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Q4. Acts 15:28 and 1 Cor 8, do they contradict each other? Do we have to eat kosher?

A4. The question here is; should we embrace our Hebrew Roots or do we live in our own culture, living as we was brought up, eating what we want, or are we suppose to follow YHVH’s commands regarding food. Well, there is heavy debates regarding this issue and a lot of Scripture that “contradicts” other parts in Scripture if we interpret it wrong or understand it wrong without looking at the basis it is written from. The problem I have is that certain interpretations of the Scripture contradicts other parts in Scripture.

Acts 15:28-29
28For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” (ESV)

1Co 8:1-13
(1) But concerning the sacrifices to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (2) And if any man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. (3) But if any one loves God, he has been known of him. (4) Then concerning the eating of the things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one. (5) For though there are those who are called gods, whether in Heaven or in earth (as there are many gods and many lords), (6) but there is to us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Master Y’shua the Messiah, through whom are all things, and we by Him. (7) But this knowledge is not in all. But some being aware of the idol eat as an idolatrous sacrifice until now, and their conscience being weak is defiled. (8) But food does not commend us to God. For neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. (9) But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak. (10) For if anyone sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol temple, will not the weak one's conscience be lifted up so as to eat things sacrificed to idols? (11) And on your knowledge the weak brother will fall, he for whom Messiah died. (12) And sinning in this way against your brothers, and wounding their conscience, being weak, you sin against Messiah. (13) Therefore, if food offends my brother, I will eat no flesh forever, that I do not offend my brother.

These two passages contradicts each other, the first one in Acts gives a guideline to gentiles not to eat meat sacrificed to idols and the passage in 1 Cor Paul says that idols is nothing and we may eat meat sacrificed to idols, as long as your ‘weak’ brother don’t see you. It depends of your belief system weather you will support the one or the other. I personally like the one in Acts because I believe to eat Kosher, you may like the one in 1 Cor 8, because you like seafood and pig. How wonderful the Gospel is presented…we all can do as we want because there is a verse that supports MY belief and YOUR belief. Now everybody is happy, it sounds to me like New Age where everything goes, or does it?

So, you can do what you want as long as you do it in secret as that your brother who is weak, do not fall from faith. Is this what Paul said? No, he said that I will not do it, so that my brother would not stumble. But this is not the issue here; the issue is disputes because of different views of how to live as a Believer because they lived together in one community. Some came form Judaism and some from Paganism. Some are on a higher level of faith and some just came to the faith in Messiah and are regarded as weak. If I just came into an assembly, and I see the people arguing over food issues, I would run and not come back. What testimony do you have when you have disputes over differences because of different backgrounds of belief? There was a similar situation under the Roman believers where Paul had to bring peace among the brethren because of “weak brothers” in the assembly.

Rom 14:1-4
(1) Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. (2) One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. (3) Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat. Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. (4) Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.

Rom 14:10-12
(10) But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah. (11) For it is written, " 'As I live,' says YHVH, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to Elohim.' " (12) So then each one of us will give account of himself to Elohim.

As Paul said in 1 Cor; …food does not commend us to YHVH…, but faith in Messiah. Should everyone then eat what he likes? What is the guideline for peace when you cannot resolve the issue and be sensitive to new believers, and not to chase them away? Think for yourself, if you tell a new believer who came out of paganism to eat Kosher on the first day, he will not be there the second day. Not only this, these people were quite aggressive with their views, some went as far as to eat meat sacrificed to idols inside the Pagan temples to prove their point, is this right? Others refused to eat meat at all and these two extremes were judging and fighting over this issue with “weak believers” in there midst, and some of them weak themselves.

The real issue here is not to argue for the sake of newcomers and not to judge each other and to love each other. Think yourself in Paul’s position, he had to keep peace between these two extremes, not offending the weak and still maintain order in the congregation. What did he do to accomplish this? It is easy, he started a new church, the one lot that eats meat offered up to idols, in one church and the veggies in the other church, and just for practical reasons he started a third church, where everything goes. No, this is not what Paul did, this is what the church do today. Paul actually applied the wisdom of Torah to resolve the issue and maintained unity among the brothers. So what is the wisdom of the Torah or how do I apply Torah wisely, lets ask Y’shua. He was the One who came and show us how to live the Torah without man’s interference, clogging it up with their interpretations. What did He say?

Mat 22:36-40
(36) “Teacher, which is the great command in the Torah?” (37) And Y’shua said to him, “ ‘You shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ (38) “This is the first and great command. (39) “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ (40) “On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.”

Y’shua shows us here, and he agrees with the man asking the question, that there are greater Commandments and lesser Commandments. The Commandments at the top ranking are equal, and is to Love YHVH with your whole being and all you have. The other one, equal to the first, is to love your neighbor as yourself. All the other Commands are below these two. Does this mean that we can only keep the higher Commandments then? No, you should keep them first and keep them in keeping the lesser Commandments. What does it mean in relation to Paul’s situation? All Commandments are good, but if there is a situation that occurs over differences in opinion, of what you think it means, and it causes disputes, go one level up and obey the greater Commandment instead, until the finer issues gets resolved later.


Does this mean that the greater replaced the lesser? No, the lesser commandments give detail on specific things as guidance on what YHVH wants and likes regarding these smaller issues. The greater Commandments are there to keep your focus on why you believe and how to express this faith in love, even with differences. That purpose is to show your love to YHVH and how to love your neighbor, who differs from you, as yourself. Back to Paul and eating meat offered to idols. Can I eat meat offered up to idols or not? The answer of this question is found in Scripture in Acts 15 which reference back to Lev 19, Deut 12 & Eze 33.

Lev 19:26
(26) ‘Do not eat meat with the blood. Do not practise divination or magic (times or festevals). Deu 12:23-24 (23) “Only, be firm not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, do not eat the life with the meat. (24) “Do not eat it, you pour it on the earth like water. Eze 33:25 (25) “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus said the Master YHVH, “You eat meat with blood, and you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? (26) “You depend on your sword, and you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you then possess the land?” ’

Eze 33 gives the best reference to the verse in Acts 15 where he ask the question; will you possess the land if you sacrifice to idols and eat meat with blood in it? What is interesting is to see the context of Eze 33. If you read further in Eze 34 you will see the prophecy of the Gentiles that will be gathered by the Great Shepherd, Y’shua, and He will bring in the scattered people, that were once Israel, from among the nations. As it was with the exodus out of Egypt, al lot of Gentiles came out with Israel, and they became a mixed multitude. In the same way the gentiles will come from among the nations, with the scattered people of Israel, to come back, and be led by Y’shua, the Great Shepherd.

Eze 34:2-5
(2) “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Yisra’ĕl, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus said the Master YHVH to the shepherds, “Woe to the shepherds1 of Yisra’ĕl who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? Footnote: 1See Jer. 10:21. (3) “You eat the fat and you put on the wool. You slaughter the fatlings – you do not feed the flock. (4) “You have not strengthened the weak, nor have you healed the sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back the straying, nor sought what was lost; but you have ruled them with might and harshness. (5) “And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

Eze 34:8-15
(8) “As I live,” declares the Master YHVH, “because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, from not having a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock,” (9) therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of YHVH! (10) ‘Thus said the Master YHVH, “See, I am against the shepherds, and shall require My flock at their hand, and shall make them cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more. And I shall deliver My flock from their mouths, and they shall no longer be food for them.” (11) ‘For thus said the Master YHVH, “See, I Myself shall search for My sheep and seek them out. (12) “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so I shall seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered in a day of cloud and thick darkness. (13) “And I shall bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the lands, and shall bring them to their own land. And I shall feed them on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, in the valleys, and in all the dwellings of the land. (14) “In good pasture I shall feed them, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Yisra’ĕl. They shall lie there in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl. (15) “I shall feed My flock and make them lie down,” declares the Master YHVH.

The people were scattered because there were no Shepherd, and the shepherds themselves, fed themselves on the flock of YHVH. This is a picture of the church today (sad to say), where the shepherds feed on the people and do not feed the people. Y’shua, the Great Shepherd, will come again, in the Day of Cloud and Thick Darkness, to gather (rapture) His people and bring them into the Promise land (New Jerusalem). The Apostles gave these “new sheep” the command not to eat meat with blood in it and to live sexually right, because these two things are two very visible things that differ a lot from the Jews who believed in Y’shua.

They said this to maintain order and not to cause conflicts among the believers. In the same sense, they show the believers who know the Scripture, that these people are part of the sheep coming in from among the nations. This was not the only thing they taught them, I’m sure, but only the starting point of them growing in the Faith, following the Master Y’shua. Referring to eating meat and not eating blood is a Scripture reference to the passages in Lev 11 speaking of things to eat and not to eat. In those days, they did not have Bibles with chapters and verses and referred to a place in Scripture, by quoting the main point somewhere else in Scripture. The people who knew the Scripture then knew the basis of the statement made and can follow the argument presented and discussed or taught. This was the same with the passage they quote in Acts instructing the new believers.

They pointed out the starting point for each new believer coming in, two things they must do first, eat what YHVH prescribe you to eat and live moral and sexually right before YHVH and among the people of YHVH. In this way they could blend in easier and learn from the others as they grow. The world today, and even some churches have no problem with food and sexual standards. Everything goes and you can eat what you want and gay marriages are allowed. This is the first warning sign of people without a shepherd and the beginning of the end. YHVH will come again and gather His people from the nations to live with Him in the New Jerusalem.

E-mail your Questions and Comments or Answer to lettievc@hotmail.com.



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