From: btiffany@pbs.org
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Re: clean And Unclean Under The New Cove
Date: 23 Jul 92 22:03:33 EDT
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

	POSTED FOR BRUCE BENNING

********************************************************************************

#2892

  Tom Albrecht wrote:

>>You'll also note that it is given in []'s.  The reason for this; is
>>the entire 1st half of the statement isn't even in the Greek.  ...

TA>Not in the NASB.  There are no brackets, no marginal comments regarding the
TA>text, nothing.  In other words the translators of the NASB had no reason to
TA>identify the text as questionable.  Last evening I happened to be in a
TA>Christian bookstore and consulted a number of commentaries on Mark.  None
TA>of them hinted at questionable text in Mark 7:19.

  I did the same thing. I must say that there is no indication given
  that this wasn't in the original.

TA>As to context, that's quite plain.  Jesus said NOTHING going into a man can
TA>defile him.  Does NOTHING mean nothing?  It would seem to in this instance.
TA>The text and context is plain.  Food cannot defile.

  Perhaps the context isn't as plain as you would think Tom. In 
  Matthew 15, we get another view of this conversation, from a Jewish 
  source (Matthew himself). From his perspective, the point of what is 
  being said from Yeshua has more to do with cerimonial hand washing 
  than "FOOD."

      Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from 
    Jerusalem and asked, -Matthew 15:1
    "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They 
    don't WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE THEY EAT!" -Matthew 15:2
    
  Here is the reason for confronting Yeshua. Traditional hand washing. 
  The issue is clean hands not clean food. Then Yeshua gives other 
  examples of men following man's rules to honor man, and says this of 
  those who seek the approval of men over the approval of God:
    
    "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far 
    from me. -Matthew 15:8
    They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by 
    men.'" -Matthew 15:9
  
  Then Yeshua makes his conclusion:
    
    Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 
    What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but 
    what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" 
    -Matthew 15:10-11  

    Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." -Matthew 15:15
    "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. -Matthew 15:16
    "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the 
    stomach and then out of the body? -Matthew 15:17
    But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, 
    and these make a man 'unclean.' -Matthew 15:18
    For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual 
    immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. -Matthew 15:19
    
    These are what make a man 'unclean'; but EATING WITH UNWASHED 
    HANDS does not make him 'unclean.'" -Matthew 15:20
  
  Let' read that one more time:

    These are what make a man 'unclean'; but EATING WITH UNWASHED 
    HANDS does not make him 'unclean.'" -Matthew 15:20
  

  The food Yeshua would be talking about, in this context would be the 
  legal foods allowed by Torah. This would not include basted ham. 

>  Jesus said NOTHING going into a man can defile him.  
>  Does NOTHING mean nothing?

  The "nothing" Yeshua is talking about (IMHO) is what tradition said 
  would defile you if you didn't perform the special union hand washing.
  Things like Gentile germs and such. 

  <Bruce Benning>