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Food Is Made to Energize the Body: 14 Bible Verses!

God Gave Food To Nourish the Body.

Most people would agree that food is designed to nourish and energize the body. Yet, in the last post in this series, we noted that many people have abandoned the practice of eating for nourishment. Instead, the fork goes to the mouth primarily for pleasure.

Pleasure eating can cause much harm to the body if it is left unchecked. Yes, God has designed food to taste good! But we must not allow taste (or pleasure) to control our diet. When considering what to eat, we should choose nourishment first and pleasure second.

We’ve already discussed the dangers of

Today we will share 14 Bible verses that demonstrate that food is designed to nourish and energize our bodies. Let this be an encouragement to consider your food choices each day. Are you eating for pleasure and convenience? Or are you seeking to use food for the purpose which it was designed?

Continue reading “Food Is Made to Energize the Body: 14 Bible Verses!” →

Was The Early Church Trying to Placate the Jews with This Dietary Law?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Was the Early Church Trying to Placate The Jews with this dietary law?

We have been looking closer at 3 Overlooked Dietary Laws in the New Testament. The last installment discussed why the admonition to abstain from food that is strangled may be moral in nature, not ceremonial.

We mentioned that commentators struggle with Acts 15:20, 29; and 21:25 because the prohibition against eating strangled meat (a seemingly ceremonial law) is side by side an obviously moral law (abstaining from sexual immorality).

We gave 3 Reasons this Dietary Law may Be Moral, Not Ceremonial. Here is a quick summary:

If the law was merely ceremonial, why command it when the ceremonial law was fulfilled in Christ?
The law has moral implications: since God is the owner of animals, we are obligated to treat them as He commands.
The law is not rooted in the ceremonial law, but in a deeper law that was established before the law of Moses.

Today we will answer the question: Was the Early Church Trying to Placate the Jews with this Dietary Law?

Commentators Don’t Want to Offend.

We noted before that this is the position of many commentators. They claim that the sole purpose of this dietary law was to appease the Jews so they would not be offended at the eating of food that was forbidden by their Jewish law.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers states of this restriction: “Here the moral element falls entirely into the background, and the prohibition has simply the character of a concordat to avoid offence.”

Matthew Henry writes:

They were counselled to abstain from things strangled, and from eating blood; this was forbidden by the law of Moses, and also here, from reverence to the blood of the sacrifices, which being then still offered, it would needlessly grieve the Jewish converts, and further prejudice the unconverted Jews. But as the reason has long ceased, we are left free in this, as in the like matters.

Based on these commentaries and the practice of the modern church, most Christians treat this dietary law as non-binding today. The widely held position is that the laws were only put into place temporarily in the early church to avoid offending the Jewish believers.

Are the Commentators Correct?

But is this the best way to understand these dietary laws? Continue reading “Was The Early Church Trying to Placate the Jews with This Dietary Law?” →

Which Type of Eater Are You?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

What Is The Primary Purpose of Food?

At first glance, discussing the primary purpose of food may seem trite and unnecessary.

At some level, we all understand that food is meant to nourish the body. When we are hungry it satisfies our growling stomachs. When we wake up, it replenishes us with fuel for the coming day. It is well known that we can’t live long without food.

Yet, as I look around at the mainstream “eaters” in our world, I don’t have the sense that nourishment is the primary purpose for eating. In fact, it seems the primary motivator for eating food is pleasure. But I can’t point the finger at others without having four fingers pointing in my direction. Continue reading “Which Type of Eater Are You?” →

3 Reasons This Dietary Law May Be Moral and Not Ceremonial

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

3 Reasons This Law May Be Moral We have been looking closer at 3 Overlooked Dietary Laws in the New Testament. The last installment introduced the admonition to abstain from food that is strangled: What Does It Mean to Abstain from Food that Is Strangled?

We noted that commentators struggle with Acts 15:20, 29; and 21:25 because the prohibition against eating strangled meat (a seemingly ceremonial law) is side by side an obviously moral law (abstaining from sexual immorality).

This led us to ask some questions, which we will begin to answer.

The question we will address today is whether or not the admonition to abstain from strangled meat was indeed a ceremonial law — which is the position of many commentators. In fact, they say the law is no longer binding on the Christian church.

A strong case can be made, however, that it is not a ceremonial law at all. I will give three lines of argument to support this claim.

#1 If Ceremonial, Why Command It?

When Moses recorded God’s law, there were ceremonial portions and moral portions. The moral law consisted of the Ten Commandments as well as case laws expounding the Ten. Men for centuries have been debating which of these case laws are moral and which are ceremonial.

All ceremonial laws have their foundation in the Tabernacle and Temple worship instituted at Mount Sinai under the leadership of Moses. These ceremonial laws pointed to Christ who would be the final sacrifice. When He gave Himself up as that sacrifice, the sacrificial system ended spiritually. Physically it ended at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD — never to be re-instituted. Continue reading “3 Reasons This Dietary Law May Be Moral and Not Ceremonial” →

Eat Until You Are Satisfied! (Are You Eating Enough?)

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Eat Until You Are Satisfied! Proverbs 13:25 teaches that God provides the righteous enough to satisfy their stomach. The word satisfy in this verse is so-bah in the Hebrew and it means full. It is elsewhere translated abundance and fully satisfied.

This means that God wants you to enjoy plenty of food. What an important principle in the discussion of moderation!

Eating moderately does not mean we have to starve or eat just enough to stay alive. God provides us with an abundance of food — and we should take advantage of His provision.

Last week we wrote about the dangers of overeating. Today we will explore the dangers of under-eating — or not eating enough.

There are several ways that we can be starving ourselves of the nutrition we need. I wrote about this topic here: How to Starve to Death on a Full Stomach. The body requires a certain amount of nutrients to function properly. One doctor has identified 90 necessary nutrients for life: Continue reading “Eat Until You Are Satisfied! (Are You Eating Enough?)” →

What Does It Mean to Abstain from Food that Is Strangled?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

What Does it Mean to Abstain from Food that Is Strangled? Recently we shared 3 Overlooked Dietary Laws in the New Testament. The Council of Jerusalem meted out several dietary restrictions that are little discussed today. These restrictions can be found in Acts 15:20 and repeated in Acts 15:29 and 21:25:

New converts were to abstain from eating food contaminated by idols (the Apostle Paul teaches more about this issue in 1 Corinthians 8-10)
They were to not eat meat that was killed by strangulation or smothering (it was to be killed by bleeding out)
They were to abstain from eating blood

In a previous post, I dealt with food sacrificed to idols: What Does It Mean To Abstain From Food Sacrificed to Idols?

Now, we will discuss the topic of abstaining from food that is strangled. There is some controversy surrounding this issue. Many commentators say that these dietary laws have passed away along with the Old Testament dietary laws. These laws, they say, were instituted for a period of time in the early church to avoid Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Abstain from Food that Is Strangled?” →

Is Eating Too Much A Sin? 7 Bible Verses on Overeating.

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

7 Bible Verses on Overeating

Last week we introduced the topic of overindulgence in the Bible. Now, we are going to explore 7 Bible verses on overeating.

We previously discussed Paul’s example of buffeting (disciplining) his body as to not be disqualified from the prize. The surrounding context (I Corinthians 9:27) is a 3 chapter discourse on the topic of food. Paul had mastered his body, making it his slave — rather than being a slave to his body.

I Corinthians 9:27 is one among many verses that teach the principle of self-discipline. And while we can do nothing apart from Christ, we can do all things through His strength. Paul, however, when talking about disciplining his body, does not highlight Christ’s work (though necessary) in the process. Rather, Paul highlights that he is the one who is responsible to master his body. He is actively, presently, and actually making his body a slave. Read more about that here.

Now we will present 7 Bible verses that address the topic of self-control and food. Continue reading “Is Eating Too Much A Sin? 7 Bible Verses on Overeating.” →

What Does It Mean to Abstain From Food Sacrificed to Idols?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Food Sacrificed to Idols

Recently we shared 3 Overlooked Dietary Laws in the New Testament. At the Council of Jerusalem several dietary restrictions were discussed. These restrictions can be found in Acts 15:20 and repeated in Acts 15:29 and 21:25:

New converts were to abstain from eating food contaminated by idols (the Apostle Paul teaches more about this issue in 1 Corinthians 8-10)
They were to not eat meat that was killed by strangulation or smothering (it was to be killed by bleeding out)
They were to abstain from eating blood

In the previous post, I did not share the implications of these restrictions. Rather I demonstrated that God is concerned with food. He was concerned with food at creation and He was concerned with food at the close of the book of Revelation. And He was concerned with food everywhere in between — from lid to lid.

Now, at the request of my readers, I will share more specific applications concerning these three dietary laws in the New Testament. Today I will discuss the topic of abstaining from food sacrificed to idols. Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Abstain From Food Sacrificed to Idols?” →

Eat Only What Is Necessary: Introduction

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Should We Buffet (buhf-it) or Buffet (buh-fey)?

Everyone likes a good buffet (buh-fey). One of my favorites is Panda Palace in Bakersfield, California. With so many Chinese dishes to choose from, it is easy to eat to the point of discomfort. The first plate always brings the most pleasure: chow mien noodles, pot stickers with dipping sauce, sautéed green beans, orange chicken, General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli, and spicy sauces all around.

The law of diminishing returns, however, sets in after the second plate. It is mostly the memory of the yummy first plate that drives me to eat more. But with my stomach satisfied, the taste sensations are not as strong. Then, by time I go for thirds, my stomach is protesting: too much food!

If I eat like this, I am usually waddling out of the restaurant wishing I had stopped at the first plate. The pleasure of tasty food is subdued by the Continue reading “Eat Only What Is Necessary: Introduction” →

The Lessor of Two Judgments: Hillary vs. Trump 2016

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Will America choose the lessor of two evils? Or is it really the lessor of two judgments?