1st Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
This passage of scripture is one of the most misinterpreted and twisted in Christian circles, for it is commonly believed that the statement made by the apostle Paul is an endorsement by God for us to eat any and everything, once prayer is made over it. This erroneous teaching has led millions to consume the very foods that have been declared unclean and unsafe for human consumption, and as a result many of us are coming down with different diseases and ailments which could otherwise be avoided.
Added to all this is the great disappointment we sometimes suffer as a result of unanswered prayers, for the healing of diseases that were brought on by a violation of the dietary laws of God. As stated over and over again on this forum, God does not usually interrupt the natural operation of the laws of cause and effect, and if we deliberately or ignorantly ingest what He has expressly forbidden, we will usually reap that which we have sown. Let's read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
A close reading of our first passage in Timothy clearly shows that whatever we eat must not only be sanctified by prayer, but also by the word of God, and it is strange how this second qualification is so often, and studiously left out. One of satan's main methods of twisting the scriptures out of context is to leave out some key words, which if used, would shed an entirely different light on the subject matter. This he has done time and time again, and in this particular passage he has regrettably been very successful in leading millions down a path that is contrary to God's revealed will.
If as the passage says, "Nothing" is to be refused, and "Every creature" is good for human consumption, as the twisted version claims, then Paul will actually be saying that roaches, vampires, pythons, and humans are all fit for use as articles of food, once we pray over them, for according to the Bible all of the aforementioned living organisms are described in the same Bible as being "Creatures". This would also mean that the family pet is not off the menu in times of famine and hunger, and cannibalism is not wrong any more, for we are all "Creatures" of God. Let's read:
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" .... 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his "CREATURES".
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every "CREATURE".
Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind".
It becomes obvious that a literal interpretation of this text is not what Paul was trying to convey, because something that God has expressly forbidden can never be sanctified by prayer. If this were the case, then Saul could not be guilty of causing the children of Israel to sin when they ate flesh with the raw blood, because of the acute pangs of hunger they were suffering on account of their excessive exertion in war. Even king Saul, in his depraved state of mind, recognized that a grave sin had taken place, and he did not presume to ask God's blessing on that which He had already expressly forbidden. Let's read:
1st Samuel 14:33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. 34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood" ....
Leviticus 7:26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
In our day many of us have been deceived by the specious theories and fanciful interpretations of scripture, fed to us by satan and his agents, and as a result many sincere Christians now sit down to dine on rare steak, blood pudding, which is made with the blood of swine, sushi, and all types of forbidden foods, and expect God's richest blessing on that which is not only forbidden, but also harmful to those who ingest these items. The death of Christ did not give us liberty to disobey God in any way, for it was transgression of God's law that made His death necessary in the first place. The human family first fell by eating what was forbidden, and after all these years we are still eating of that which is forbidden, just as if the lessons of the past have fallen on deaf ears.
In all of our reading and studying of the scriptures, let us be certain not to place our own private interpretations on what God has plainly stated, for our only safety lies in following a "Thus saith The Lord" without turning to the right hand or to the left. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to closely follow the instructions and laws God has given for our own good, for history has often proven that where the majority opinion is, serious errors are almost sure to thrive. Let's read:
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!