Here’s a challenge. See if you can find the answers to these questions:
Where is the verse that changes the Sabbath to Sunday?
What verse is it where Shaul’s name is changed to Paul?
What verse tells us that Miriam of Magdala was a prostitute?
What verse tells us there were three wise men at Yahshua’s birth?
What verse tells us that there were animals (cows, sheep, etc.) at Yahshua’s birth?
There are many instances where Bible stories are embellished with details that are never mentioned in the actual account, but are believed by Christians to be part of the stories. These details are never questioned and have been heard so many times that it’s hard to know when the story ends and the tale begins. Sometimes it’s done in an attempt to make the story more enjoyable for those who are listening, but it becomes a problem when people say “it’s in the Bible” when it’s not.
An example of this is in Mark 7:1-23, in particular, verse 19:
1 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,
2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.
3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;
4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"
6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.
7'But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'
8 "Neglecting the commandment of Elohim, you hold to the tradition of men."
9 He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of Elohim in order to keep your tradition.
10 "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death';
11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given to Elohim),'
12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;
13 thus invalidating the word of Elohim by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
14 And after He called the multitude to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.
16["If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."]
17 And when leaving the multitude, He had entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.
18 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated? "(Thus He declared all foods clean.)
20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
The first thing we must do when we hear someone say something is in the Bible is become a Berean (Acts 17:11) and not only see that what they are saying is actually there, but also that it is being discussed in context. In verse 19, is Messiah reversing a commandment or is something else going on?
We find that what is being discussed is a tradition-not a commandment. And that tradition is the washing of hands-not what is and is not “food”. If Yahshua was really setting aside the command of what not to eat, then He would be doing the very thing that He was accusing the Pharisees of doing. Remember that Yahshua said don’t even think He came to do away with the Torah (Mt 5:17-20).
So why is that parenthetical statement there? Was it added in later manuscripts by someone who did not understand the Hebrew culture of which Messiah was part of? Just asking. For something to be considered “food” it must first be a clean animal and it must be killed properly. You can’t just find roadkill somewhere and throw it on the grill for dinner. Food, by definition, is already clean. Saying all foods are clean is like saying all water is wet.
The Messiah’s explanation to His Disciples should answer any questions that come up about what He said. He explained that those things which go into a man's body from the outside do not keep a man from being set apart (holy). But evil things that come out of a man's heart are the things that cause him to break Torah (commit sin). His point is obvious: Breaking Torah defiles a man, not breaking man-made traditions. This parable has nothing to do with eating unclean animals.
Besides, where do we get the idea that pork, lobster, crab, etc. was “food” anyways? If you read in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 what the definition of food is, you’ll see none of these animals listed. In fact, even if you have what is considered a clean animal, it still isn’t food unless it is killed and prepared according to the Torah. Ham is not food, even if you put a nice brown sugar glaze over it and serve it with potatoes au gratin at the next pagan holiday. It is safe to say that if an animal is either omnivorous or carnivorous or a predator of any kind, it is not to be considered as food no matter how you season it.
Of course, people will bring up Peter’s vision in Acts. That won’t be dealt with here since it is answered elsewhere on this site. Suffice it to say, that Peter’s confusion as to the interpretation of the dream is evidence enough that he did not think the Messiah’s words as recorded in Mark 7, which happened years before, meant that he could eat anything he wanted.
Let’s be reminded of what Isaiah 66:15-18 says:
15 For behold, Yahweh will come in fire and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For Yahweh will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by Yahweh will be many.
17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things, and mice, Shall come to an end altogether," declares Yahweh.
18 "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.
Our Elohim does not change. What He said in Isaiah still applies in the 21st century. It requires serious thought.
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