Luke vs. Paul: Abstaining from Meat Sacrificed to Idols

I have a list of difficult passages I've been working through and last Sabbath I added this topic after my Sabbath school class discussed Romans 14. Luke's conclusion on the issue of abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols seems to be the opposite of Pauls. In our society, these scriptures don't seem to have much relevance since our meat is usually factory farmed and not sacrificed to anyone. However, I think it's important to understand what we're reading so we can see how each passage fits in to the larger narrative. In addition, the underlying problem of bringing together people from different cultures is very real in our modern world. So, how do we harmonize these scriptures?

The Stances

Let's start by looking at each man's words on the topic. Luke, the author of Acts, mentions this issue in two places. Paul also mentions the issue twice.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: ²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from acts of sexual immorality; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell. Acts 15:28-29 NASB

But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. Acts 21:25 NASB

One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Romans 14:2-3 NASB

⁷However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸Now food will not bring us [c]close to God; we are neither [d]the worse if we do not eat, nor [e]the better if we do eat. ⁹But take care that this [f]freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, if he is weak, not be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹For through your knowledge the one who is weak is ruined, the brother or sister for whose sake Christ died. ¹²And so, by sinning against the brothers and sisters and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to sin. 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 NASB

It seems as though Luke has a hardline stance that the act is wrong, whereas Paul is saying the act in and of itself is not wrong, but we should be mindful of those around us.

Background

Let's step back into the time period of Luke and Paul for a second; it's impossible to understand these passages otherwise. In recent years, meat consumption has become a standard practice, something everyone does for every meal, but this hasn't always been the case. Meat was a luxury (and still is in some places). On top of that, there were no grocery stores or factory farms. Animals were not raised and slaughtered for mass consumption. In Paul and Luke's day, animals were kept to be sacrificed to gods. Just as the Israelites sacrificed a lamb on Passover (and then ate it), others were sacrificing animals to Roman gods. This meat could end up in the market for sale, or it could be the meat being served at your neighbor's house when you accepted a dinner invitation. Being unsure of the origin of the meat, many believers abstained from meat altogether (hence Paul referencing those who only ate vegetables).

The major issue in the church that both men were addressing was how to deal with Gentiles in the Israelite religion. Israel was supposed to be a Theocracy, with God as their king. The laws of God and the laws of the land were to be one and the same. Since everyone was to be worshiping the same God, their was never worry that the meat brought from your fellow Israelite was sacrificed to a pagan god. Roman however, was diverse, like the United States. In the cities of the Gentiles, you had people from different religions and cultures; you could never be sure what had been done to the meat sold in markets or served in people's homes.

Similarly, the mindset of the Jews and the Gentiles was different. Jews were simply accepting a deeper understanding of the religion/scriptures they had been taught from birth. Gentiles were unlearning the religion of their birth and learning something new. This changes how you approach things...

Modern Examples

I have two examples from my own personal life to illustrate how background can change the way you see things.

A friend of mine sent me a song by Lecrae. When I clicked play, I instantly recognized the beat. Lecrae's song samples from a Hip Hop song that has been sampled by many other artists. Instead of focusing on the lyrics of this particular song, my brain went to the lyrics of the song where I had first heard this beat. There is already a connection in my mind between the original song and that music. Not only did the lyrics of that song (which is not Christian) pop into my head, but memories associated with that song as well. It is impossible for me to worship and focus on God when listening to this song because my brain associates it with other things. My friend however, had never listened to non-Christian Hip Hop. They have never heard any of the songs that Lecrae is sampling from. They have no memories associated with that beat. They are able to listen and hear Lecrae's lyrics in peace.

Another friend introduced me to Erin Condren planners. I used her planners for 3 years before switching to a bullet jounral. It was during that time that I began keeping Sabbath. When I started using the planners, I didn't notice that they started the week on Monday, but as I got deeper in to my studies it bothered me. Like most people in the U.S., my brain was wired for Sunday being the end of the week: you work Monday through Friday, chores on Saturday, and rest on Sunday. Observing the Sabbath took a massive shift in mindset to see the week as Sunday through Friday, with Saturday as the day of rest. Now I start my week with chores, meal prep, and planning, but it's strange having that at the end of the week in your planner. I needed the visual of Sunday at the beginning of the week and Sabbath at the end to help me adjust my mindset.

Now, because of my experience, I could argue that no one should be listening to Lecrae and that no one should be using planners that start on Monday. This is the issue Paul and Luke are addressing. In my modern scenarios there is nothing inherently wrong with Lecrae's song or the planner; it is my experiences, my mindset, that affects the situation. There are many people who can listen to that Lecrae song and be moved by the Holy Spirit. There are many people who can use planners that start on Monday and still keep Sabbath. Paul's argument is the same: it's in the individual's mind.

Abstaining From Meat Sacrificed to Idols

While I can see clearly what Paul is suggesting when I bring it into a modern lens and inspect my personal life, it still gets muddy when I try to put it back in context with his time period.

Some ministries teach that Paul is expanding on Luke's instructions in Acts, essentially telling why they should abstain from the meats.[1] I question this interpretation for two main reasons. In Acts, Luke said absolutely to abstain from meats sacrificed from idols. While Paul does say that he would abstain to keep his brother from stumbling in 1 Corinthians, in Romans 14 Paul tells the one who does not eat not to judge the one who eats and vice versa. Putting Paul's writings together, I would say his stance is that it's OK to eat meat sacrificed to idols as long as it doesn't cause fellow believers to stumble. Luke on the other hand doesn't leave any room for eating this meat if no one objects...

My second concern is that the topics surrounding this issue actually seem to matter. Neither author is solely talking about meats sacrificed to idols. Luke also mentions consumption of blood, consumption of strangled animals, and sexual immorality. The command to abstain from blood is given all the way back in Genesis 9, right after the flood, before the establishment of Israel. Strangled meat refers to meat that had not been killed according to the custom, which typically meant blood was still inside that animal, pointing us back to the first issue of abstaining from blood. Sexual immorality is also spoken against in Genesis before the establishment of Israel, and is spoken against by Jesus/Yeshua/Messiah. Yes, all of these were part of pagan practices in Roman, but they were also forbidden during Noah's time, when there were no other people on the planet and thus, no pagan practices to conflict with God's ways. In Revelation 2:14,20, John comes back to the point of abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols and once again, God is condemning it.

In contrast, if you look at the modern examples I gave, you will never find passages where God condemned a specific type of music or planner.

Harmonizing

Honestly, I don't know the answer. This is one of those passages I will have to keep studying. Comment below how you view this passage and how you harmonize them.

References

1. "What does the Bible say about eating food/meat that has been sacrificed to idols?". GotQuestions.org; visited June 2021

Dealing With The Devil (Part 3)

Introduction

This is a continuation of a study I'm doing on "Dealing with the Devil," based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering days 10 through 14—we're going to look at:

• Acts 13:8-12
• Romans 16:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
• 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
• 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

Acts 13:8-12: Elymas Tries To Sway the Proconsul

Satan uses Elymas, a sorcerer, tried to sway the proconsul (a man of power[2]) from the faith and it ended up backfiring on him! In this passage, we learn that Satan uses trickery and deceit to accomplish things, but we also learn that when we stand up to him, God uses those moments to bring believers to His side instead.

Romans 16:19-20: Simple Concerning Evil

Despite their obedience, Paul chides the people on being "wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil." This hit personally, because I have a tendency to complicate issues. We thinking and overthink until we end up not sure which way is up and which way is down. Satan can use this to his advantage.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5: Separate From Evil

In this passage we learn about a church that struggled to separate themself from evil. A rotten apple spoils the whole bunch! There were 2 key points I took from this passage:

1. The devil isn't always external; sometimes we are our own adversary
2. If we need to separate from someone, the goal should be to ultimately get them back to Christ

2 Corinthians 2:10-11: Forgiveness is Key

This passage focused on forgiveness and the fact that when we don't forgive each other, the devil can get a foothold in our relationships. It reminded me of church hurt and how we both push people away and allow ourselves to be pushed away. The devil wants us to be separated because that is when we are at our weakest point.

2 Corinthians 11: Stay The Course

Sometimes we're tired, overlooked, and overworked; but if we don't do what God calls us to do, the devil will certainly send someone to replace us. There are many false prophets who are just waiting for the spotlight and with that spotlight they can do a lot of damage. It is our responsibility to be where God tells us to be, doing what He tells us to do so that the devil doesn't get to voice his deceit.

Conclusion

The biggest take away I took from this selection of passages was that we must call out false teaching and evil. We must take a stand and declare the goodness of God to contrast the devil's darkness. This is how we win souls for Christ and how we keep ourselves from being deceived.

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Reffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020
2. "Proconsul". Dictionary.com; visited October 23, 2020
3. "Strong's G5218. ὑπακοή". Blue Letter Bible; visited October 23, 2020

Why <Insert Adjective> Women Are Still Single

People are always writing think pieces about what women are doing wrong. Whether you're Black, educated, Christian, or whatever, there's a think piece dedicated to telling you what you're doing wrong in dating. I've always been of the mind that being single isn't a bad thing. Paul confirms that some people are meant to spend their lives focused on God rather than on another human being. But for those who are meant to marry, and are following God it's important to remember that He's going to steer you away from the unnecessary.

Introduction

It feels like every other week there's a new think piece on why some group of women are still single... As though being single is the ultimate worst fate in life. People generalize and come up with a combination of valid points and utter nonsense, then it turns into a bashing contest in the comment section. As someone who is perpetually single (mostly by choice), I thought I'd add a little perspective: I'm going to tell you exactly why I'm single.
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Me First

I had only been in graduate school for about 2 weeks when a group of us began the talk about dating and graduate school. Would we seriously date anyone during our studies? Would we get married mid-program? For me, it was a resounding no. Call me selfish, but I'm not about to put in the work to get a PhD and then turn down my dream job because the Mr. (or Dr.) can't find a job in that location. You start your career with a two-body problem. Particularly if you both went to graduate school, and you're both looking to teach, you really have a two-body problem. I know countless couples where both people have a PhD and had trouble finding faculty positions. In some cases, school will concede to hire both people, but only one gets the coveted tenure-track position. You know which one it is? Usually the man... Industry isn't much better. One of the girls I went to school with delayed graduation (as in, she was finished with both classes and research, she just didn't defend her dissertation) so that she could graduate at the same time with her husband—he quit. She got hired by Google—Google, y'all!—but she wasn't sure if she would accept because, what about him?

Marriage and relationships are all about comprise. I have no problem following my future-husband around the world so he can pursue his dreams, but not before I get a chance to pursue my own. There's a big difference in leaving your dream job for the one you love, and never living your dream. This is baggage in a relationship. Every fight you get into, she's thinking "what if I had taken the job." The truth is, if I have all these dreams deferred because of you, I'm never going to be able to enjoy being with you. Sometimes, it's best to take time for yourself (don't think for a minute that this doesn't apply to the fellas too!).

A King and His Queen

I can't say I didn't go on any dates in graduate school. That little voice in your head, cultivated by Disney and the media, always has you wondering if this is the one. No one wants to miss out on the one, so every once in a while, a gentlemen comes along and you say, sure let's see what happens. What happened, was I realized I'm more of a feminist than I thought...

As a Christian, I'd say I have fairly traditional ideas about marriage. Except, when you change the equation... In the past few years, I realized there are a lot of men who want to be treated like a king, but don't act like one. I have news: the queen doesn't work a 9-5, the queen has servants, and the queen is pampered, she is not the king's personal servant. The first thing men want to know is if you're going to cook for them. Well sir, can you fix the A/C without calling the repair man? How about the car? Can you build anything? Are you a farmer, will you grow all our food? If you can call the repair man, the mechanic, a carpenter, and buy our food supply, why can't I call a chef? Better yet, can you cook? What happens when I get sick?

One guy had the audacity to tell me he had to follow his parents rules, then he had to listen to his boss, so when he got home he wanted to be the boss. Sir, how you think I feel? You think I didn't have parents? Do I wanna come home and get bossed around by my husband after being bossed around by my boss? Do you have boss money so that I don't have to work, therefore I don't have to put up with a work boss and you? Those think piece authors probably ready to call me a golddigger right about now. If you can't afford to give me the life style I'm used to without me having to go to work, too, we're partners. That means we both have to alternate between royal treatment and servant duties.

A Shallow Approach Begets A Shallow Response

I don't know why I didn't put this first, because this seems to be the reason I don't like majority of guys that approach me. We haven't had a single conversation, but I "seem cool" and "[you] wanna get to know [me]." I have had guys spend entire conversations on superficial things and then get mad when they get rejected for a superficial reason. If all I know about you is what you look like and you ask me out, I can only decide based on what you look like. If you spent the conversation talking about your favorite football teams after I told you I really only watch basketball, why would I want to talk to you again? If you spent the entire conversation telling me I'm beautiful/cute/pretty/whatever, what I am to think except that you are interested in me as a object to look at and have no interest in me as a person (or that you've made the assumption I have low self-esteem—I don't)?

I would much rather hear you talk about how much you want to save the whales, or some major project you've been working on. Tell me about your favorite book. Tell me about your dreams and your hobbies. Go ahead and hit the controversial subjects, tell me why Bill No. Whatever grinds your gears! I want to hear something real. If you didn't tell me something real, I forgot our conversation. Therefore, if you weren't Idris Elba or Morris Chestnut fine, I probably forgot about you... #SorryNotSorry

Do You Know Jesus?

So the only thing that makes dating harder than being an independent woman, is being a Christian woman. I'm not talking about the girl who goes to church every week, but never spends time with God. I'm talking about the type of Christian woman who's actively trying to make sure God is 1st in all areas of her life. I'm talking about the type of Christian woman who studies the Word the same way I studied for my dissertation. I'm not losing my place in the Book of Life over a nice smile and some abs.

*Cue all the think pieces about independent women not being submissive and all the twisting of Biblical verses to remind us that we're supposed to submit to our husbands.*

People are quick to quote "wives submit to your husband," but they aren't so quick to point out the myriad of other verses on marriage needed to get an accurate picture. There are several verses that explain Eve was made for Adam, not the other way around. Adam was unhappy without a companion, so God made Eve. Almost every verse that commands women to submit to their husbands is followed by a verse instructing men to love their wives. Do you know what love means? It means placing their needs about your own. It means wanting to see them happy. For Adam it meant eating a forbidden fruit and risking death (1 Timothy 2:14). Loving someone is not ruling over them with an iron fist and dictating every minute detail of their life. Paul actually says it's better for both male and female to remain unmarried. He reminds us that a married woman's desire is for her husband, but a single woman's desire is for God...

The only way I can submit to you is if I know you're following God. No, you can't just go to church to appease me, or pray over the food because that's what you've been taught. I need you to be on fire for God; I need to trust that you're getting your orders from Him before I'm going to give up my autonomy to follow you who knows where. I need to know that you understand what it means to love (agape), and are willing to honor God's command to love me.

A Project For Change

You know the most irritating thing a guy can do or say? Anything that suggests he's trying to change me when I haven't asked to be changed. If we're talking about how I'm horrible at sports and you offer to show me some stuff, if I want, that's sweet. If I tell you I don't like dancing and you tell me you're going to teach me how to dance, you're not listening to me. If you actually use the phrase "I'm going to change that," about something related to my personality, you've probably sunk your ship.

My purpose in life is not to change and bend to suit your likings. God made me to be me. If there's something about my personality you just can't deal with, I wasn't made for you. Don't waste my time, or your own, talking about how you're going to change me. Simply admit it's a deal breaker and move on.

Conclusion

Photocredit: ShutterStock.com/Dragon Images

A lot of women are waiting on their Boaz, but I'm not. I understand that I have a purpose in life, and my focus is on building my relationship with God so that I can realize that purpose. Part of that purpose may be to support, love, and lift up a husband. It may not. I'm not settling for any old Tom, Dick, or Harry. I'm not trying to wake up one morning regretting that I've wasted time on someone. I'm not compromising my values and beliefs. God made Eve for Adam, so if I become the woman God intends me to be, I'm right where I need to be.