The Original Food – Part Two

The Vege-Fruitarian Apostle Sha’ul

What about the Apostle Sha’ul/Paulos/Pallu?^[1]Sha’ul (Saul) aka, Paulos (Paul), which possibly stems from the name, Pallu, meaning, one of marvelous distinction; see Exodus 6:14. 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14

Was the Apostle Sha’ul also a Nazarean Essene Saint? Yes! Was he in accord with their Vegan-Vegetarianism that we demonstrated in Part One? Yes! Did he promote eating flesh or consider a vegetarian diet to be for “the weak” minded? No! Did he teach that eating food sacrificed to idols was permissible? Not at all!!
The answer to these important questions depends upon how one interprets and translates what he taught, and that ALWAYS involves assumptions. Does he contradict what we have observed in Part One? No! But because of interpretations and translations, he seems to do so. I will demonstrate why this happened.

As he did throughout his ministry, Sha’ul helped to establish a new Nazarean Synagogue of Jews and non-Jews at the city of Corinth (Acts 18) in approximately 50 A.D. Various issues developed over the next three to four years that needed his authoritative apostolic direction. Someone wrote him a letter describing issues and asked him to deal with controversial issues that had arisen from within and from without. His answer to them is the letter of First Corinthians, likely written from the city of Ephesus (Acts 19).

Love for One Another

The Apostle Sha’ul appeals gives guiding principles for maintaining peace among varying opinions. His chief principle is true love and unity. This will not only serve them in the present but into the future as well—Love your neighbor as the Scripture has proclaimed! Exercise sincere affection for your brothers and sisters and, with humility, do good to them! Find ways to unify around ambiguous and confusing issues and personality conflicts.

Secondly, it is important to realize that Sha’ul is responding to a letter from them. He is responding to the questions, controversies, and claims that he told in that letter. That letter, however, was lost early on. But, notice in 1 Corinthians 7:1:“Now concerning the things about which you wrote…” Thus, we find in the entire letter from beginning to end, he masterfully establishes the context for answering all of their issues and ours as well!

Unfortunately, Sha’ul is misunderstood for some of his statements; but, in several cases, we find that he is actually quoting back to them THEIR statements and providing a response. This is because translations do not reflect the context of the lost letter he received. Sometimes he is quoting their assertions and correcting them rather than promoting their ideas. Some modern Bibles also reflect this issue as when the Lexham English Bible states concerning verses 8:1, 4 below: “Considered by many interpreters to be a slogan used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior.” 

Since the letter is lost that the Corinthian Assembly had sent the Apostle, we have had to search and hypothesize to discover the context. Of course, if we are successful it removes the ambiguity and counters the accusations against Sha’ul by modern day so-called, Ebionites.

Sha’ul’s Battle with the Libertine Gnostics

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 8, he continues his answers to the queries in the lost letter. But he had already addressed issues raised by them, such as, “All things are lawful for me” (1 Corinthians 6:12). The Libertines considered that the body will perish and what is done in it is thus inconsequential. The verse below from the Book of Revelation describes some of the same deception being promoted in the area and helps us set the context of the Corinthian queries and proclamations. Yeshúa said,
… I have a few things against you, because you permit that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Revelation 2:20

Alternate Translations of 1 Corinthians 8; Romans 14;
1 Timothy 4; [Brackets], Bold & Underlines are supplied
for emphasis, orientation, and interpretation.

1 Cor. 7:1 “Now concerning the things about which you wrote…”

1 Cor. 6:9 Or do you not you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohiym? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,
1 Cor. 6:12 [But these Libertine Gnostics proclaim:] “All things are lawful for me” but [I say:] “All things are not expedient”:
[They say:] “All things are lawful for me”, but [I say:] I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 [They say:] Foods for the stomach and stomach for foods [and it doesn’t matter what you eat]; but [I say] Elohiym shall destroy both it and them. And the body is not for whoring but for the Master, and the Master for the body.
14 And Elohiym, who raised up the Master, shall also raise us up through his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Messiah? Shall I then take the members of Messiah and make them members of a whore? Let it not be!

Sha’ul continued through verse 20 refuting the Libertine Gnostic mentality! What is done with the body does matter!

1 Cor. 8:1 “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols,
we know that [as you wrote] “we all have knowledge (Gnosis)”. 
But I say, “Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 
2 If anyone thinks he knows anything [without exercising this affectionate love],
he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. 
3 Moreover, if anyone loves Elohim, this one is known by him.
4 Concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols: [As you wrote] we know that “an idol is nothing in the world” and that “there is no Elohim except one.” 5 And if perhaps reasonably argued [as you say], “there are many elohim and many masters.” 6 Yet [I say in response,] to us there is one Elohim, the Abba-Imma,^[2]Perhaps, rather than the Aramaic word, Abba, for Father, the original may stem from a more general Aramaic word for Parent, Hor (Khor). The more specific, Horeh = male-Parent and Horah = … Continue reading from whom are all [angelic-elohim], and we for him;^[3]The Ancient Hebrew/Aramaic for “him” can be translated: it, him, or her, depending upon the context. If the GHT is the Original Gospel, known to the NT writers, then we could translate … Continue reading And there is one Master, Yeshúa the Anointed, through whom are all, and we because of him.
7  On the contrary, [I say,] this ‘knowledge’ [this Libertine version of Gnosis] is not “in all/everyone” [as you claim]. Moreover, [I say,] some are habituated toward idols even until now, [they still] eat this food as an idol sacrifice. And their feeble [babylike] conscience is being soiled [by this continued practice].  [For some are babes and carnal-minded and easily confused: 1 Cor. 3:1-3]. 
8 Moreover, [you wrote,] “Food will not bring us close to Elohim. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do.”^[4]Apparently, the Libertines were also arguing in that sexual promiscuity was inconsequential, as well as, eating food (including flesh) offered to idols. For, they said in 1 Corinthians 6:12, … Continue reading  
9 But [I say in response], be careful that this [so-called] ‘liberty’ of yours does not become a hindrance to the feeble [babes – the impressionable children who learn by imitating others]. 
10 Because if someone feeble sees you who possess ‘knowledge’ dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience be constructed toward idolatrous eating? 
11 So then, by your [un-loving] ‘knowledge’ the feeble brother, for whom Mashíakh died, is destroyed. 
12 If you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their feeble [baby-childlike] conscience, you sin against Mashíakh. 
13 On which very account [taking even further this rational of love for my brother, you should say], if food causes my [Vegetarian Nazarean-Essene] brother to stumble, I will never eat flesh again, so that I may not cause my brother to stumble.

So then, here in Corinth, Sha’ul is addressing the Libertine Gnosticism…We will turn to his battle with the Judean Establishment in Romans 14.

After absorbing this translation and contrasting it with Christian translations, one can comprehend why there were some ancient Ebionites who rejected Sha’ul/Paul and his writings, as reported only by Christian heresiologists. We can easily discern that what they rejected was the false teaching being promoted by Christians in Paul’s name!!! Further possible complications, then and now, was that they did not comprehend or agree with his Ethnic strategy nor his view of the new era which was “about to come” (mello) in 66-70 A.D. Some in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries A.D., may have been without the teaching of the GHT concerning the end of fleshly circumcision and the Aharonic Priesthood, the Temple and associated matters, with the establishment of the New Covenant Era. They had their abridged version of Hebrew Matthew as testified by church heresiologists, but, maybe they no longer possessed the full GHT (The Gospel of the Holy Twelve) as we now do.

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Sha’ul’s Battle with the Judeans – The Jerusalem-Judean Temple Religion

We move to the Letter of the Apostle Sha’ul to the Roman Assembly where similar words are used, but used in a separate and distinct circumstance. Whereas, as we saw above, Sha’ul addressed the Libertine Gnostics at Corinth, who took an extreme view that what one does with the body is inconsequential, saying, — “All things are lawful for me”; He, in the following passage, addresses those following the animal-butchering-sacrificing flesh-eating mindset of the Jerusalem-Judæan Priestly-Pharisaic Religion, who thought they were superior to the Essene-Saints who live exclusively from the fruit of the earth and rejected parts of their edited Torah and Prophets.

Romans 14

Malachi 2:8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble ^H3782 at the Torah; 
ye have corrupted the covenant of Lewi, says Yahwéh of hosts.
H3782 כָּשַׁל kashal (kaw-shal’)
v. 1. to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle).
2. (by implication) to falter, stumble, faint or fall.

the one who loves another has fulfilled the Torah-Law . . .Love does no wrong to a neighbor.

Romans 13:8, 10

Rom. 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the Torah. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the Torah…”

[And from an Original Torah perspective, the animals are also our neighbors!!! and will be delivered from the bondage of the corruption of flesh-eating humanity, into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim. Is 11:6-9; Rom. 8:21. Isaiah the prophet proclaimed in Isaiah 66:2-3, thus says Yahwéh, “…to this one will I look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word. “He that butchers an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrifices a lamb, is as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offers an oblation, is as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burns incense [with these], is as if he blessed an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.]

14:1 Moreover, [in accord with this Torah of love, you with the mindset of the Jerusalem-Judæan Temple Religion, should] embrace those [of the Saintly-Nazarean-Essene mindset, whom you say are] ‘feeble in the Faith’ [stumblers in your Torah]—but, do not [embrace them] in order to have condemning arguments. 
2 Indeed, one person trusts Elohím, eating all things [permissible by Judæan Law] but [in your words] the ‘weak’ one eats only vegetables. 
3 [I say in response,] The one eating [flesh] do not be despising the one not eating [flesh]; And the non-eater [of flesh], do not be condemning the one who eats [flesh] for Elohím has embraced him [in order to move him toward perfection]. 
4 Who are you to be passing judgment upon the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for Elohím is able to make him stand. 
5 One person esteems a particular day [for fasting] as better than another, while another esteems all [such non-binding] days alike. Each one should become convinced in his own mind. 
6 The one who observes the [fast] day, observes it in honor of YHWH. The one who eats [on that same day], eats in honor of YHWH, since he gives thanks to Elohím, while the one who abstains [from eating on that same day], abstains in honor of YHWH and gives thanks to Elohím. 
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 
8 For if we live, we live to YHWH, and if we die, we die to YHWH. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are YHWH’s. 
9 For to this end the Mashíakh died and lived again, that he might be [established as the] ‘Adon’ both of the dead and the living. (Ps 110:1)
10 Why do you pass a condemning sentence upon your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Elohím; 
11 for it is written, “As I live, says YHWH, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to YHWH.” 
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to Elohím. 
13 Therefore [abiding in His Torah of Love], let us not condemn one another any longer [over ambiguous matters], but rather [let us] decide to never put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (Lev. 19:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
14 I know and am persuaded in the Adon Yeshúa that nothing [I have said] is profane of itself, except only to the one who is reckoning it profane – to that one it is profane. 
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you [serve to] eat [since you offer him no other choices], you are no longer walking in love. By what you serve to eat, do not destroy the one whom Mashíakh died. 
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 
17 For the kingdom of Elohím is not mere eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the ruáḥ ha’qodesh [expressed by the Torah-Law of love]. 
18 For the one serving the Mashíakh in this way is acceptable to Elohím and approved by men. 
19 So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. 
20 On account of food, do not destroy the work of Elohím. Indeed, each [kind of food] is permitted [‘mutar’ by Judean Law], but it is wrong to make another [Nazarean-Ebionite-Essene] to trip and fall by what he eats [at your table]. 
21 It is virtuous not to [serve] flesh to eat or even wine to drink or do anything that causes your brother to trip and fall. 
22 The faithfulness that you have, guard between yourself and Elohím. Happy is the one who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves [for himself]. 
23 But whoever has doubts [whenever he is served your food] is condemned if he eats, because the eating [he does] is not from out of faithfulness [to Elohím]. For whatever does not proceed from faithfulness is falling short of the target.
15:1 ‘We who are the strong’ [as you phrase it] have an obligation to bear with ‘the weaknesses of the weak’ and not to please ourselves. 
2 [According to the Torah-Law of love,] let each of us please his fellow for his benefit, toward edification. 
3 For the Mashíakh did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” [Psalm 69:9; a parallel fulfillment] 
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have expectation. 
5 May the Elohím of perseverance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with the Mashíakh Yeshúa, 
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the Father-Mother of our Adon Yeshúa the Mashíakh. 
7 Therefore, embrace one another as the Mashíakh has embraced you, for the kavód (reputation) of Elohím.

So, rather than promoting one’s right to eat anything, Sha’ul is actually correcting others who were judging vegetarians as being “weak”. He was, teaching them to love others, in spite of their own perceptions of the truth. This translation places Paul in accord with Part One of this study and so will the next section.

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Departing From The Faith of Nazarean-Essenes

L
et us take a look at another passage where Sha’ul is misinterpreted and mistranslated. Some would depart from the Nazarean-Essene Faith in various ways. Sha’ul warned that “wolves” would enter among the Assembly in Acts 20:29. He also wrote to Timothy:

1 Tim. 3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of Elohím, which is the Assembly of the living EL, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery (sod) of the Ḥasidúth (the devotion to the kindness of Elohim to all creatures): which [by Yeshúa], was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by messengers, proclaimed among ethnicities, believed in the world, taken up in dignity.

1 Tim. 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times [of this current age/era that is “about to” end with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple {66-70 AD,}] some will depart from the [Nazarean-Essene-Ebionite] Faith [of the Saints] joining themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
2 by the hypocrisy of liars who are seared in their own conscience,
3 [through which they will be] hindering marriage, [and] abstaining-distancing from [the exclusive diet of] foods which [“In the beginning”] Elohím created for the faithful who fully–know the truth, partaking [of such] with thanksgiving; 
4 [Fully-knowing the truth of] How all the creation of Elohím is “good” [including the exclusive fruit & vegetable diet], and no-part [of it] cast off, but rather to be receiving it with gratitude. 
5 For it [this “good”] is consecrated by the word of Elohím and prayer. 
6 Establishing these matters for the Brothers and Sisters, you shall be a good servant of Yeshúa ha’Mashíakh being nourished in the Faith and the “good” teaching that you have followed.

This passage is normally miss-translated so as to teach that people are permitted to eat whatever animals they want. Obviously, it does not teach this. It is a coherent instruction concerning eating and drinking that which was declared “good” in the beginning in accordance with the instruction of the word, with proper discernment, as a wise “money-changer”, who can see through the counterfeit.

Sha’ul/Paul is also part of the Netsarim of the Essene Way in accord with their teachings concerning the proper original diet, as we established in Part One.

Proceed to Part Three