1Timothy 4 1 Timothy 4:3 Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. “Forbidding to marry … abstain from meats”: A sample of the false teaching at Ephesus. Typically, it contained elements of truth, since Scripture commends both singleness (1 Cor. 7:25-35) and fasting (Matt. 6:16-17; 9:14-15). The deception came in making such human works a prerequisite for salvation – a distinguishing mark of all false religion. This ascetic teaching was probably influenced both by the Jewish sect known as the Essenes, and contemporary Greek thought (which viewed matter as evil and spirit as good). Paul addressed this asceticism in Cor. 2:21-23. Neither celibacy nor any form of diet saves or sanctifies. Two examples of demonic doctrines are cited here: (1) prohibition against marriage, and (2) abstaining from certain foods. Now we get into the specifics of the doctrine of devils. God made male and female to marry, and with Him, create Him a family. You can see why it would be wrong to teach people not to marry. They would not fulfill their reason for being males and females in the flesh. There are many people in our society today who have elevated animals up to a position where they do not belong. It is almost animal worship. God created animals for man. He intended men to eat the flesh of animals. That was their purpose for being. We will see, as we go along, that meats here is referring to the flesh of an animal. The only restriction for eating even the animals that were classified as unclean in the Old Testament, is that you pray over the food before you eat it. When Jesus raised the 12 year old girl to life, He said, feed her some meat. This was the flesh of an animal. There is a movement going through our land not to use the hide of an animal for coats. The first thing God did for Adam and Eve, after their fall, was to kill an animal and make clothing for them of the hide of the animal. We should not get away from using the animal for the purpose God made him for. He has a purpose that fits in with the plans of God. God does not need our help to decide what the animal is used for. Animals are not people. People are made in the image of God.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 21:13:03 +0000