The Kingdom of God is Not Meat and Drink

I Corinthians 8:8


But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." (I Corinthians 8:8)

The food we eat is irrelevant to God. There is no food that makes more or less pleasing to God. Jesus is very specific about this in his teaching in Matthew 15:7-20. "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

As Jesus said, those who don't have any understanding of spiritual matters think the food will make them more pleasing to God, and lead others into trouble. They replace God's commands with those of some man. Paul tells Timothy that those who are forbidding others to eat certain foods have departed from the faith.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." (ITimothy 4:1-4)

God intended us to thank him and eat whatever is set before us. It is sanctified by God's word and prayer, and as God commanded Peter in Acts 10:15, "And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." God rebuked him for refusing to eat, even though it was something the jews were not to eat, because God had cleansed it. As Paul tells Timothy, nothing is to be refused. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

Those who are teaching that these things are relevant to being a Christian have departed from the faith. They are blind leaders of the blind, and will cause those who follow them to fall into a ditch. Unfortunately, they have convinced their followers that they are right, and are leading them astray as well.

Spiritually immature Christians may easily be led to believe that such teachings are valid. Unlike their leaders, they may not deliberately be accepting false doctrine. Spiritual people will recognize and adjust to that in an effort to lead them into a spiritual walk. The strong must adjust his demands to meet the capabilities of the weak, since the weak can't meet those of the strong. Paul will address how to do that in the next few verses.