern all throughout scripture, Genesis to Revelation, is that there was a seven day week, Yahweh established from the very beginning and as reflection of Yahweh's images and memorial to His creation, His creation, we as human beings, every single human being on the planet by the way, is expected to submit themselves to that cycle that Yahweh established in that very beginning, that seven day cycle where the seventh day is identified as the Sabbath. That seven day cycle has never change since the Messiah walked the earth. We have records from three separate Roman historian saying that Jewish people observed Sabbath on a day that the Roman historians had identified as the day of Saturn which we know today as Saturday. Here's one of those historians. 84 CE 14 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, it says that the deified--this is Frontinus, he was a Roman historian. He says that the deified Augustus Vespasian attacked the Jews on the day of Saturn, a day on which it's sinful for them to do any business, Sabbath day. And so the Sabbath day has not been lost. I mean after the 70--80 evasion and Jews were scattered all over the world, in order for them--if anything that change regarding the Sabbath, these Jews all around the globe would had have woken up one day and simultaneously change their Sabbath to a different day, all without a trace of evidence. And besides that Christianity was quite interested in keeping track of the first day of the week, right? So they could keep their Sunday. I mean traditional Christianity. But they were actually Christians in the third and fourth century history shows that we're keeping the Sabbath on a seventh day of the week. Even some of them will go on the first day of the week meeting, but would keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. And in fact, the Greek Orthodox Church still does that. Now history shows that the seven-day cycle has not changed since the first century. And since the Messiah kept it at the correct time along with the Jewish people, I don't have to go any back--I don't have to go back any further than that. And so looking at Romans 14, the idea that this will be talking about the Sabbath and you can keep it any all day you want is completely foreign to anything ever written anywhere in scripture. It's a completely foreign idea.
And so there's no way that Paul could be claiming, "Well, you keep the Sabbath any all day." That would fly in the face of what Yahweh has himself had established as a precedent in every single scripture up to that point. And the precedent is that Yahweh invented the seven-day week. He expects us to follow that seven-day week pattern so that we can rest on the day our Father in heaven rested.
Now besides all these things, there are several reasons why I believe this verse cannot even be speaking about the Sabbath at all.
And they are as follows. First of all, there's no mention of the Sabbath in the chapter. In fact, there's no mention of the Sabbath anywhere in the book of Romans, nowhere.
Second of all, the Sabbath would not qualify as the kind of commandment where a person could decide for themselves where they want to esteem one day above another. That doesn't--that disqualifies it as being the Sabbath at all biblically.
And then it would disregard other passages in the book of Romans such as Romans 8:7 which says the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim for it's not subject to the law. And clearly the law tells us to keep the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week. And therefore unless we want to be at enmity with Yahweh, we would need to keep the law that tells us to observe the Sabbath day. Also this chapter is said to be about doubtful things. Commandments of Yahweh are not doubtful things especially when he writes them with his own finger, not a doubtful thing at all.
So in order to believe that you can break the
Sabbath, you would have to be at variance with the law of Yahweh. The law of Yahweh, there's nothing doubtful about it. He wrote that with his own finger in stone, in stone.
Now the alternative to esteeming one day above another according to the book of Romans is to esteem every day. One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day. In other words one says this Sabbath--this day is the Sabbath, another says every day is the Sabbath. Now, come on, does that make any sense? If this was talking about the Sabbath, it would mean every day is a day of rest and we would never be able to work at all. You wouldn't get anything done, you e wouldn't make any money. You'd starve to death. So these are some logical reasons why I don't believe it could possible even be talking about the Sabbath. So in order to believe Romans 14:5 that's talking about the Sabbath, you would have to inject that into the text from your own mind because it's not there. Based on a pretty conceived believe, you'd have to inject it there and we cannot use--even if you want to do that, you cannot use one verse in the book of Romans, a vague verse mind you, as your basis for cutting out and sawing out the fourth commandment which was written in stone by Yahweh's own finger.
Yet when things are written in stone, that signifies the finality and eternal nature of all 10 of those commandments. And so you can't do that. Not even Paul can do that. Nice guy, but he can't do that either. He doesn't have the ability to saw out the fourth commandment or mess with it as nice as he is. And so what is this talking about?
One person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observe the day observes it to Yahweh and he who does not observe the day, to Yahweh he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh for he give Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat, to Yahweh he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks. What's he talking about? Well since it seems to be talking about, based on this translation, the observance of particular days and Paul is putting us on the same level as to whether or not we eat or don't eat meat, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. It would be something that would be an observance of particular days that would be optional. The scripture never commands their observance
but you could do it if you want to and it wouldn't matter if you did or didn't. Does he tell us what kind of days he's talking about? No, it does not say Sabbath and so we should not say Sabbath either.
Again, we're listening to towards the equivalent of one side of a phone conversation between Paul and the congregation in Rome. They know exactly what he's talking about. He knows exactly what he's talking about and we're just trying to look at the evidence and try to figure out what specifically he's addressing there.
And so again, let's try to look at the scripture and see if we can determine the best possible answer. One possibility would be it's referring to days in which one would fast and that would have support in the verse, one who does not eat and one who does eat, one who does not eat. Now Paul could be referring this verse, right--this portion right here, "He who eats, eats to Yahweh, gives Elohim thanks," as a reference to the earlier verse regarding eating or not eating meat. Or it could be referring to not eating at all and actually fasting. We're not a hundred percent certain, either way. But I know this, there were traditions regarding fast days. One of the traditions of the Pharisee's in Luke 18:11-12. The Pharisee stood up and prayed thus with himself, "The Elohim, I thank you. I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess." There was a Jewish tradition of fasting twice a week in ancient times. There's also a Jewish tradition in Zechariah 8:19 where it says, "Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and tearful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love, truth, and peace." Of these fasts, only the fast of the seventh month is one that's commanded in the scriptures and that's the day called Yom Kippur. The others were marking times in Jewish history where the temple was destroyed and so on. And these are the only extra biblical fast that I know of mentioned in the scriptures which one could legitimately observe to Yahweh and Yahweh wouldn't have a problem with that. He's just saying one day these fasts are going to be joy, feast of joy.
And so Luke 5:34-35, we're talking about the disciples here, when the people from--disciples of John came to--Yahushua says, "Why don't you--why aren't you fasting like the disciples of John?" I don't know if it was the disciples of John that came to him but someone came to him and said these things. He said, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with him?" But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they will fast in those days. So we're talking about fast days, the context here in Romans 14. If it's talking about fasting days, the days that are observed as fasting days, then the entire chapter of Romans 14 would be woven with a common thread and that would be food and eating. And it would explain why later he says, "Kingdom of Elohim is not about eating and drinking, it's about these other things." So it seems to be--I mean, like 20 some different times he's talking about eating and food in the book of Romans 14. And so it does seem like to me, it could be the most likely candidate that he's talking about days of fasting.
Now another possibility is we're looking at these verses here in Romans 14:5-6 is that some of the disciples would avoid eating food in the meat market after certain Roman festivals.
Historically, there are 40 days throughout the Roman year that Romans observed as pagan festivals. And so there would a greater likelihood that the meat in the marketplace would've been food offered to idols. Now that may have cause them to maybe on certain days, "We're just not going to eat any meat from the meat market, certain days of the year because we know what that meat's all going to be about." That's just another theory. I'm not presenting it as fact. But those who haul that belief would have to translate Romans 14:5-6 differently. For instance, the word is translated above as in one person esteems one day above another, we'll have to translate that differently. And it would make sense because Greek word 3844,
the primary meaning given here, the first definition is the word "from" or "at" or "be by" or "besides," and "of" is the most common translation. So it's a very broad, broad word, this word "para" in the Greek, highly subjective. And so you could legitimately make that case. And also the word translated "observe" has a little different meaning than "observe" in literal sense in the Greek. It says it comes from phroneo which means to have understanding, be wise, to feel, to think. It's got a whole slew of definitions here. And we see it's translated "think" and "regard" being the most common or "mind" being the third most common. And so if we chose this one right here, regard, as a legitimate possibility for translating this verse, then we would come to Romans 14:5-6 and it will be read this way, "One person esteems one day from another. Another esteems every day. Let every--each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards the day, regards it to Yahweh. He who does not regard the day, to Yahweh he does not regard it. He who eats, eats to Yahweh for he gives Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat to Yahweh, he does not eat and gives Elohim thanks." And so if things are translated this way, we could have a situation where some disciples may have made the distinction to go ahead and buy meat from the marketplace on certain days while others would just avoid eating meat from the marketplace every day. Each person will have to be persuaded in their own mind as to what they need to do. Each person will have the freedom to do what his conscience would dictate. One would eat vegetables only while another would feel like they had the freedom to go ahead and meat--buy meat in the marketplace on other days where there was not a festival. So this possibility, those who regard the day did so
to Yahweh because they wanted to honor Yahweh by not thinking of the idol. Those who didn't regard the day did so to Yahweh because he did not think about the idol at all. Some at the meat, gave Yahweh thanks. Others ate the meat, gave Yahweh thanks. No big deal either way, that's the point.
So there's two ways of looking at it that I could see where--I think both of them are pretty--have pretty sound reasons behind them but I'm trying to share with you some alternative ways of looking at it that are very possible, are quite biblical, I mean, as far as getting our reason from scripture and not from our own traditions and ideas and make perfect sense. So our desire is to let scripture interpret scripture. That's what we want to do. We want to let scripture interpret scripture, get our information from scripture to discern what's going on in Romans 14. And so in verse 7, he says, "For none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. If--for if we live, we live to Yahweh and if we die, we die to Yahweh. Therefore whether we live or die, we are Yahweh's. And so he's expounding on his earlier point that we do all things or don't do things to Yahweh by saying, "We all live and we all die to Yahweh because we belong completely to him." Right? And that matches well with his point in 1 Corinthians 8 that the earth is Yahweh's in all its fullness. He's saying the same thing here in Romans 14, another parallel verse.
All right. So Romans 14:9, for to this end Messiah died and rose--and lived again, that we might be master of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah, for it is written as I live, says Yahweh, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to Elohim. So then each of us shall give account of them self to Elohim. Each of us will give account." And so what was condemned here in Romans was the attitude of one brother toward the other.
Like the situation in 1 Corinthians, the stronger brother could be saying to the weaker brother, "What's the matter with you anyway? Don't you believe that Yahweh is the true mighty one, idols are nothing?" And in Romans, the more advanced entrenched positions, people would be saying the weaker brother might be saying, "Well, what's the matter with you? Don't you realize that meat was offered to an idol? You wouldn't want to eat that." He couldn't shake the idea it was offered to an idol. And so now it was commonly believed according to historical record that there were Jewish people in the first century who believed that once meat was offered to an idol, that render the meat unclean. According to the Encyclopedia Judaica under the heading purity, it says, "In the case of idolatrous offerings, the law is even stricter than the impurity of the idol itself." And Judah B. Bava says that it conveys impurity by overshadowing as does a corpse. And so they're trying to--it seems like the Jews are trying to figure out some way to make this food offered to an idol unclean. And so in Number 19:14, it says that if a person dies in a tent, everyone who's in the tent's unclean. And so they're deducing here that in the case of idolatrous offering, the meat became unclean because of what was done with it. It was in an idol's temple. It was--and so in the same way, the people who were in the tent are unclean because the corpse's in the room then because the unclean idol, the unclean meat happened to be in the temple area--or the clean meat I should say happen to be in a temple area, it became unclean through what they called overshadowing.
And so in the same way the people in the tent were made unclean through the dead person in the tent. The meat was made unclean because of the activities around that particular animal. That was something that they understood from
their--adding to Yahweh's word basically. And so Paul says let us not judge one another anymore but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall on our brother's way. I know and I'm convinced by the Master Yahushua that there is nothing unclean, that's from the Greek word koinos, of itself but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 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 who Messiah died." Now verse 14 here is often used,
"Hey, there's nothing unclean, nothing." For you to say it's unclean, you're going against scripture because my bible says there's nothing unclean of itself. Now you say it's unclean, all right. Maybe it's unclean to you but it's not unclean to me. I've heard those words before.
And so those who teach that Yahweh's laws abolished, the clean and unclean food laws are changed or abolished, they look at this and jump on it. But we have a problem and I'm really saddened by this problem actually because I think probably a lot of people have been led astray by what is a clear mistranslation.
This word translated--unclean is the Greek word koinos. I want you to know there's another place where the word koinos is found. Acts 2:44, it says, "Now all those--all who believe were together and had all things in koinos." And all things unclean? No. Obviously the word does not really even mean unclean. Here, it's translated "common." There's something--there's a different thing between common and unclean, there's two different things. And common is based on a Jewish tradition, unclean is based on scripture. Now that which is unclean would be probably classified as common but something that is common is not necessarily unclean if you understand what I'm trying to say. So the word common is actually a good translation. It's a term designating every day common things which are not consecrated to Yahweh. And some Jews, in Messiah's day, believe that such things were to be avoided but there was no biblical basis for their claims. Look at Matthews 7:2.
It says--talking about the Pharisees. When they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled that is unwashed hands, they found fault. I'm sorry, the word koinos is over here defiled. I put that in the wrong place, it belongs over here. With koinos hands, they found fault for the
Pharisees and the Jews do not eat unless they was their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. That's washing to the third joint and so on. When they come from the marketplace, the marketplace, same thing we saws in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hauled like the washing of pitchers--cups, pitchers, copper vessels and kelches. And so there's nothing in the scriptures which tells us the hands are unclean or common unless we watch them--wash them prior to eating. There is no scripture anywhere that says, "You must wash your hands with..." No, it's the tradition of the elders. And they are saying--actually the scripture is saying they're eating bread with koinos hands, with common hands, didn't wash, didn't do anything to them. And so therefore the koinos spoken of in Romans 14:14 is not speaking about pork or some biblically unclean meat. It's talking about traditions of the elders and how they regarded the marketplace as being a place that would make your hands common and in need of some special kind of washing and therefore they're asking Yahushua's disciples, "What are you doing? You're not washing your hands in a special way according through tradition of the elders?" And so Yahushua in a parallel verse in Matthew 15:19 says, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, these are things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." Again, that which is unclean would be common but which is common is not necessarily unclean. So looking again at the verse in Romans with that in mind, therefore let us not judge one another anymore but rather resolve this not to put a stumbling block or cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced master Yahushua that there is nothing common of itself but to him how considers anything to be common to him, it's common. 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. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil. And so Paul, a former Pharisee himself was persuaded. He was convinced by the master Yahushua nothing was common of itself. And you could see where he get that convincing from, from the book of Mark where he's talking to the Scribes and Pharisees and he says, "That's not what makes yourself common, that's not." And so it's the traditions once more. And we looked earlier where Paul--where they believe that when you had a meat offered to an idol, once it was offered to an idol, it was then considered to be common.
In reality, there is not a separate class of uncleanness called common in the bible in a sense that they need to be avoided.
The scriptures already supply us with a correct classification of what's clean and what's unclean. We don't need a special set of laws, especially ones based on traditions of men to make other classifications of things we have to avoid now in order to not be common, okay? And so we don't--those are traditions. And so here in Romans 14, we have a situation where Gentile believers are avoiding meat because they're weak in their conscience and couldn't help but think of the idol. And it appears that they were judging others. Remember it says those who don't eat are judging others and perhaps one of those ways they were judging others was saying, "that's meat is common. That meat is common. It's defiled. You can't have it." And so in the eyes of Gentile who wanted to avoid the meat and go vegetarian, the meat sold at the marketplace, he would latch on to that and say, "Look, even you guys, even the Pharisees around here are all telling me that meat is common. You can't eat that." Well Paul says, "No. I was convinced by Yoshu, there's nothing common of itself." But if you consider it to be common, okay, to you it's common.
All right, so whatever. So rather than harassing each other about it, he's saying, "Look, if your brother's grieved because of your food, you're not walking in love. Don't destroy with your food the one for whom Messiah died." Yes I know nothing is common but look, don't destroy your brother and say, "Hey, it's not common," and get into a big argument over it and say there's that and then the other. And then they end up eating the food offered to the idol and they're thinking about that idol.
And therefore that brother, he becomes tempted to worship that idol that he's worshiped since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, right? And so Paul is saying, "Don't let him who eats despise him who does not eat. Let not whom who does not eat judge him who eats." Don't hate each other this. Let your conscience--if your conscience is bothering you over it, then don't it. Go ahead, be vegetarian. Go right ahead. If you want to avoid certain days, all right because of the meat--the festivals or whatever might be--then fine. And for those that just say it doesn't really matter, I agree with you but we don't want to wound our brother's conscience.
To me, it all makes perfect sense. It all lines up perfectly and beautifully.
Romans 14:17, for the Kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who serves Messiah in these things is acceptable to Elohim and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work Elohim for the sake of food. All things are indeed pure but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Once again, there are people who say, "Oh, there it is Tom, you cannot get out of this one. You're not going to weasel out of this man. All things are indeed pure." What are you going to say about that one? Relax, relax, notice the context of verse 20.
Don't want to see your brother destroyed over food, right? Now, what is food? Now food to a Western Gentile is pork, shellfish, whatever you want to eat.
But food according to scripture is never pork, never ever is it ever pork. Yahweh specifically said, "Do not eat that. That is not to be eaten and therefore it is not food." Actually there are numerous places in the bible where it says it's not food, don't eat it.
And so of the things that are actually food, yes, all things are pure. You don't have to worry about whether it was offered to an idol or not. Don't worry about it, it's pure. It's food.
Now, I believe that's also why Yahushua told the crowds, he said in Luke 11:38-41, it says when the
Pharisees saw, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner. Oh, he violated the traditions of the elders. He's eating with common hands.
Then the master said to him, "Now you Pharisee, you make the outside of a cup and dish clean but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones. Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?" Now they were all caught up in making sure their hands were washed but their hands were spiritually full of blood.
But rather give alms of such things as you have then indeed all things are clean to you.
Once again, we're dealing with the question of something being common and the food he was eating was not unclean. The food he was eating was clean. Just because he didn't wash his hands, in the eyes of the Pharisee he was eating something defiled, eating with his common hands.
And so he's saying well, everything on the table be clean if you just--if you start giving instead of trying to take. If you would get off your selfishness and start focusing on getting and loving, then your heart would be clean. It wouldn't be full of greed and this wickedness. You'll be focusing on love.
And then you'd realize as you're focusing on love, this stuff you're adding to the bible, you're trying to clean yourself up on the outside trying to make yourself feel better for all the dirtiness you feel inside. And so then you would realize you're clean. You don't need to go wash a pitcher and a cup and your hands all these things. And you would regard everything you're eating to be clean but you're so focused--because you feel so dirty inside, you feel like you got to wash the outside. So in a Jewish mind, he's not--Yahushua's not tell the Pharisee, "Go chomp the pork chop now. Go--you go give money to the poor and then you can eat rats, bats, cats and snakes." No. That was never even food to begin with. And if the Pharisee had even thought that Yahushua was advocating eating pork, he would've thrown him out of the house. If so, even if you do think that's the case which it cannot be, all right, I want you to understand something. Even if you think dietary laws are abolished when Josiah died, Yahushua's talking during a time when these dietary laws were still in place and he would've been advocating disobedience to Yahweh, something he could never do, all right? And so the all things of Romans 14:20 is in the context of what is legitimately considered to be food and pork and shellfish, rats, bats, cats and snakes are not food, or turtles.
All right. I know that's controversial today but it's not food. And the meat sold in the marketplace was legitimately clean. It was pure. There was nothing wrong with it. And so when Yahushua comes back from the marketplace, it's pure, don't worry about it. And so Paul who was persuaded by Yahushua that all things--that there's nothing common of itself is again drawing on his words here in verse 20. Now, if you're not convinced by how I define food, that means you are already convinced somewhere else that you can eat pork but we don't have time to go into all those scriptures. But either way, all things--does it really mean all things? I mean, look here at Colossians. Bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. Well, what if your masters according to the flesh told you to go commit murder or commit adultery? It does say all things. of course most of us would say, "Well there has to be an exception because the scripture say not to do those, not to commit adultery and the scripture say not to go murder someone." Oh, okay, so you can make an exception for you because you understand of course not murder, of course not adulteries, but you can't make an exception here when he says all things are pure. You can't make an exception there even though the scripture says do not eat the unclean meats. And so I'm exposing a little bit of a inconsistency in that line of thinking. Okay. Another example where all doesn't mean all, Romans 16:19. For your obedience has become known to all. Really? Did every human being on the planet know about the obedience of the believers in Rome? It says all. Yet we know that just from common sense, he didn't really mean every human being on the planet. This means most people. All people heard about you. Even in our language, all doesn't even always mean all. For instance, if I say, "Well my daughter ate all of her breakfast." Someone walks over and says, "No, she didn't. There's one crumb right here on the plate." I mean, can we give each other a little bit of a pass here? I mean, she--all can mean all but it doesn't always mean every little tiny little thing with no exceptions. So we have to understand context, don't we? We can't just look at a verse and say, "Well all things are indeed pure," and assume because of our Western Gentile mindset that we understand what the obvious exceptions are.
Here's another, to the pure, all things are pure. Okay. Does that mean, okay, if I'm a pure person, I can look at a pile of buzzard droppings and say, "Oh, look at those rotting corpses over there, how pure." Pure as the wind-driven snow.
Or would you say sexual immorality is pure because hey, to the pure, everything's pure. How about murder? Absolutely not. So we know buzzard droppings, corpses, sexual immorality, murder, those aren't pure things. What's he trying to say?
He's saying when you look at something that--you can look at something and it can be completely pure and yet you're looking at it because you have a defiled conscience and nothing can be pure. And so everything is defiled and your own defilement is causing you to look at a pure thing and not say that's pure. And we do see that today. So Romans 14:20 say all things are indeed pure and we understand what the obvious exceptions are based on the word of Yahweh and based on just old fashion common sense, okay? Listen, no one, no one, not even Paul can go against scripture. And Yahweh's word is not divided against itself. We don't have contradictions in the bible. And for this reason, we have to work within the obvious parameters of what Yahweh has already said and what have been common sense to a first century Jew when it comes to understanding the obvious exceptions. And the concept of clean and unclean do not come Levitical law or from the Jews. Noah, Noah was told to take seven of all clean animals into the ark with him and two of the unclean. I mean, he had to something to eat when he's in the ark. He couldn't grow a garden, right? So Noah knew the difference because it was common knowledge even to his day the clean and the unclean. And so context of Romans 14:20 has everything to do with actual food, clean meats and the unnecessary, unbiblical classification of clean meats becoming common and thus needing to be avoided for that reason. All right. And so Paul says, "It is good to neither eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or made weak." All right. I'm going to get my hammer out. I'm going to put the final nail in the coffin of this belief that he's talking about pork. Because this is where Paul actually clarifies he's talking about meat offered to idols. It's hidden from our eyes by translation but is nonetheless there. And if you look at the Greek word translated meat, number 2907, here is the Thayer's lexicon and
the definition here is the flesh of a sacrificed
animal. And to me, this solidifies everything I've said up to this point. He's talking about food offered to idols. That's what he's talking about this whole chapter. He's not talking about pork. And in fact, this same exact word, 2907, is found in 1 Corinthians 8. I guess I don't have it up there. But 1 Corinthians 8:13. I'm going to go ahead and put this up on the screen, hold one second. I want to put this in the study. I don't want to miss it. So I will put up here on the screen for us.
1 Corinthians 8:13, therefore if my food make--if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat sacrificial meat lest I make my brother stumble. Otherwise Paul himself is becoming a vegetarian, right? But the context here is the food offered to idols,
the flesh of a sacrificed animal. And that would explain why he says if that's the case, I'll never again eat meat. Okay. So looking here, it is good to neither eat sacrificial meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Now these are the only two places in the New Testament where this word, 2907, kreas is even used. In both cases, I submit to you, it's talking about food offered to idols. Now if anyone has any doubts about the earth
being Yahweh's and all the fullness therein, if anyone is tempted by this idea that this idol is
something in the world, then that person would be condemned if he eats. He'll be in a dangerous situation because he would be thinking of the idol. And so by that, he would be in sin. He would be sinning because--we--the person would be putting a stumbling block before them, a temptation before them. And so Paul says, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before Elohim. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith would be sin because you're thinking of the idol." So the one who has faith can--is not weak. They can eat and have no problem. But the one who has the weakness and they have these doubts, they would be condemned if they ate because they're thinking of the idol. And so that is the difference here. Do we understand that? Sometimes people take this, verse 23, whatever is not of faith is not from faith is sin, and take it out of context. But the context has to do with eating food offered to idols. So it seems pretty obvious to me that the apostle
Paul is speaking of the same situation in both Corinth and in Rome, same situation. But in Rome there--people are more entrenched in their position. There seems to have been more Jewish people in Rome, bringing their baggage and thought patterns into things. And so the stronger believer had to cleanse their minds of these thought patterns and they're warned to walk in love and not do things that cause weakness in others. And we're going to be talking about that again next week as we close out our study on the book of Romans, about not being a temptation to other people because there's a lot of different ways that can apply. But Paul at no time during this chapter considers liberty to be a license to sin.
At no time in this chapter does he do anything that would contradict his earlier statements that by the law is the knowledge of sin, that if the law tells you not to eat pork then you go do it then that would be a sin. It's as simple as that. The law is just and holy and good. So we can't throughout the whole scripture teaches against eating pork because of a one-sided conversation in the book of Romans. It can be proven that this chapter is not speaking of unclean meats. There are many other passages that teach we should keep the commandments and there are--also passages would say that when the Messiah returns and Yahweh sends fire and judgment on the earth, he is going to--he says he's going to consume and destroy those who eat swine's flesh.
In Isaiah 66:15-17 says for behold, Yahweh will come in fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword, Yahweh will judge all flesh and the slain of Yahweh shall be many. This hasn't happened yet, has it? Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens after an idol in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination
in the mouth shall be consumed together says Yahweh. Do you know that there are cancer treatments that they put mouse parts into? It says they will all be consumed together, eating
abominations. It's still considered an abomination in Yahweh's eyes to eat swine's flesh. He said so in Leviticus and he said so again at the final age before Messiah returns. That's what he says he's going to do when he come and judges the world with fire. This has not occurred yet so Yahweh is still concerned that we do not eat things that are abominations to him. There are few things in Yahweh's word that he considers to be an abomination but the eating of flesh of unclean animals is one of them. He said so. It would not make any sense for something to be an outright abomination, Messiah dies, "Eat what you want, it's not an abomination anymore." It doesn't make any sense. Really, just think logically here. It went from abomination, abhorrent, something terrible, awful. All of a sudden, freely eat. No. It says he will destroy the swine eaters. You might have to take a second, look at Act 10:11. Take a second look at your 1 Timothy 4 and maybe come to a different conclusion on those because all scripture has to line up. It does, and it does. It does all line up. And for those who would say, "Well the Sabbath has been done away with," what's going to happen when the Messiah comes? Isaiah 66:22 and 24, for as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, so shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before me says Yahweh. Now if the Sabbath was pick a day, any day, that'll be a real problem. The Sabbath was not something we keep anymore. Why is it coming back? It doesn't make any sense. He takes it away, comes back, he's playing peek-a-boo with the Sabbath.
And so they--and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. 1 John 3:4 says sin is a transgression with the law, for their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. They shall be in abhorrence to all flesh. I am not trying to condemn anybody, I am not. I believe Yahweh is tremendously merciful especially when we're doing something wrong we don't even know it's wrong. But looking at the entire council of Yahweh's word, Romans 14 cannot be suggesting, "Yeah, eat swine's flesh. Yeah, break the Sabbath." Otherwise he would be leading the Romans into transgression, to setting themselves at enmity with Elohim, to give them a carnal mind that is not subject to Yahweh's law and placing them under a condition of being judged on the final day. What he is concerned about is that someone would have idols in their heart and that believers would be coming along and causing them to stumble over those idols in their heart. Let's not wait until Messiah comes back to set a theology straight. And he returns and he reestablishes the Torah, the law of Yahweh as being the law of the earth. Let's seek to subject ourselves to it today while cleaving to the understanding yes, it's only by grace am I saved.
And just because I choose to keep a couple extra commandments that you don't keep, that doesn't make me fallen from grace.
A person can fall from grace by thinking that they're giving to the poor is what saves them. A person could fall from grace by me going to church every week, that saves me. It's not the commandment you keep that determines whether you're fallen from grace, it's your motive for keeping it. Am I doing this because I know when I come to Yahweh on judgment day, I can brag on myself and say, "Look, I kept your laws," or am I doing this because wow, Yahweh decided to look upon me and my sinful and wicked heart and sin Messiah die for me so that I could be saved. And because I want to live like Yahushua lived, I know he didn't eat pork. I know he did keep the Sabbath. And because I love my Father in heaven and I know Messiah was not a Sabbath breaker and I want to be like him, he's the same yesterday, today and forever, I want to let his life be manifest through me, all the goodness that he was because he is the same yesterday, today and forever. In Sabbath day and the clean and the uncleans, food laws, were things were established in the book of Genesis, that was yesterday. And at the time of Messiah, he followed them. That was yesterday. And they're still here today. And we just read in Isaiah, they'll be here forever. We just read it. And so what are we going to do? What are we going to do? I'm going to pray. Father Yahweh, I pray for anyone who has been
deceived by the traditional Christian theologian who has used these scriptures to turn people away from some very important commandments in your word. The Sabbath is in your top 10 list, your 10 commandments that you thunder from Sinai. The clean and unclean, you said in your word, we make ourselves abominable by eating these things and to not even touch them, let alone eat them.
And yet there are people in the world who through tradition, through Gentile mentality, through anti-semetic mentality over the ages in the past, were trying to avoid looking like Jews, who rejected these commands and went on to establish their own principles and standards they wanted to live by and used Paul's letters to twist them in such a way that they would disobey your word. And Father I pray that you would take the scales off of people's eyes and let them see, Father Yahweh, this book Romans does not teach against your law.
And the law that you are going to establish is the law of the land with the new moons and the Sabbaths and the clean and unclean. Father, it's still there. It's forever. Throughout the generations, you said, they keep these things and that through Messiah, we have been joined to Israel. And Father, we want to live like you called Israel to live and your Sabbath will be a sign between us and you because you said in your word, Galatians 3:29, if I'm Messiah's, I'm Abraham's seed and I was once a Gentile. Ephesians 2, but now I'm brought near to the common wealth of Israel by the blood of Messiah. And Father, we want to live like Yahushua, the ultimate Israelite lived. And I pray you would open people's eyes to see the importance of that and the blessing of that. Oh my, Father, your Sabbath is such a blessing and the health now, I feel much more healthy. The first 19 years of my life, I did not heed your word regarding the clean and the unclean. But Yahweh you have kept me healthy all these years.
Thank you for that. I know that your laws are not just about health but I'm certain, Father, you know why you gave these commandments. You know these things are not good for our bodies and even science is now learning what you said long ago, pork is not healthy, shellfish is not healthy. These things are unclean, don't eat them. But Father I pray that in any way, shape or form, I'm deceived any way, open my mind and heart to see your truth. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all praise, honor and worship belongs to you. Yahweh, Elohim knew, Yahweh our mighty one forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name, we praise you. Blessed be your name forever. Amen and HalleluYah.