DID ELOHIM CREATE ALL FOODS FOR USE AND THANKSGIVING?

Another passage anti-nomians will quote is 1Timothy 5:1-5:

1 Now the Spirit plainly says: That in the last times, some men shall depart from the Trust, and shall go after deceiving spirits, and after teachings of shadim:
2 Those who deceive by false appearance and are speaking a lie, and are seared in their conscience,
3 And forbid to marry, and require abstinence from foods, which Eloah created for use and for thanksgiving, for those who believe and know the truth.
4 Because everything which was created by Eloah is good, and there is not a thing which should be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of Eloah and by prayer.
(1Tim. 4:1-5 HRV)

Here Paul is writing to Timothy concerning the proto-Ebionite Essenes who were doctrinal vegetarians and who also abstained from marriage. Paul is not addressing the Kosher laws, but the false teaching of doctrinal vegetarianism.

The passage clarifies that it speaks only of foods “which Eloah created for use and for thanksgiving”. This would not include those animals listed in Leviticus 11 as not being “for use and for thanksgiving”. In fact to an ancient Hebrew a pig is not “food” any more than a dog or a cat would be regarded as “food” by a modern American.

Verse 4 only says “everything which was created by Eloah is good” not “everything which was created by Eloah is food”. If we take verse 4 “and there is not a thing which should be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving:” This cannot mean that anything YHWH created should be eaten as food. Certainly canibalism is not permitted. Certainly there are many animals and even plants that would be fatal if one tried to eat them, and an argument that proves to much, proves nothing at all.

Similarly in the Torah YHWH instructs the Israelites in the wilderness concerning the promised land:

13 And when YHWH your Elohim delivers it into your hand, you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.
14 But the women and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall you take for a prey unto yourself, and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which YHWH your Elohim has given you.
(Deut. 20:13-14)

Now there can be little doubt that the pagans who inhabited the land had unkosher food and unkosher animals in their cities. Are we to take Deut. 20:13-14 to mean that the ancient Hebrews were being told to eat these things?

Of course not. Neither does 1Timothy 4:1-5 mean that we should eat unkosher food.

Paul is simply writing to Timothy to condemn those who would prohibit the eating of kosher meats through the false
teaching of doctrinal vegetarianism.

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