Paul calls abstaining from meats a doctrine of devils and hypocritical lies. Paul went completely contradictory to the teachings of Jesus and his disciples. The Church uses the Christ’s teaching, that “nothing that goes into a man defiles him” to prove he taught that it is alright to eat flesh meat.
However, the majority of what Jesus and his disciples taught and lived show clearly that this could never have been what he was teaching. This was a false doctrine that Paul taught, knowingly, in contradiction to Jesus and his disciples. James, the brother of Jesus, was made the head of the Christian movement in Jerusalem by Jesus himself.
According to Eusebius and Hegesippus, James “drank neither wine nor strong drink, ate no flesh…”
| PAUL | JAMES |
| Paul: Abstaining from meats is of the devil and hypocritical lies — it’s alright to eat meat. | James: Told Paul to command the gentiles to abstain from meat, as Jesus taught. |
| 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; (1Ti 4:1) | But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (Act 15:20) |
| Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (1Ti 4:2) | That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled… (Act 15:29) |
| …commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (1Ti 4:3) | As touching the Gentiles which believe… that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled… (Act 21:25) |
Now “things strangled” could obviously only be referring to animals being killed — sacrificed. The principle reason for killing an animal would be to eat its meat, whether it is being offered to an idol or not. It is apparent that James, the brother of Jesus, being a vegetarian himself, was saying to Paul that he should teach the gentiles to abstain from eating meat.
What Jesus was not only focused on was abolishing the cruel practice of sacrificing animals to eat the meat of their bodies, but the ritual itself, as a means of redemption. Animal sacrifice that the Jews practiced was a heathen practice they absorbed and modified that Jesus also came to do away with. It seems animal sacrifice was, to him, not only a form of idolatry, but also cruelty to animals.
Opinion: It’s possible that Jesus considered the ritual of animal sacrifice as a form of idolatry. In the case of the Heathen, it was idolatry.
| PAUL | JESUS |
| Paul taught it was OK to not only eat meat but eat meat sacrificed to idols! And that those who don’t have a defiled conscience. | Jesus condemned eating meat sacrificed to idols and called those who taught it false apostles! (Rev 2:2) |
| As concerning therefore the eating of those things (flesh meat) that are offered in sacrifice unto idols… (1Co 8:4) | But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Rev 2:14) |
| …some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. (1Co 8:7) | Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (Rev 2:20) |
| …if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. (1Co 8:8) | …how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: (Rev 2:2) |
| …commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.. (1Tim 4:3) | “I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood, and if you don’t cease offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God will not cease from you… (Gospel of the Nazirenes) |
Paul belittled believers and called them “weak” because they didn’t have “faith” to eat the meat of animals. It seems that Paul thought it was alright to sit and eat meat offered to idols in order to “become one” with them in order to “win them” over to Christ.
But what is not clear is that what type of example was he setting for them, when they ultimately discover that not only idolatry was against his religion but also abstaining from meat, a part or his religion?
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them (brethren) that are weak. (1Co 8:9)
For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him (a brother) which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; (1Co 8:10)
What type of example was he setting for new disciples, when they ultimately discover that not only idolatry was against Paul’s religion but also abstaining from meat?
Really? It was a sign of a “weak conscience” to believe idolatry was wrong? and to be “stumbled” when they see Paul partaking with them in idolatry and eating the flesh of animals sacrificed to idols, while trying to win the idolaters over to Paul’s flavor of Christianity?
And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their (brethren) weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. (1Co 8:11-12)
I would think it’s more of a “sin” to set a poor example to the ones Paul is witnessing to than being afraid that he would make a brother stumble because of his “weak conscience” (or conviction?).
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. (1Co 8:13)
Yes, don’t be a bad example in front of a brother who might go back and report to James the high priest! Remember, Paul is supposed to be teaching them to abstain from eating meat offered to idols — NOT participate!
Jesus commanded his disciples to abstain from eating flesh meat!
It is obvious that Jesus’ disciples did not eat flesh meat for the following reason. Abstaining from meat was not a practice of the Jews. From the bible we can easily see that the Jews not only sacrificed animals but also ate the flesh meat that was sacrificed which James taught new converts to abstain from.
So where did the disciples get the idea that it was wrong to eat flesh meat? They could only have gotten the teaching from Jesus himself. However, there is no such teaching of Jesus in all the the new testament gospels. The reason is that the men that complied those gospels took only the teachings they thought would not offend the Roman bishops and the emperors, and removed those passages that would be offensive.
The teachings of Jesus that refer to animal cruelty, animal sacrifice and the eating of flesh meat were most certainly left out. And as we see in the Book of Acts that James commanded that they abstain from eating meat that has been strangled could only be referring to Jesus’ teachings. The quote below was from a church father who referenced it before it was destroyed or hidden, so it most certainly was said by Jesus:
“I came to end the animal sacrifices, and if you do not stop making sacrifices, the wrath of God will not leave you alone.” (Gospel of the Hebrews) (Jesus, cited from Epiphanius, Panarion 3:16)
Jesus teaching to abstain from eating meat taken out of the Bible
Contrary to popular belief, the 4 gospels in our bibles were not written by the men they were named after, nor were they originally wrote the way they are. No one knows who wrote them where they were written or when, nor are there any original manuscripts to compare them with. The gospels are not the original writings but are obviously copies of other copies of manuscripts that men picked and chose what they wanted out of the original manuscripts — which are no longer to be found.
A look at any analysis of the 3 synoptic gospels should be sufficient to prove they are not originals, but were all pieced together from other documents. The parts of Jesus’ teaching the churchmen didn’t think appropriate, they left out and what they thought would help the church, they added in, even though it wasn’t in the original — such as Jesus’ quote about animal sacrifices and abstaining from meat.
Jesus didn’t eat flesh meat, nor did Mary or Joseph:
(Gabriel speaking:) “Therefore, Mary, do not eat any flesh, nor drink strong drink, for the child (Jesus) will be consecrated to God from your womb. He will neither take flesh nor strong drink, nor will he cut his hair.” (Gospel of the Nazirenes 2.7)
Opinion: He is probably known as Jesus of Nazareth because he would be a Nazirite from birth, as special holy men in the Old Testament times were. The two words Nazirite, Nazirene and Nazareth are very similar.
A Nazirite was a person who took a vow and observed such things as: abstaining from wine, not cutting one’s hair, not coming into contract with corpses or graves. This may have included abstaining from the meats of sacrificed animals as Jesus in the Gospel of the Nazirenes.
He (Yeshua) also said, “I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood, and if you don’t cease offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God will not cease from you..” (Gospel of the Nazirenes 21.8)
And Yeshua said to them, “They, whose hands are stained with blood, or whose mouths are defiled with flesh, or they who partake of benefits which are gotten by wronging one of God’s creatures, cannot be righteous; nor can they touch holy things, or teach the mysteries of the kingdom.” (Gospel of the Nazirenes 38.2)
“God gives the grains and the fruits of the earth for food; and for righteous man truly there is no other lawful sustenance for the body.” (Gospel of the Nazirenes 38.3)
Jesus considered it a serious offense to sacrifice and eat the flesh of animals — even unrighteous. It was also a part of his teaching that eating only fruits, vegetables and grains was much more healthy and obviously more spiritual. In Jesus’ teaching, he made it clear that it was “unlawful” to eat flesh meat.
In conclusion:
Paul taught abstaining from meat was of the devil and hypocritical. James, the head of the church told Paul to teach the gentiles to abstain from meat. Paul taught it was alright to eat meat offered to idols as long as you have the faith since every animal of God is good to eat if you are thankful for it.
Jesus, in Revelations, condemned eating animals sacrificed to idols as idolatry and praised the church for rejecting evil and lying false apostles.
Paul belittled believers who abstained from flesh meats as if it were because they were lacking in faith and that they should not eat meat in front of “weak” brethren in order not to stumble them.
The Ebionites considered Paul to be a liar and a false apostle. Jesus and his disciples all abstained from meat; Jesus’ parents were vegetarians; and so was John the baptist.
Neither Jesus nor John Baptist, his cousin, who where priests, sacrificed animals as was the custom of Jewish priests, but they baptized in water for the remission of sins instead.
Opinion: Jesus said he came to put an end to animal sacrifice and it appears when he himself was sacrificed, that’s when the ritual of animal sacrifice ended.
Jesus said it was unlawful to eat flesh meat and prohibited his disciples from eating flesh meat. The early church, known as Ebionites, abstained from meat, according to the church fathers
Next: Paul: the False Apostle | Abstaining from Meat Part 2