In another very enlightening passage in Acts, the Jerusalem council debated whether the Gentiles should keep the Torah (Acts 15). It seems many Christians suppose Peter and James to have said, "Listen brethren! We Jews who follow Yeshua don't keep the Torah. Since we eat unkosher animals, etc., why are we even discussing whether the Gentiles should keep the Law?"

But that is not what these two apostles said. Instead, they declared that no Jew had been able to bear the yoke of keeping the Torah perfectly.

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are...

Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles...

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well... (Acts 15:11,19,28-29).

And so these apostles did not demand of the Gentiles to keep the kosher laws. They did state that the Law of Moses is preached every Saturday in the synagogues--indicating that if a Gentile wants to learn of the Torah, he is free to go there (Acts 15:21). But since it had nothing to do with salvation, either for Jew or Gentile, there was no point in asking Gentiles to keep a Jewish life-style.

We emphasize, however, that the Jewish apostles would have approached this issue in a completely different manner if they themselves had not been living according to the Torah. A vast difference exists between obedience to God's Law because we are saved by grace and obedience in an attempt to earn our righteousness and entrance to God's presence. We keep the commandment, "You shall not kill" as a result of our love of God, not in an attempt to earn God's favor.

This important subject deserves a complete book to adequately consider the issue. (For further reading, see David Stern's book, The Jewish Manifesto, available from Jewish New Testament Publications, P.O. Box 1313, Clarksville, Maryland 21029, USA.)

But someone might say, did not Paul advocate eating unkosher foods? What about Galatians 2 when Paul condemns Peter for not eating with the Gentiles? Again, this case dealt not with unkosher animals, but with ceremonial uncleanness.

Here is the same Peter who had been given the heavenly vision which specifically told him not to count anyone unclean whom God declared clean. And then Peter has the audacity to go against this revelation that God had personally given to him. He refused to eat with "unclean" Gentiles, because he could not do so and remain ceremonially clean.

Paul reminds Peter that he is "unclean" (as far as Jewish tradition is concerned), because he never strictly kept the handwashing traditions anyway. Remember Peter was one of those disciples mentioned in Matthew 15 who ate with unwashed, unclean hands. So why was he suddenly worried about becoming ceremonially unclean by eating with Gentiles?

Besides the fact that we are saved by grace and not by works, I believe there is another reason that the Lord declared all foods ceremonially clean. Israel could not be a light to the nations and preach the Good News if Jews could not eat and fellowship with Gentiles. It would have been a terrible block to Israel's commission to reach the world for God.

But what about I Corinthians 10:27, in which Paul says a person should eat anything given to him? In this passage, Paul is dealing with the subject of food offered to idols. He is also writing to the church at Corinth, a group of Gentile believers. Let us recall the Jerusalem Council decision in Acts 15 concerning Gentiles' relationship to Jewish Law:

1. The apostles would not burden the Gentiles with keeping the Jewish Law as such.

2. They did ask them not to eat food contaminated by idols, not to commit fornication, to abstain from what has been strangled and from consuming blood.

In I Corinthians 8:4, Paul explains that there actually is no such thing as an idol. It is nothing in God's sight. So if a believer who loves God accidentally or unknowingly eats foods offered to idols, there is no intrinsic evil in the food that will bring sin into his life. With God, therefore, it doesn't matter if we eat or do not eat. However, Paul says, our duty is to be a help and not a stumbling block to our fellow brethren. We must beware what foods we eat, so as to in no way hinder another's spiritual life.

These remarks Paul made to the Gentiles. He made it clear many times that he was sent by God to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles: "...I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter with the gospel to the circumcised" (Gal. 2:7). Probably for that reason he did not touch on the subject of unkosher animals here at all.

Paul does seem to be speaking about unkosher food in Romans 14, although we cannot be absolutely certain. But let us presume that he is. Let us always keep in mind that he is the Apostle to the Gentiles. Most of his teaching is directed to them. Thus he would have taught in line with the decision of the Jerusalem Council.

However, the context in which he seemingly speaks of kashrut is in connection with judging others. What if someone keeps the Sabbath? What if he does not? What if someone's a vegetarian? What if another eats everything, whatever that might be?

Paul's answer: It's none of your business (Rom. 14:10-13). If we are mature, we will not judge another brother on these outward habits. Since we are all saved by grace, each man will be judged by God, not by us.

Then Paul goes on to explain to his Gentile disciples that he believed no animal (be it a spider or moth) is intrinsically unclean before God. Therefore, our salvation is not at stake. Our relationship with God is not at stake. Since the middle wall of partition has been broken down, we do not have to worry about being ceremonially clean. God dwells inside of us! So let a brother's obedience to God be between him and the Lord.

On the other hand, whether we are Jew or Gentile we are to eat nothing that would be offensive or an obstacle to our brother.

Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind.

He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God...

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God...

So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother's way...

Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.

It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles (Rom. 14:3-6,10,12-13,20-21.)

Paul exhorts thus:

For he who in this way serves Messiah is acceptable to God and approved by men (Rom. 14:18).

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