Perhaps One Reason God's People Couldn't Eat Pork

  Part III of a series on the Old Testament.

Bethany Laird

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This month we're discussing how we Christians should apply the Old Testament to our lives. And yes, this includes a discussion about pork.

Here's how it starts:

 

If you, dear reader, have been with me from the beginning then you know I'm passionate about the Old Testament and the ways in which the New Covenant believer should apply it to his or her life. My first book, Do No Work, revolved around the Sabbath and the 4th commandment, but the subtext protruding from every page was this very issue of how a Christian should apply the Jewish Scriptures. Must we rest on the Sabbath? Must we observe the Sabbath on the seventh day?

Is it okay if we get tattoos? (Lev. 19:28)

Is it kosher to wear clothing made from mixed materials? (Deut. 20:11)

Would it be all right if I trimmed my beard? (Lev. 19:27) It's getting kind of scraggly.

What about cooking a goat in its mother's milk? (Exo. 23:19)

You get the point.

The Ten Commandments, originating in the Old Testament, elicit little controversy among Christians, and yet pretty much every Jesus freak I know trims his beard and eats bacon too. So why is it okay to eat pork but not to covet my neighbor's house (i.e. the 10th commandment)? Are we just picking and choosing which OT dictates to follow? Or is there some sort of rhyme or reason to Christianity's application of the Old Testament?

 

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On Christians Tithing: Biblical Mandate or Liturgical Cash Grab?

Does the tithe really apply to Christians?

Annie Spratt

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This month we're talking about tithing in the context of the New Covenant. Here's how the article begins:

In 2017 Southern Baptist organization, Lifeway, surveyed American churchgoers about tithing. 83% of respondents agreed that the tithe is a Biblical command that still applies today. And yet, only 54% said they give at least a tenth of their income to their church.

Why the discrepancy?

Everyone struggles with his or her own issues, and, no doubt one of those issues centers around money in the same way that others struggle with lust or anger or alcohol. After all, as Paul reminds us, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim. 6:10).

But I think there's another wrinkle here to account for the disparity between money and mouth, so to speak. Maybe a good amount of those 29% of people don't actually believe tithing is a biblical mandate. They might say they do, and even think they believe it, but their actions tell a different story.

So the question becomes is tithing a new covenant mandate, or is it just some liturgical hoax pastors employ to ensure revenue?

 

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Until next time,

Andrew

The Real Reason Jesus Turned the Water into Wine

Jesus' first miracle was kind of mundane as far as miracles go.

Yes, changing water into wine is, no doubt, an amazing feat, but it seems kind of out of place in the oeuvre of Christ. Typically Jesus' miracles involved meeting a deep need: healing, feeding, saving His disciples from storms.

But water into wine? No one was going to die if they ran out of wine.

Loci Lenar (CC)

Perhaps this is why Jesus was reluctant when his mom came to him for help. Providing more booze for an unprepared wedding party was hardly an urgent matter.

But I think Jesus saw it as an opportunity to make a larger point.

Why We Often Take God's Love for Granted

Before Katie and I got into the child-rearing business (8 hugs/hour), I had copious amounts of free time.

When the work day was done, I was done.

That left over five hours per day to do whatever the hell I wanted.

You know what I did with that time?

The Most Important Bible Character You've Never Heard Of

Quite a few obscure characters line the pages of the Bible. There's Gomer, Ahithophel, and Orpah. And who could forget Dorcas or Methuselah?

But of all the obscure people in the scriptures, one rises to the top as an important figure. He's mentioned in Genesis, referenced by King David, and even the author of Hebrews writes about him.

But there's a good chance you've never heard of him. Or, you read those passages and moved on, not knowing what he was about or why he mattered. You probably thought he was just another Dorcas or Nimrod. I did the same thing.

A Christian of nineteen years and raised in the church, I too did not know who this man was until a few years ago when I read through the entire Bible. He is mentioned only in five chapters spread across three books, but we shouldn't be so quick to overlook this man. Who am I talking about?