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Analyzing Pauline Traditions

Paul of Tarsus and the Origins of Syncretism in the Christian Church

—  Page 7  —

What Does YHWH Say Concerning Eating Food Sacrificed To Idols?

Paul's tradition delivered to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8 is that it is OK to eat food sacrificed to idols, seeing that idols are non-entities in his eyes, and therefore food sacrificed to idols is food sacrificed to nothing. Nevertheless, what is YHWH's Opinion in such a matter? Is YHWH's Opinion in harmony with Paul's tradition as delivered to the Corinthians?

Numbers 25:1-3 reads,

^25:1 Israel abode in Shittim. And the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moav, ^25:2 because they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. And the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. ^25:3 Israel joined himself to Baal-peor, and the Anger of YHWH was kindled against Israel.

In Numbers 25 there is a combination of several sins that Israel participated in: prostituting themselves with the daughters of Moab, attending the sacrifices of their gods, eating food offered up as sacrifices to their gods, and bowing down to their gods — idolatry. In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul discusses only the eating of food sacrificed to idols. Is the eating of food sacrificed to idols a serious offence against YHWH?

Paul's philosophical rationale is that idols or gods are nothing, and therefore any sacrifices to such are sacrifices to nothing and therefore of no consequence. But YHWH took a very different view in Numbers 25, not deeming the gods of the daughters of Moab to be nothing, but actually acknowledging the name of one of these gods — Baal-peor. And he subsequently punished the prostituting Israelites for their prostitution and idolatry with death by a plague! It is therefore evident that YHWH's view on the matter is contrary to Paul's philosophical rationale.

Eating Food Sacrificed To Idols
Is Partaking Of The Offerings To Such Idols

Exodus 22:20 reads,

^22:20 He who sacrifices to any Elohim, except to YHWH only, shall be utterly destroyed.

If any Elohim other than YHWH was nothing, as Paul philosophises, and sacrificing to any Elohim other than YHWH was sacrificing to nothing, would YHWH impose the utter destruction penalty upon one sacrificing to nothing? I doubt it. That YHWH imposes the death penalty for so sacrificing shows that it is of very grave significance for one to sacrifice to any Elohim other than YHWH. It is idolatry! Therefore those eating food sacrificed to idols are partaking of the offerings of idols.

Partaking Of Idolatry Is Spiritual Corruption

Exodus 32:7-10 reads,

^32:7 YHWH spoke to Moses, "Go, get down; for your people, who you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves! ^32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'” ^32:9 YHWH said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and, behold, they are a stiff-necked people. ^32:10 Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

Those who partake of idolatry, including sacrificing to idols, corrupt themselves. The penalty for such conduct is death!

Eating Food Sacrificed To Idols Is A Grave Idolatrous Abomination

Exodus 34:10-17 reads,

^34:10 He said, "Behold, I make a Covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been worked in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people among which you are shall see the Work of YHWH; for it is an awesome thing that I do with you. ^34:11 Observe that which I command you this day. Behold, I drive out before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ^34:12 Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you. ^34:13 And you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and you shall cut down their Asherim; ^34:14 for you shall worship no other elohim: because YHWH, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous Elohim. ^34:15 Don't make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice, ^34:16 and you take of their daughters to your sons, and their daughters play the prostitute after their gods, and make your sons play the prostitute after their gods. ^34:17 You shall make no cast idols for yourselves.

Going by YHWH's itemisation of sins here, it appears that eating of food sacrificed to idols or gods other than YHWH is a serious sin within the wider context of idolatry. YHWH's view and command as here expressed is totally opposite to Paul's philosophising rationale in 1 Corinthians 8. For where Paul sees no offence against YHWH, the latter sees grave idolatrous abomination. YHWH's Word and Paul's word are seen to be very different. Paul's words sanction idolatry, while YHWH's Word forbids it.

Other Gods Have Names

Leviticus 18:21 reads,

^18:21 "You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you profane the name of your Elohim. I am YHWH."

YHWH goes so far as to call another Elohim by name — Molech, implying that Molech is indeed an entity that exists. Yet Paul denies the existence of any Elohim other than YHWH, going by his philosophising rationale in 1 Corinthians 8. Paul's words are contrary to YHWH's Words!

Idols And Other Gods Are Demons

Deuteronomy 32:15-25 reads,

¹⁵ So Jeshurun grew fat and kicked. "You grew fat and gross and coarse. He forsook the Elohim who made him and spurned the Rock of his support. ¹⁶ They incensed Him with alien things, vexed Him with abominations. ¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons, not Elohim, to gods they had never known, new ones who came but lately, who stirred not your fathers' fears. ¹⁸ You neglected the Rock that begot you, forgot the Elohim who brought you forth. ¹⁹ YHWH saw and was vexed and spurned his sons and his daughters. ²⁰ He said, 'I will hide my Countenance from them, and see how they fare in the end. For they are a treacherous breed, children with no loyalty in them. ²¹ They incensed Me with strange gods, vexed Me with their futilities. I'll incense them with other folk, vex them with a nation of fools. ²² For a fire has flared in my Wrath and burned to the bottom of Sheol, it has consumed the earth and its increase, eaten down to the base of the hills. ²³ I will sweep misfortunes on them, use up my Arrows on them: ²⁴ wasting famine, ravaging plague, deadly pestilence, and fanged beasts will I let loose against them, with venomous creepers in dust. ²⁵ The sword shall deal death without, as shall the terror within, to youth and maiden alike, the suckling as well as the aged'."

The gods or vanities that the unfaithful children of Israel provoked YHWH with are demons! These are real entities, even though they have nowhere near the Status, or the Power, or the Glory, or the Might, or the Knowledge, or the Ability that YHWH has. Demons are not nothing compared to Him, but they are real entities. If these "strange gods" were nothing — as Paul's philosophising rationale suggests — would they be capable of moving YHWH to jealousy? Yes, Paul's deceptive words are contrary to YHWH's truthful Words!

YHWH Doesn't Deny The Existence Of Other Lesser Gods Or Cosmic Rulers Under His Dominiom

Deuteronomy 32:35-43 reads,

³⁵ To be my Vengeance and Recompense, at the time that their foot falters. Yes, their day of disaster is near, and destiny rushes upon them. ³⁶ For YHWH will vindicate his people and take Revenge for his servants. When He sees that their might is gone, and neither bond nor free is left. ³⁷ He will say: "Where are their gods, the 'rock' in whom they sought refuge? ³⁸ Who ate the fat of their offerings and drank their libation wine? Let them rise up to your help, and let them be a shield unto you. ³⁹ See, then, that I, I am He. There is no Elohim beside Me. I deal death and give life. I wounded and I will heal. None can deliver from my Hand! ⁴⁰ Lo, I raise my Hand to Heaven and say: 'As I live forever, ⁴¹ when I whet my flashing blade and my Hand lays hold on Judgment, Vengeance will I wreak on my foes.' So Will I deal to those who reject Me. ⁴² I will make my Arrows drunk with blood as my Sword devours flesh — blood of the slain and the captive from the long-haired enemy chiefs. ⁴³ Oh nations, acclaim His people! For He'll avenge the blood of His servants, wreak vengeance on his foes, and cleanse the land of His people."

YHWH says that his power is greater than that of any Elohim or demon, for no Elohim or demon or any other entity can deliver out of his hand. He is the all-powerful one and he will render his vengeance to his adversaries at his appointed times.

YHWH doesn't deny the existence of these lesser and strange gods. Only that he shows that they are powerless in comparison with Him. This view is very different and contrary to that expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 8.

The Gods Of The Moabites Were The Dead

Psalm 106:28-31 reads,

²⁸ They attached themselves to Baal Peor, they ate sacrifices offered to the dead. ²⁹ They provoked Anger by their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. ³⁰ Phinehas stepped forth and intervened, and the plague ceased. ³¹ It was reckoned to his merit for all generations — to eternity.

Psalm 106:28 shows that the strange gods the daughters of Moav sacrificed food to in Numbers 25 were the dead! In other words, the daughters of Moab worshipped the dead! [ I believe that these dead entities are the spirits of the Nephilim who died during the Flood, and they constitute the demons of after the Flood. But that is another matter. ] At any rate, are the dead nothing, as Paul's philosophising rationale suggests, or are they real entities, even though they have departed out of the world or land of living flesh?

The Idols Of Canaan Are Demons

Psalm 106:34-40 reads,

³⁴ They did not destroy the nations as YHWH had commanded them. ³⁵ Rather they mingled with the nations and learned their ways. ³⁶ They worshiped their idols, which became a snare for them. ³⁷ Their own sons and daughters they sacrificed to demons. ³⁸ They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. So the land was polluted with bloodguilt. ³⁹ Thus they became defiled by their acts, debauched through their deeds. ⁴⁰ YHWH was angry with his people and He abhorred his Inheritance.

Psalm 106:37 also shows that the idols of Canaan that the children of Israel sacrificed to were demons. Demons are real entities, and not nothing, as Paul philosophising rationale suggests in 1 Corinthians 8. Without a doubt Paul's words and YHWH's Words are contrary to one another.

Yeshua Said That Eating Food Sacrificed To Idols Is A Stumbling Block To YHWH's Children

Revelation 2:12-17 reads,

¹² And to the angel of the congregation in Pergamum write: The one who has the sharp two-edged Sword says this: ¹³ "I know where you dwell — where Satan's throne is — and you hold fast my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. ¹⁵ So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Therefore, repent! Or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the Sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. To him who overcomes, to him, I will give some of the Hidden Manna; and I will give him a White Stone, and a New Name written on the Stone, which no one knows but he who receives it."

Yeshua's words here are a complete contrast to Paul's philosophising rationale in 1 Corinthians 8. Meanwhile, Yeshua's words here are in harmony with what YHWH revealed by Moses. Despite of whatever Paul said, we should never eat of things sacrificed to idols. Period! Doing so is a stumbling block and is partaking of idolatry. Nevertheless Paul out of his own will "authorises" the eating of food or things sacrificed to idols. It is manifestly evident that the teaching of YHWH and Yeshua on eating foods sacrificed to idols is contrary to that of Paul. Therefore, there is only one single possible conclusion: just as Balaam also was, Paul was a false teacher and a false prophet, who put many stumbling blocks in the path of YHWH's children.

Yeshua Will Throw Into Great Oppression Those Who Eat Food Sacrificed To Idols

Revelation 2:18-24 reads,

¹⁸ And to the angel of the congregation in Thyatira write: The Son of Elohim, who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: ¹⁹ "I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. ²⁰ But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ²² Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the congregations will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ²⁴ But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching — who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them — I place no other burden on you.

Yeshua does not waste time with those those who eat things sacrificed to idols, which is one of the issues he has against those in the assembly in Thyatira. This is an important issue to him, afflicting not just Thyatira but also Pergamum. And he has decreed a painful punishment upon those who refuse to repent of this action and teaching by being thrown into great oppression.

It is manifestly evident that those who rely on the Paul's philosophising rationale in 1 Corinthians 8 — those who are taught and seduced to eat things sacrificed to idols — will suffer greatly upon being punished for such sin. Therefore, Paul's heretic teaching results in those who follow it being punished severely, and being killed. Paul's teachings are teachings of death, notwithstanding his professions that he possessed the Holy Spirit and purportedly spoke with that inspiration.