And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
(Act 10:11-15 KJV)
First thing first. There are two different categories of animals in question. Peter through the Spirit is making a distinction between what is considered unclean and common. This is important because this little tidbit of the Truth will guide us in understanding other text in relation to eating unclean animals. This will unfold later I am sure.
The second thing that needs to be understood and is as equally important as the distinction between the unclean and common animals that is made. GOD never addresses the unclean animals. HE; the CREATOR of all ONLY addresses the Common. For it is written, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."
(Act 10:11-15 KJV)
First thing first. There are two different categories of animals in question. Peter through the Spirit is making a distinction between what is considered unclean and common. This is important because this little tidbit of the Truth will guide us in understanding other text in relation to eating unclean animals. This will unfold later I am sure.
The second thing that needs to be understood and is as equally important as the distinction between the unclean and common animals that is made. GOD never addresses the unclean animals. HE; the CREATOR of all ONLY addresses the Common. For it is written, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."
Rom 14:13-15
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
KJV
There is something interesting about these text most people do not know.
However We will review Acts 10. As was stated; there is a difference between what was considered common and what was unclean. Let's take a look.
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
(Act 10:11-15 KJV)And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
As we can clearly see there are two different categories of animals in question. Peter through the Spirit is making a distinction between what is considered unclean and common. As was said This is important because this little tidbit of the Truth will guide us in understanding Romans 14:14.
Common is koinos in the Greek in Acts. And unclean is akathartos
Out of the 27 instances in which akathartos is used it is translated unclean most of the time. Out of the 12 occurrences that koinos is used in the New Testament most of the time it is translated it is translated common. Only in Romans 14:14 is it translated unclean.
It should be translated common. Because All other instances in which animals (unclean to eat) are talked about in relation to them being unclean akathartos is used. And that my friends would include the instances in the Pentateuch in the Septuagint (LXX); the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in Paul's time. Paul would have been aware of this. He quoted from the LXX quite often.
And as was stated before what GOD has cleansed call thou not common. GOD never address the unclean only the common.