Kosher Killing (2)

More comments on Kosher killing of meat from a Christian perspective.

1. When Paul met Peter in Antioch he opposed him face to face. He condemned Peter because he had stopped eating with Gentile Christians. Peter was submitting to a Jewish tradition which was not based on the scriptures.

   When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? (Gals 2:14).

   Paul was clear that Christians should not allow themselves to be forced to follow Jewish customs that are not based on the Word of God. This is what we would be doing if we allowed Jewish Rabbis to set our standards of behaviour by adopting kosher killing methods.

2. Excessive legalism produces spiritual blindness,

   Their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away (2 Cor 3:14).

   Christians should be careful about submitting to legalism, as it can lead to spiritual blindness.

3. One reason that the Jews have not been able to see that Jesus is the Messiah is that they have been blinded by a legalistic spirit.

   They are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge (Rom 10:1).

   If we submit to the same legalistic traditions we will be encouraging them in the very thing that is preventing them from seeing the truth. If we submit to these traditions we are giving them an authority that they do not deserve. By validating their zeal for traditions that go beyond the requirements of scripture, Christians will make it harder for them to see the truth.

4. Any trade with Israel or any gift of food to Israel should take place from a position of strength (Deut 15:4-6). We should decide the terms of the trade. We should decide what form the gift will take. We make an offer, and they are free to accept or refuse. It is wrong to let those receiving the gift determine the form that it should take.

5. If Christian farmers were to kill their meat by kosher methods, they would spoil their witness. Most people of the world, and some Christians would not be able to see the difference between kosher killing and Halal killing. They would not be able to understand why Christians are advocating the former while objecting to the latter.

6. God's will is that Christians should support Israel with their spiritual and material blessings.

   ...indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings (Rom 15:27).

   Blessing the Jews is good, but God will enable us to do this without compromising on what we believe to be true. If the Lord wants us to bless Israel with our meat, then he will open up the way for us to do this without us having to become involved in Kosher killing.