Difficult Bible Texts Made Simple

Presented by William Earnhardt, Bible Instructor for the Tampa First Seventh-day
Adventist Church. Tampa, Florida
TampaAdventist.Net

Over the years, as I have presented Bible studies in hundreds of homes from
Northern Oklahoma, across Texas and Southern Florida, I still get the same
questions over and over concerning certain Bible verses. They are good questions
about verses that can be hard to understand. They deserve good answers. I have
shared some of these questions that I am often asked. I am not smart enough to
answer all these questions. However I am sharing how the Bible solves its own
dilemma. If you have any Bible texts that are hard for you to understand, there is a
very good chance the rest of us have had trouble understanding it too. Please e-mail
me any difficult texts that are not already listed. Together we will find the Bible
answer. You may e-mail me at [email protected] or visit my website
at InLightOfTheCross.com

Table of Contents
The sign of Jonah 2
 Verses Regarding Salvation 3
Speaking in Tongues 5
Verses Regarding Immortality 7
Verses Regarding the Law 13
Verses Regarding Temperance 15
Texts Regarding First Day of The Week 18

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Did Jesus say He Would be in the Grave Three Nights?
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of
man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40

This text has perplexed many people since Jesus was not in the grave for three
nights. Some try to move His crucifixion back to Thursday so they can fit him into
the grave for three nights. Remember when William Miller thought the earth was
the sanctuary mentioned in the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8:14? He thought at the
end of the 2300 days Jesus would return and cleanse the earth with fire. He had the
time right but the place wrong. Nowhere in the Bible does it say the earth is the
sanctuary. Likewise in Matthew 12:40, many scholars have the time right but the
place wrong. Fact is, nowhere in the Bible does it refer to the grave as being the
heart of the earth. After all Jesus was not even buried in the earth but placed in a
small cave. This verse can also be translated “in the midst of the earth” or in the
“middle of the earth.”

When Jesus prayed, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven,” He was not
referring to “in earth” as the grave but the midst of the earth where all the people
are. If you take the day for a year in Bible prophecy mentioned in Ezekiel 4:6, you
have Jesus preaching the gospel for three years in the midst of the earth where all
the people are.

The sign of Jonah is not so much about the time anyway. We miss what this verse is
really saying when we get all wrapped up trying to explain what three days and
three nights mean. The point is, the religious leaders were asking Jesus for a sign
while the sinners had already accepted Him. In the story of Jonah the men who
throw Jonah overboard prayed to God and believed. The wicked inhabitants of
Nineveh believed. The only person who kept rejecting God in his life was the
prophet Jonah! Everyone else believed. Jesus is simply saying it is the same now.
Sinners believe and accept Him but the religious leaders wont. It is just like it was in
the days of Jonah.

How sad that Satan has been able to distract so many people with the “three nights”
when that simply has nothing to do with Jesus’ point in this verse. Lets all take
heed, lest we like Jonah or the Pharisees have a heart of unbelief while those with
less light than we have freely accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

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 Was Esau Predestined to be Lost?
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. Romans 9:12-13

Some people use this verse to teach pre-destination, saying that God had already
decided before Esau was born that he would not be saved. God says that He hated
Esau, right? Before we jump to conclusions lets see how Jesus uses the word “hate.”
In Luke 14:26, Jesus says, “If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also,
he cannot be my disciple.”

Of course Jesus does not want us to hate our families as think of the word “hate.”
All He is saying is we must prefer Jesus above our families. So in Romans 9:13 when
God says, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau have I hated” all He is saying is, I preferred
Jacob to have the birthright rather than Esau. This is very clear as verse 12 tells us
that “the elder shall serve the younger.” The context is very clearly about the
birthright and not Esau or Jacob’s personal salvation.

Is there no Forgiveness if we sin willfully?

“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

Many use the above verse to teach that if we make one willful mistake after
accepting salvation we are doomed. The plan of salvation is total victory over sin.
Sin is nothing to be trifled with for, “What we do not overcome, will overcome us
and work out our destruction (Steps to Christ 32). However, in Hebrews, the sin
Paul is addressing is not sin as defined in 1 John 3:4, which is breaking the Ten
Commandments. The sin Paul is addressing in Hebrews is defined in John 16:7 as
the sin of unbelief. Paul wrote the entire book of Hebrews to confirm the faith of the
Christians that Jesus was indeed the Messiah even though He has not returned as
quickly as they were hoping. He explains Jesus’ “delay” in returning by explaining
what He must first accomplish in the sanctuary before His return. Then he strongly
cautions them against unbelief in Jesus as the Messiah as there will not be another
Savior or sacrifice for sins.

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“In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by
refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. We offer insult to
the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before
the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers, and
instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ. So
long as one does this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all
desire to be reconciled to God.” (Desire of Ages 324)

Was Pharaoh’s Heart Hardened by God?

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then [it is] not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show
my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he
hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath
resisted his will? Romans 9:15-19

Many take the quote, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” as God
defending His right not to be merciful to some people. However it is a direct quote
from Exodus 33:19 where Moses is asking for a special favor to see God’s glory. The
question is not one of personal salvation, but rather God defending His right to give
Moses the favor he requested and receive God’s mercy in seeing His glory. By
showing mercy and compassion on whomever He wants, God is not defending His
right to not be good to people but rather the exact opposite, which is His right to be
good to people who don’t even deserve it. If you think about it, God would not have
to defend His right to not be good to people as no one deserves that right in the first
place.

Did God give Pharaoh a rebellious heart? Not at all! God did not make Pharaoh to
be rebellious just to accomplish His own purpose. God was actually preserving his
life through all of the plagues. God simply preserved his life even though he
deserved to be destroyed and accomplished His purposes.

God did not actually harden Pharaoh’s heart, but rather accepts responsibility for
what He did not prevent. Exodus 8:15 says, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was
respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had
said.” And again in verse 32 of the same chapter we read, “And Pharaoh hardened
his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.” So we clearly see that

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Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and God takes responsibility for what He allows
or does not prevent, since He gives us all a free choice. While some people allow
God’s goodness to lead them to repentance (Romans 2:4) others take advantage of
God’s goodness to continue in sin and rebellion (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Thus because of

people’s own choices they are softened or hardened by God’s goodness. The same
sun that melts butter hardens clay. You have a choice. You can let God’s love melt
your heart or you can harden yourself by resisting that love. The choice is yours.

Speaking in Tongues
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is
unfruitful."
1 Corinthians 14:14

Many interpret this verse to mean that when Paul prayed in the Spirit, he used a
"heavenly tongue" and did not know what he was praying. This raises an important
question. How would Paul know if his prayer was answered?

What is Paul really saying in 1 Corinthians 14:14? Please allow me to rephrase the
verse in William’s English: "If I pray in a language those around me do not know, I
might be praying with the Spirit, but my thoughts would be unfruitful for those
listening." Paul is adamant that if we pray out loud, we should either pray so others
around us can understand or else keep quiet! Notice the next few verses: "What is it
then I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will
sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt
bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say
Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest" 1
Corinthians 14:15,16. According to this text, the one who has the problem with
understanding is the listener and not the speaker. If you have ever prayed with
someone who is offering a prayer in a language unknown to you, then you know
what Paul meant when he said it is difficult for you to say "Amen" (meaning "so be
it") at the end of the prayer. Without an interpreter, you have no idea to what you
are saying “amen” to.

It is obvious from the context of 1 Corinthians 14 that the purpose of speaking in

tongues, or foreign languages, is to communicate the gospel and thereby edify the
church. If the listeners do not understand the spoken language they cannot be

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edified. Consequently, if there is no interpreter, the speaker is simply speaking into
the air and the only ones present who know what is being said are God and him-
self. This is the clear meaning of the often understood verse 2. "For he that speaketh
in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man
understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."

Paul emphasizes again that the languages spoken need to be understood by the
hearers or else the one who wants to share the gospel needs to sit quietly and just
pray to himself. "So likewise ye; except ye utter by tongue words easy to be
understood, how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak into the air."
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak
to himself, and to God." Verses 9, 28. Clearly, as we see in Acts, chapter 2, the entire
purpose of tongues is to share the gospel with all languages and people. As a matter
of fact, in Acts 2:8 where it says, “And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born”, many margins in the KJV will have a footnote by the word
“tongue” which will read “language”.

Some have thought that Paul did indeed pray a heavenly language or the language
of angels when he says in 1 Corinthians 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels.” If you read this verse in its context, you will see that the word
"though" means "even if." For example, Paul also said in verse 2, "Though I have
all faith ..." He did not have all faith. And verse 3 adds, "Though I give my body to
be burned". Paul was beheaded, not burned. So we can see that Paul here used the
word "though" to mean "even if."

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 Does Luke 16:19-31 Teach us That we go straight to
Heaven When we die?

Without a proper understanding of what the entire Bible says about death, it would
be possible to get the idea from the above verse that when we die we go straight to
heaven or straight to hell. When we study the Bible the way it suppose to be studied,
“line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” Isaiah
28:10, we understand that when we die we rest in our graves asleep, not knowing
anything until Jesus returns and wakes us up. If we take the story of the rich man
and Lazarus literally then we have a contradiction as to what happens when you die,
as the rich man in the story dies and goes straight to hell. Here are some things to
remember while reading this story to keep us from being confused.

Jesus tells this parable in the midst of other parables in Luke 15 and 16. Jesus is
only using this story to make a point and was not meant to be taken literally. Jesus
was telling this story to Jewish leaders and so He told it in a way to get their
attention. For example, they were big believers in Abraham, so in the story Lazarus
goes to Abraham’s bosom. Obviously, not only do we not go straight to heaven or
hell when we die, we also do not go to Abraham but to Jesus. This is an obvious sign
this story is not meant to be taken literally. The Rich man asks for water to be
sprinkled on his tongue. Again if this was literal, what good would a few drops of
water do? At the end of the story Jesus makes the point that if they did not believe
already they would not believe though someone rose from the dead. Here Jesus
makes the whole point of the story. Jesus picked the name Lazarus in His make
believe story, to remind them that one named Lazarus did indeed rise from the dead
and they still did not believe. And of course the real Lazarus who rose from the dead
had no tales to tell from the grave as he had been dead and asleep the whole time.

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 Did Paul say he Would Bypass the Grave and go
Straight to Heaven When he Died?
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;
which is far better.” Philippians 1:23

Now he's not saying that he thinks that he will be with Christ the moment of his
death. Actually he is explaining his desire, which is to leave this present troubled
existence and to be with Christ without reference to the lapse of time that may occur
between those two events. With the whole strength of his ardent nature, he longed to
live with the one whom he had so faithfully served. You see, Paul knew, as God's
servant tells us in Desire of Ages, "To the Christian, death is but a sleep. A moment
of silence in darkness, the life is hid with Christ. When Christ, who is our life shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Paul makes this clear in 1
Corinthians 15:51,52 . He says, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump, and the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed." We know that trumpet sounds at the second coming of our Lord in the
clouds of heaven. And Paul knew that when he fell asleep, for him time would cease
and it would only be like the snap of your finger when he would open his eyes and
then he would be with Jesus and all his trials and sorrows and struggles would be
over. No more weariness, no more pain. Now he's with his beloved Savior forever
and ever.

This is what Paul was talking about when he said, "to die is gain." "For me to live is
Christ and to die is gain." What a beautiful summation of his commitment to
Christ, of his whole Christian experience, of his trust and love for his Lord!

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 Does John the revelator Refer to Literal Souls Under
the Altar?
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were
given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet
for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be
killed as they [were], should be fulfilled. Revelation 6:9-11

Does Revelation 6:9-11 teach us that the dead martyrs are all in heaven pleading for
vengeance, instead of resting in their graves? This is obviously a symbolic verse. In
order to be taken literally not only would the souls be in heaven but they all would
be under an altar. Also they would be pleading for vengeance for being in heaven.
This simply is not realistic. We know from our reading of the entire scriptures that
the dead are just that-dead. Even this passage says that they must rest a while yet,
implying they are not literally in heaven now, but their cause has come before the
altar and before God. This was the case when Abel was killed by Cain. God said,
“The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10
Abel’s blood did not literally grow lips and cry, but his cause came before God. So
in the fifth seal of Revelation we see that God has not forgotten His faithful martyrs
but has heard their cause even as He did Abel’s. After all, why would they be crying
for God to avenge the ones who killed them and put them in the presence of God?
What an insult to God this would be.

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Does King Saul talk to the prophet Samuel after Samuel
has died?
In 1 Samuel 28 King Saul consults a medium and supposedly talks to Samuel who
has since died. The Bible teaches us that the dead are dead so how could this be? 1
Samuel 28 never tells us that Saul actually saw and talked to Samuel, but rather
that Saul perceived it to be Samuel (Verse 14). Satan takes advantage of his false
doctrine of the immortality of the soul so he can masquerade as dead people who are
resting in their graves. One glaring clue that this spirit talking to Saul was of satanic
origin is found in the fact that the message only had condemnation and doom. If it
had been God’s Spirit or even God’s prophet talking, along with the censor would
have come hope and forgiveness, but Satan never offers that.

Did Jesus Refer to a Secret Rapture?

But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as
in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark and knew not until
the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two
[women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:37-41

While the Bible never speaks or even alludes to a secret rapture, some have tried to
twist Matthew 24:37-41 around to where it sounds like a secret rapture. Two are in
the field, one is taken the other is left. They try to make it sound like the one being
taken is secretly taken away. However the passage very clearly says, that as it was in
the days of Noah so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man, when the flood came
and took them all away. Who was taken away at the flood? The wicked were taken
away and destroyed while the righteous inherited the earth. Likewise when Christ
returns the wicked will be taken away and destroyed while the righteous inherit the
New Earth. It clearly is not the righteous who are taken away, but the wicked.

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 Does the Bible Teach of an eternally Burning Hell?

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where
the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever. Revelation 20:10

One of Satan’s most dangerous lies is that hell will burn for all eternity with its
inhabitants continually being tortured throughout the ceaseless ages. It is a
dangerous lie because it makes God out to be anything but love! John 3:16 tells us
the unbeliever will perish, not burn for eternity in hell. Romans 6:23 tells us the
wages of sin is death, not eternal torment. Psalm 37:20, Malachi 4:1-3, Ezekiel
28:15-20 and many more verses all tell us Satan and his followers will be destroyed
and cease to exist instead of burning through all eternity.

However Revelation 20:10 does say the lake of fire burns forever and ever right?
What we need to do is find out how the word forever is used in the Bible. In Exodus
21:6 a slave who decided to stay with his master for life has his ear bored, and then
it says he will serve his master forever. How is the word forever used? It means for
the rest of his life until he dies. That is how the verse forever is used here in
Revelation 20:10. They will be tormented day and night until they die.

Another example is here in Jude 7. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities
about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
We know that Sodom and Gomorrha are not still burning. The punishment is
eternal, the punishing is not. These wicked cities were burned with a fire that
burned for the duration, until everyone died.

This idea makes perfect sense as you read Revelation 20. Verse 9 says the wicked are
devoured by the fire. That means they are totally consumed to ashes like it mentions
in Malachi 4. So when we get to verse 10 and read about the eternal fire we see that
just like the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed by the
eternal fire, but are no longer burning, so the wicked cast into the lake of fire will be
destroyed by a fire that burns for the duration until all is destroyed and gone. Then
God creates the New Earth! 11
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:43

Since Mark 9:43 mentions the hell fire being unquenched many get the idea that hell
will burn for all eternity. This simply is not so. The Bible clearly teaches us that the
punishment of the wicked will be eternal but the punishing is not. Romans 6:23 tells
us the wages of sin is death and not eternal torment. So what does Jesus mean when
He says the fire will never be quenched? Just like the fire in the fireplace burns out
on its own without anyone quenching it, likewise Hell will not be quenched but will
burn out on its own. In Jeremiah 17:27 it says, “But if ye will not hearken unto me
to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of
Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it
shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” Sure enough in
70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus with a fire that was not quenched.
However Jerusalem is not still burning. The fire went out on its own without every
being quenched. Likewise the lake of fire sinners are destroyed in will not burn for
all eternity but will devour the wicked, and then burn out on its own.

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 Was the law Nailed to the Cross?
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [And] having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in
it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday,
or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come;
but the body [is] of Christ. Colossians 2:14-17

Does the above verse do away with the Ten Commandments and especially the
Sabbath? No. The handwriting which was against us was not the Ten
Commandments as they were written by the finger of God. Moses did the
handwriting in the ceremonial law which was about the feast days which were all a
shadow of things to come, pointing towards the cross. The feast Sabbath days such
as the Passover pointed towards the cross. They were done away with as we did not
need them anymore since we now have the literal sacrifice. However the Sabbath
and the rest of the commandments were with us before sin and after sin. In Genesis
2:1-3 we have the Sabbath before the sin problem. So the weekly Sabbath was not
pointing towards the cross or ever done way with. We can clearly see that it was not
done away with at the cross, as in Isaiah 66:23 we have the Sabbath in the New
Earth after sin has been absolved. It is clearly the handwriting in the ceremonial law
that was a shadow of the cross, and done away with, and not the law or weekly
Sabbath.

One way we can be sure of this is that when the Bible speaks of the weekly Sabbath
it is singular. When the Bible speaks of the ceremonial Sabbath feast days it is
always plural. In Colossians it is plural, thus making it crystal clear that what was
done away with was the ceremonial laws pointing us to the cross.

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What did Paul Mean, When he Said, “we are not Under
the law”.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under
grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?
God forbid. Romans 6:14-15

Is Paul here saying that the law was done away with because of grace? Many say
that since we now have the New Covenant of God’s grace that we no longer need the
law. In Genesis 3 God gives Adam and Eve the New Covenant of grace when He
promises a Savior. Hundreds of years later in Exodus 20 we are given the law. Now
how can anyone say God’s grace came and did away with the law when God gave us
His grace long before the law? Grace was here before the law, so we can’t say it
came along later and did away with the law.

1 John 3:4 tells us sin is breaking the law. Paul tells us that grace is not a license to
sin. So grace in no way does away with the law. Grace gives us the victory over sin
as grace frees us from the dominion and power of sin. Because of the power over sin
that grace gives us we are not under the condemnation of the law, because grace is
the power keeping us in harmony with the law. If I am driving the speed limit and
nothing is wrong with my car, the police officer will not pull me over, because I am
not under his condemnation. He has no right to condemn me because I am in
harmony with the speed limit. Likewise God’s grace keeps us in harmony with God
so that we do not fall under the condemnation of the law.

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 Are There Verses That Tell us we can eat Anything we
Want?
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their
hands when they eat bread. Matthew 15:2

The Pharisees and scribes thought they had found Jesus and His followers in
disobedience to the law in not washing their hands before they ate. However this
was a man made law, or as Jesus said tradition. Jesus went on to say, “Do not ye yet
understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is
cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come
forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These
are [the things] which defile a man.” Matthew 15:17-20. Some take the preceding
statement to mean that Jesus just declared all foods clean, but that was not the
point, nor the context of what He was talking about. The end of verse 20 tells us
exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said, “but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man. Clean and unclean foods were not the subject here, but rather
washing hands according to the traditional laws man had made. Obviously Jesus did
not declare Biblically unclean foods clean as Isaiah 66:24 speaks of unclean foods
even at the second coming.

People have also tried to take the vision Peter had in Acts 10 out of context. They
say God declared all food clean in this vision. In telling Peter that God loved the
gentiles as much as the Jews he showed Peter some unclean animals. The fact that
Jesus had never declared unclean foods clean is seen by Peter’s comment, “I have
never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” Vs. 14 In verse 15 Peter hears
the voice in the vision say, “What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.”
Many try to twist this comment to mean that God had now declared all foods clean.
No mention is ever made of unclean foods being pronounced okay to eat. However
Peter tells us what the exact context of his vision was in verse 28, “God hath showed
me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Peter was encouraged by
God to take the gospel to the gentiles. God told Peter no man was unclean, but Peter
nor God ever mention animals being made clean in Acts 10 or anywhere else in the
Bible.

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But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better;
neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 1 Corinthians 8:8

Is Paul saying in the above verse that it does not matter what we eat? Is he saying
we can eat unclean foods? No, the context is clearly set in the first verse of this
chapter. It reads, “Now as touching things offered unto idols”. Foods sacrificed to
idols is the issue in 1 Corinthians 8, not clean and unclean meat. This is clearly seen
in verse 4, “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in
sacrifice unto idols.” This is clearly the case in Romans 14 as well, as clean and
unclean foods were simply not an issue in Paul’s day.

Later in 1 Corinthians 10:25-27 Paul says, “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles,

[that] eat, asking no question for conscience sake:For the earth [is] the Lord's, and
the fulness thereof. If any of them that believe not bid you [to a feast], and ye be
disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience
sake. Again some try to twist these verses to the destruction of their own health,
saying that we can eat anything clean and unclean and should not even ask about it.
However it is clear that Paul is not telling us to eat pork or anything unclean as that
was not even on his mind as he wrote this. Again the issue was food sacrificed to
idols. In verse 28 the context is very clear, “But if any man say unto you, This is
offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience
sake: for the earth [is] the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.” All Paul is saying here is
that food sacrificed to idols is only a big deal to people who think idols are a big
deal. Paul did not value idols, therefore food being given to idols was not an issue
one way or the other. Nowhere in 1 Corinthians 10 or Romans 14 is Paul making an
issue of unclean foods, much less telling us to eat unclean foods.

The fact that Paul recognized a distinct difference between what was clean and
unclean is seen in 2 Corinthians 6:17 where he says, “Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing];
and I will receive you.

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Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in
hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry,
[and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received
with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 1Timothy 4:1-3

I have had people share this verse with me and tell me that Paul is warning people
about Seventh-day Adventists who in the last days will be telling people they can’t
eat meat. However, while the Adventist church promotes a healthy vegetarian
lifestyle it does not forbid people to eat clean meats. In reality Paul is warning
people about a church that will be forbidding people to eat meat and marry. At
creation God gave us food and marriage. The Seventh-day Adventist church
recognizes this and does not forbid marriage or eating clean meats. It is the Roman
Catholic Church that forbids its priests and nuns to marry. It is also the Catholic
church that forbids eating meat on Fridays and other special days.

Did Paul say we should Drink Wine?

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often
infirmities. 1Timothy 5:23

As you can imagine, in Paul’s time as now, not all water was safe to drink.
Consequently, when safe water was hard to find, other ways of quenching thirst
were recommended to avoid such things as dysentery ailments.

Many have tried to twist this verse around to where Paul is telling Timothy to use
fermented wine. They forget that regular grape juice was also called “wine” in the
Scriptures as well. Teaching that it is okay to drink fermented grape juice, or what
we would call wine today, goes directly against the rest of the Scriptures. (See
Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:29-32)

Apparently Timothy was frequently ill and was not good advertisement for the
gospel. Paul is simply telling Timothy he needs to be physically fit by drinking good
grape juice when good drinking water is unavailable.

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 First day of the Week Texts in the Bible

Notes on the Eight New Testament Sunday (first day) Texts. Do any of these inform
us of a transfer of the Sabbath from Saturday (seventh day) to Sunday (first day)?

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week,
came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew 28:1

Note: Mary waited until the first day of the week when the Sabbath would be over.
Nothing here to tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James,
and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And
very early in the morning the first [day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre
at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1

Note: They were not coming to worship but to work. Nothing here to tell us that
Sunday is now the Sabbath.

Now when [Jesus] was risen early the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. Mark 16:9

Note: Another verse mentioning the first day of the week but no command to keep it
holy. Nothing here to tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

And] she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed
not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and
went into the country. And they went and told [it] unto the residue: neither believed
they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not
them which had seen him after he was risen. Mark 16:10-14

Note: Here it says they believed not. So this obviously was not a meeting of believers
on the first day of the week. Nothing here to tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the
sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with
them. Luke 24:1

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Note: No indication of a change in God’s law. Nothing here to tell us that Sunday is
now the Sabbath.

The first [day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark,
unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. John 20:1

Note: No mention of the Sabbath being changed from Saturday to Sunday.

Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were
shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood
in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. John 20:19

Note: This is not an assembly for worship but for “fear of the Jews.” Nothing here
to tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his
speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where
they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named
Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk
down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead And Paul
went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for
his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and
eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they
brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. And we went before
to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he
appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took
him in, and came to Mitylene. Acts 20:7-14

Note: There many lights, because this is a Saturday night meeting. Remember the
day begins at evening. See Genesis 1:5 and Leviticus 23:32. Paul preached till Dawn
Sunday morning and then walked 20 miles to Assos, something he would never have
done on the Holy Sabbath. Nothing here to tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of
Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by
him in store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:1,2

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Note: Taking up an offering does not make a day holy. No reference here is even
made of a worship service. Paul informed all the churches, including Corinth to lay
aside money at home for the poor so that when he passed through he could easily
pick it up to take to them. See Acts 11:29,30 and Romans 15:25,26. Nothing here to
tell us that Sunday is now the Sabbath.

We clearly see that there is no text in the Bible telling us that Sunday is the new
Sabbath. Meanwhile when it comes to keeping Jesus’ New Testament Sabbath,
which is still Saturday, or man’s Sabbath which is Sunday, Jesus tells us plainly:

But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 15:9

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

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 William Earnhardt is the Bible Instructor of the Tampa First Seventh-day Adventist
Church in Tampa Florida. Please contact him with any questions at (813) 933-7505 or at
[email protected]

You may find more studies and articles at William’s website for studies and resources at
InLightOfTheCross.com