After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, God told Peter to rise up, slay, and eat. From that time forward, God’s grace came upon the unclean Gentiles. Today everyone can be chosen. What God considered as unclean in the Old Testament is considered clean in the New Testament. Leviticus 11 is overruled. Today the Israelites are not the only ones who are God’s people; both the Gentiles and the Israelites are now God’s people. Ephesians 2 shows that both Gentiles and Jews have come to God. The two have become one and can receive grace together.
God told Peter three times: “The things that God has cleansed, do not make common” (Acts 10:15). These words explained the vision. Those from the house of Cornelius knocked at the door as soon as the vision went away. When Peter went down, he began to understand the vision he had seen on the housetop. He realized that the Gentiles were also entitled to grace. Spontaneously, he took some brothers with him to the house of a Gentile. Later, as he was testifying, God manifested His grace to the Gentiles even as He had to the Jews.
Our testimony differs from that of the Jews. Today the Jews are God’s people, and the Gentiles are also God’s people. If we refrain from eating some things, we are saying that the Jews are God’s people but that we are not. The commandment today is to rise up, slay, and eat. We should no longer just eat clean things and refrain from eating unclean things. What God considers clean, we must not consider unclean.
We eat both the clean and the unclean to testify to the fact that both the Jews and the Gentiles are now God’s people. In the Old Testament, only clean things were eaten, which meant that only the Israelites were God’s people. It was right to eat only one kind of food during that time. It is also right to eat both kinds today. Today we are not standing on the ground of Leviticus 11. Rather, we stand on the ground that the Gentiles and the Jews have received grace together and that God has abolished all distinctions between them. Our food is a testimony to this fact.
Fourth, 1 Corinthians has much to say concerning things sacrificed to idols.
First Corinthians 8 tells us that idols mean nothing. God is God, and idols are just vanity. To those who are advanced in knowledge, it is all right to eat things sacrificed to idols since idols are nothing. There may be evil spirits behind the idols, but God is much greater than the evil spirits. He who dwells in us is greater than he who is in the world.
Nevertheless, many new believers worshipped idols in the temple in the past. They had dealings with the idols, and they are ignorant of the meaning of fellowship with demons. If they see someone who has knowledge eating in the temple, they will think that they can do the same as well. The conduct may be the same, but the condition of the heart may be different. You eat because you realize that idols are vanity, but it is wrong for them to eat, because in their hearts the idols are something. You may cause them to sin if you are careless about your eating.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8 that it is better for believers not to eat things sacrificed to idols, because this will stumble the weak brothers. It is better not to eat such things at all. Paul considered those who ate only vegetables to be weak. But 1 Corinthians says that it is better to refrain from things offered to idols. We have to catch the emphasis of the writer here. God’s children must know that idols are vanity and nothing. But they should not cause others to be stumbled through them. This being the case, it is better not to eat things sacrificed to idols at all.
This principle has nothing to do with demons; it has to do with the weak brothers. We must be clear about this. Many are concerned about the demons; they are the weak ones. We do not eat because we do not want to stumble our brothers, not because of the demons. Satan has no power over us. Idols have no power over us. We are not afraid of demons. But before God we must learn to care for our brothers. I do not eat because I do not want to stumble my brothers.
Finally, I will give a word of personal opinion. Eating means a great deal in the Bible. We should keep this significance in mind.
Food, like clothing, is governed by certain principles. The first principle concerning food is that it is for the nourishment of the body. We should eat more of that which nourishes and less of that which does not nourish us. We should never make the belly our god or spend too much energy on food. As God’s children, we must realize that food is for the nourishment of the body and for the preservation of our physical life.
God’s children should be content with food and clothing. The birds of heaven do not sow, neither do they reap, yet God feeds them. This has to do with eating. The lilies of the field toil not, neither do they spin, yet they are better clothed than Solomon. This has to do with clothing. Everything is in God’s hand. Today we need only to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to us (Matt. 6:26-33). I like the word added. What is the meaning of added? If I ask, “How much is three plus zero?” you would say, “It does not make sense to add zero to three. It makes no sense to add zero to anything. Zero plus three is redundant.” What can you add to a number? It only makes sense to add a positive number to something. For example, you can add one to three. You should seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. This means that to those who have God’s kingdom and His righteousness, God will add food and clothing. I hope that all the brothers and sisters will seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. To those who have God’s kingdom and who live in God’s righteousness, the rest will be added to them. I hope that God’s children will know how to maintain a proper testimony among men in the matter of clothing and food.