Dietary Rules Are Still Valid

 

 Peter’s Vision - Acts 10:9-35 

9”On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:10And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,11And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:12Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.13And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.14But Peter said, Not so, YHWH; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

 

Peter is STILL keeping Torah because he will not eat anything COMMON OR UNCLEAN.

15And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What YHWH hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

What YHWH has CLEANSED do not consider it COMMON ANY LONGER.  The point is the unclean thing (Gentile) has been CLEANSED. 

16This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.17Now while Peter doubted in himself WHAT THIS VISION which he had seen SHOULD MEAN, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,

Firstly, this is a vision not a literal event, it’s symbolic.  Second, Peter does not know what the SYMBOLIC VISION MEANS (surely he would know if it were to be taken literally). 

18And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.19While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.20Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I HAVE SENT THEM.

YHWH sent a VISION that calls unclean things as clean things then He sends these Gentile men.

21Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth YHWH, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from YHWH by a “set apart” angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

A side point, Cornelius “one that feareth YHWH, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews” could only have this reputation among the Jews if he had joined the community.  To “fear YHWH” is to keep His Torah commandments.  I believe he was the first recorded Gentile conversion because of the example he set.  He obviously walked in Torah. 

23Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.24And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and he had called together his kinsmen and near friends.25And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.26But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.27And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.28And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but YHWH HATH SHEWED ME (IN THE VISION) that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peter has a vision and YHWH tells him not to call what YHWH has CLEANSED as being unclean.  Cornelius (a Gentile who keeps Torah) is apparently accepted by the Apostle Peter as CLEAN because it would be “unlawful” (against Torah) for him to keep company with Cornelius otherwise.  No mention of food at all.   This passage is not repealing any dietary restrictions; it is including Gentiles as “clean” if they keep Torah.  

34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that YHWH is no respecter of persons: 35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

It cannot be much clearer than that.  The myth that the “law” is abolished has been perpetuated by “grievous wolves” acting as messengers of light.

 

Yahushua on Defilement - Matthew 15 

11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man

Some try to use the above verse as a justification to eat pork or shellfish, but they are leaving out the context.  When we go back to the 2nd verse of Mathew 15 we find the true context of Yahushua’s statement. 

2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

The Pharisees were concern about the “oral law” that the rabbis had instituted which required hand washing prior to eating.  So when Yahushua says “not what goes in defiles, but what comes out”, He is speaking spiritually about defilement.  In these next verses He makes it clear about “defiling” your heart (spiritually).  

18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

His point is that the truth is spoken from your heart and whether your heart is ‘evil’ is what spiritually defiles man, not food contaminated by dirty hands.  No Torah-observant Israelite is going to put pork or shellfish in his mouth because it is not considered as food.  You can rest assured that neither Yahushua, Peter, Paul, John, etc. ever considered putting pork or shellfish in their mouth.  They gave thanks to the Father for providing the food but never “blessed” the food hoping that the pork was now acceptable.  YHWH as the Creator knew that pigs were designed as garbage men and that shellfish were bottom feeders that eat the feces of other animals.  It was not acceptable then and it is not acceptable now even though ham is tradition on the babylonian sun-festivals of zeus-mas and ishtar (christmas and easter).