1st Timothy Chapter 4
It’s all good to Eat!!
Did Yah’s Word Change?
By Pastor Victor Archie
Just like Romans 14 verses 5-7, Colossians 2:16 have received a lot of attention over the years from those who want to justify or condemn Sabbath keeping and eating all things in the animal kingdom. We also find in 1st Timothy chapter 4 where Paul is having a conversation with Timothy dealing with the same issues. And again, to truly understand these scriptures, we must take a deep dive into Yah’s Word and see what was really being discussed. In most cases in scripture to understand what was being said you must take into consideration the following:
· Yahawah’s Word doesn’t contradict itself and will never change. (Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 3:6)
· Yahawashi’s Words do not contradict Yah’s given Word. (John 10:30;
Hebrews 13:8)
· Paul was a follower of Christ. (1st Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 2:5-11)
· Paul was a believer and follower of the Laws of Moses (Acts 24:14-15; Philippians 3:4-6)
· The “Ordinances” of the Law are no more. (Colossians 2:14-15)
If you keep these 5 points in mind in all your studies, you can dig deeper and grow in your understanding of the New Testament scriptures. Here’s another important scripture to keep in mind as well, is 2nd Peter 3:16.
It reads: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Though, some of Paul's writings were hard to understand and not always clear or obvious. Unfortunately, there are those who see difficult passages as an opportunity to distort the overall truth of Yah's Word. Either due to ignorance, instability or even for the power of control, they twist the meaning of a difficult passage to try to make Scripture say what it does not.
So, let’s take a look at 1st Timothy, 4:1-5.
1 But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having been branded on their own conscience,
3 forbidding to marry, saying to abstain from foods which Elohim created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 Because every creature of Elohim is good, and none is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 for it is set apart by the Word of Elohim and prayer.
On the surface, this seems cut and dry… but let's take this one step at a time to understand what is being said.
Verse One: Paul is speaking to a time to come in the last days, before our King Yahawashi will return, that there will be a great falling away from the truth and a misleading spirit will be over the people. Without understanding of history and ALL that has taken place during the “RESET” of Christianity in the 3rd century, you’d think that choosing the commandments of Yahawah is turning away from Him, because He did away with His own Word. Remember Yah CAN NOT LIE! And His word will never change. Keep this in mind as it is critical to this lesson and to your overall studies.
Verse Two: Paul continues on speaking to the lies in hypocrisy and they will be living and absorbed by their own version of their new doctrine. This is truly the time that we live in today. There are so many different teachings of Yah’s Word presently. All of the brands are noted as their religious denominations. From Catholic all the way to the non-denomination groups. All of these are brands of leaning to their own mind, and if they don’t become one with the Most High, they will not see the Kingdom of Yah.
Verse Three: Paul begins to note, what would be a part of this coming falling away in the latter days:
· Forbidding to Marry
· Abstain from Foods
Let’s discuss the forbidding in marriage. This one is pretty clean cut. As today we see what is going on with the devoice rate, common law living and same sex lifestyles. The church is not only not standing against this by teaching and counseling the needs of the people, but they are excepting these sinful lifestyles and allowing them into the church with open arms. Love is not allowing your child to only eat what it wants every day, but teaching and managing the child’s healthily living, so they will become a productive person in the future. If thru love, we give them all they desire, we will be left with dysfunctional adults, with issues and so many problems that will degrade our society as a whole. (too late for that…)
The second portion of the verse is about food. Paul states, that the abstain from foods which Elohim created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
This is the most important part of this study. The questions are “What foods did Yahawah give with Thanksgiving to eat? And who are the people that believe and know the Truth?
These are great questions and I’m so glad you asked!
First let’s look at “What foods did Yahawah give in thanksgiving.
Leviticus 11 Chapter; verses 1-3, Speaks to the land animals for eating with Thanksgiving.
1And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying to them,
2“Speak to the children of Yisra’Ä•l, saying, ‘These are the living creatures which you do eat among all the beasts that are on the earth:
3‘Whatever has a split hoof completely divided, chewing the cud, among the beasts, that you do eat.
Leviticus 11 Chapter; verse 9 and 21, Speaks to the creatures of the waters and insects that are for eating with Thanksgiving.
9‘These you do eat of all that are in the waters: any one that has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas or in the rivers, that you do eat.
21 ‘Only, these you do eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.
For full context of Yahawah’s foods giving in sanctification and set-apart in thanksgiving, read the full chapter of Leviticus 11. If we go down to the end of the chapter, we see that Yah sanctified these foods.
44‘For I am יהוה your Elohim, and you shall set yourselves apart. And you shall be set-apart, for I am set-apart. And do not defile yourselves with any swarming creature – the one creeping on the earth.
45‘For I am יהוה who is bringing you up out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. And you shall be set-apart, for I am set-apart.
46‘This is the Torah of the beasts and the birds and every living being – the creeping creature in the waters, and of every being that swarms on the earth,
47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living creature that is eaten and the living creature that is not eaten.’ ”
We now have a biblical answer to the truth of what foods Yahawah set-apart making it a Torah, which is the truth Word of Yah giving to us to obey.
So, it is by what we have been giving as what is the Truth to the set-apart command is the only thing that is considered food. All else is not food to eat, but an abomination in the sight of Yah, and that is the truth of His Word. Yah set His people apart and the foods they eat. So, to them that believe and know the truth are the children of Yah. The people that keep His commands and obeys His Word. For they not only know the truth but walk there in.
Which leads us to verse 5: 1 Timothy 4:5
5 for it is set apart by the Word of Elohim and prayer.
Amen! We know understand what food is and what is abominable. All food (not abominations) is good and perfect giving by Yah and should not be rejected when giving thanks. So, why would when giving thanks be brought up if they already knew what foods to eat. Because during this time in history, with the allowing of the gentile to be a part of the promise giving to Abraham we see the merging of the cultures and it was causing some problems. The temples and the faith now opened to the gentiles, there was a lot of old traditions, law in ordinances and sacrificing that was destroyed by Yahawashi dying for our sins. The new gospel of Yahawashi the Messiah transformed the written commands to the Law being placed in our hearts. Some Jews leaning only to the law did not want to eat with gentiles. They would not
eat meat that was deemed common, or if it was touch by a gentile. This cause problem with some Jews and the new converted gentiles. As we know in the Book of Acts the 15th chapter, Paul rebukes Peter for not eating with his fellow gentile brothers out of fear of judgement.
There was also a group of believers during this time strongly believing at the command given to Adam in Genesis 1:29, that says Adam was to eat seeds for his meat. Is why we should only eat vegetables and to live a life of vegetarianism. They were vegetarians/vegans, this added to the division, causing issues with the brethren. I don’t want to spend any time on this group as we still see them today. Paul stated (again) in Romans, let every man be persuaded in his own mind. Meaning it you don’t want to eat meat don’t cause a issue with those that do, and for those that do eat meat STOP judging those that don’t.
Yah made all food (meats not abominations) clean, just bless it and eat. Again, this is the same issues we see in Roman chapter 14.
(Please check out my studies regarding Romans 14 & Colossians 2. Hyperlinks below)
https://www.tfocministries.org/romans-14-5-7
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https://www.tfocministries.org/colossians-2-16
Let’s take a note from David as he cried out to the Most High Yah in Psalms 119:32-47, to find ourselves keeping the Word of Yah ever present in our hearts…
Psalms 119:32-47
32 I run the way of Your commands, For You enlarge my heart. Hĕ Teach me, O יהוה, the way of Your laws, And I observe it to the end. Make me understand, that I might observe Your Torah, And guard it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commands, For I have delighted in it. Incline my heart to Your witnesses, And not to own gain. Turn away my eyes from looking at falsehood, And revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, Which leads to the fear of You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your right-rulings are good. See, I have longed for Your orders; Revive me in Your righteousness. Waw And let Your loving-commitments come to me, O יהוה; Your deliverance, according to Your word, So that I answer my reprover, For I have trusted in Your word. And do not take away from my mouth The word of truth entirely, For I have waited for Your right-rulings; That I might guard Your Torah continually, Forever and ever; That I might walk in a broad place, For I have sought Your orders; That I might speak of Your witnesses before sovereigns, And not be ashamed;
47 That I might delight myself in Your commands, Which I have loved;
I hope this word touches your heart and answers the questions that maybe left in your mind concerning the Word of Truth. Let the righteous Words of Yahawah be with you always.
Blessings be unto you!
Brother Victor