The Old Testament Dietary Laws Was Abolished According To Mark 7:19b?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33856/kerugma.v5i2.256Keywords:
Mark, Abolition, Food Law, Haram and HalalAbstract
Various essential discussions have been raised against Mark's parenthetical commentary in 7:19b, one of which is the discussion of eating from that statement. On the one hand, some take the text as a clear teaching of the Bible about the abolition of the food law in the Torah, as a result of which the law no longer binds both Jewish believers and Gentile believers. On the other hand, some consider it meaningless as the abolition of the food law in the Torah. Within this group, various meanings have been proposed. Historically, lexically, grammatically, and contextually it shows that Mark 7:19b is not a teaching of the abolition of the food law in the Torah, but a "guarantee" for the Gentile believers in Rome as Mark's gospel audience that there will be no unclean food for them because of contamination. or consumed with dirty hands (not washed), but the food is kept clean, so it cannot defile those who eat it. Therefore, Mark 7:19b will be of no significance to the reader if it is understood as teaching the abolition of the food law because they do not have binding laws on unclean and kosher food and need to be abolished, it is only given to the Jews. Therefore, for them, the food is kept clean. Even if the abolition of the food law in the Torah is done, it has nothing to do with Gentile believers.
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References
[1] Eike Arend Mueller, “Cleansing the Common: Narrative-Intertextual Study of Mark 7:1-23,” Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, (Andrews University: Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses, 2015), 1 -3.
[2] Cecilia Wassen, “The Jewishness of Jesus and ritual purity,” Jewish Studies in the Nordic Countries Today Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 27 (2016): 22.
[3] Joe M. Sprinkle, “The Rationale of The Laws of Clean and Unclean in the Old Testament”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS) Vol. 43, No. 4 (December, 2000): 653. Sprinkle noted that there are several meanings of the distribution of unclean and halal animals proposed by scholars, namely: (1) health problems (hygenic); (2) the problem of association (contact) with things that are disgusting or idolatrous or evil; (3) ethical teachings; (4) Yahweh's association with life and wholeness rather than death and chaos; (5) the separation of holiness from the expression of sexuality; (6) separation from the Gentiles; (7) God's holiness / human defilement. Sprinkle agrees with the sixth meaning.
[4] James R. Edwards, “The Gospel According to Mark,” in “The Pillar New Testament Commentary” (PNTC) by D. A. Carson, (General Editor), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002), 230-231 (pdf pages).
[5] Hanna Stettler, “Sanctification in the Jesus Tradition,” Biblica 85 (2004): 168-169.
[6] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 277 (pdf pages)
[7] Bartosz Adamczewski, The Gospel of Mark: A Hypertextual Commentary, Vol. 8, (New York: Peter Lang Edition, 2014), 98.
[8] Francis J. SDB Moloney, The Gospel of Mark – A Commentary, Ebook Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 198 (pdf pages).
[9] John MacArthur, “Mark 1-8,” in “The MacArthur New Testament Commentary,” (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2015), 388 (pdf pages).
[10] Tim Hegg, “Did God Change His Mind About Food? Understanding Mark 7:19 and Acts 10 (Peter's Vision) from a Historical, Grammatical Interpretation,” 5. Accessible at https://tr-pdf.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/articles/did-god -change-his-mind-about-food.pdf.
[11] Douglas S. Winnail, “The Biblical Dietary Laws Explained,” accessed at https://www.lcg.org/bible-studies/biblical-dietary-laws-explained.
[12] Jan M de Beer, “Did Jesus Really Declare All Food Clean? – Interpreting Mark 7:19b within its various contexts,” Research Paper at the University of Pretoria, Department of Ancient languages, 12.
[13] Ibid., 12.
[14] Jiri Miskala, “The Validity of the Levitical Food Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals: A Case Study of Biblical Hermeneutics”, Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, Vol. 22, No. 2 (2011), 26.
[15] David Wilber, “Did Jesus Reject the Torah's Dietary Laws? (Mark 7:1-23),” accessed at https://davidwilber.com/articles/did-jesus-reject-the-torahs-dietary-laws-mark on August 16, 2022.
[16] John van Maaren, “Does Mark's Jesus Abrogate Torah? Jesus’ Purity Logion and its Illustration in Mark 7:15–23,” Journal of the Jesus Movement in Its Jewish Setting (JJMJS) No. 4 (2017): 38-39.
[17] E. P. Sanders, “Jesus and the First Table of the Jewish Law,” The Historical Jesus in Recent Research by James D. G. Dunn and Scot McKnight (ed.), (Winan Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2005), 234-235.
[18] A. D. Frimpong, “Purity and Impurity: Menstruation and its Impact on the Role of Akan Women in the Church,” Ph.D. Thesis Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, (2011), 135.
[19] Vic Lockman, The Dietary Laws of the Bible, (Yreka: Vic Lockman, 1997), 106.
[20] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws: A Reassessment of Mark 7:19b,” EQ 74, No. 4 (2002): 302-303, 310. Revised and updated version, “Yeshua and the Dietary Laws: A Reassessment of Mark 7:19b,” Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism, (2003), 118-119.
[21] Abner Chou, “A Hermeneutical Evaluation of the Christocentric Hermeneutic,” The Master's Seminary Journal Vol. 27, No. 2 (2016), 24.
[22] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws, 302.
[23] D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 182-183.
[24] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws, 302-303.
[25] J. D. G. Dunn, Jesus, Paul and the Law: Studies in Mark and Galatians, (Westminster, 1990), 45.
[26] Donald A. Hagner, The New Testament: A Historical and Theological Introduction, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 181.
[27] D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction, 176-177.
[28]http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640%3Abook%3D3%3Achapter%3D39%3Asection%3D16.
[29] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=2.15.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640.
[30] Justin Martyr, “Dialogue with Trypho 106.3,” ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus by Philip Schaff (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, t.t), 252.
[31] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=6.14.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640.
[32] Irenaeus, “Against Heresies 3.1.1,” ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus by Philip Schaff (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, t.t), 414.
[33]David B. Woods, “Interpreting Peter’s Vision in Acts 10:9–16,” Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 13, Issue 03 (March, 2012): 204.
[34] Ibid., 196.
[35] Johannes E. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based On Semantic Domains, Second Edition, (New York: United Bible Societies, 1989). 77.49 (????????).
[36] Barclay N. Newman, Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, (T.k.: Hendrickson Publishers, t.t), 89; H. G. Liddell, et al, A Greek and English Lexicon, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940), 314.
[37] G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, (Edinburgh & London: T & T Clark, 1922), 222.
[38] William D. Mounce (ed.), Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary Old & New Testament Words, 114; W. E. Vine, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Vol. 2, (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1981), 195.
[39] H. G. Link and J. Schattenmann, “Pure,” in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNT) by Colin Brown (ed.), Vol. 3, 6th Printing, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan publishing House, 1981), 102.
[40] Donald A. Hagner, The New Testament, 181. For views that regard the text as referring to the normal “cleansing” of digestion, see Cornelius A Lapide, The Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: S Matthew's Gospel 22-28 and S. Mark's Gospel Complete, translated by Thomas W. Mossman, First Edition, (Edinburgh: John Grant, 1908), 335 (pdf pages); David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 296 (pdf pages). Garland argues that a good reading variant is katharizon (neutral nomnative participle), not masculine, therefore the purification in question is cleansing through the process from the stomach to the latrine.
[41] Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 654.
[42] Robert H. Stein, “Mark,” in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT) by Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 345- 346. In this case the phrase '????????? ' is referred to as Mark's parentetic declaration, see James R. Edwards, “The Gospel to Mark,” in The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC) by D. A. Carson (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 250-251 (pdf pages).
[43] Ralph Earle, Word Meanings in the New Testament, One-volume Edition, (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1987), 92-93 (pdf pages).
[44] Camille Focant, The Gospel according to Marks: A Commentary, (Eugene: Pickwick Publication, 2012), 291.
[45] C. E. B. Cranfield, “The Gospel According to St. Mark,” in The Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary by C. F. D. Moule (ed.), (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959), 241.
[46] William L. Lane, “The Gospel of Mark,” in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) by Ned D. Stonehouse, F. F. Bruce, and Gordon D. Fee (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), 215 (pdf pages).
[47] Adela Yarbro Collins, “Mark: A Commentary,” in Hermeneia - A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 347. Although the concept of “impurity” (??????, vv. 2, 5 ) comes from the Levitical law of purification (Lev. 15:11) as proposed by F. G. Untergassmair, “??????,” in the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Horst Balz and Gehard Schneider (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), 2:302.
[48] Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Mark, (2022 Edition), 156.
[2] Cecilia Wassen, “The Jewishness of Jesus and ritual purity,” Jewish Studies in the Nordic Countries Today Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 27 (2016): 22.
[3] Joe M. Sprinkle, “The Rationale of The Laws of Clean and Unclean in the Old Testament”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS) Vol. 43, No. 4 (December, 2000): 653. Sprinkle noted that there are several meanings of the distribution of unclean and halal animals proposed by scholars, namely: (1) health problems (hygenic); (2) the problem of association (contact) with things that are disgusting or idolatrous or evil; (3) ethical teachings; (4) Yahweh's association with life and wholeness rather than death and chaos; (5) the separation of holiness from the expression of sexuality; (6) separation from the Gentiles; (7) God's holiness / human defilement. Sprinkle agrees with the sixth meaning.
[4] James R. Edwards, “The Gospel According to Mark,” in “The Pillar New Testament Commentary” (PNTC) by D. A. Carson, (General Editor), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002), 230-231 (pdf pages).
[5] Hanna Stettler, “Sanctification in the Jesus Tradition,” Biblica 85 (2004): 168-169.
[6] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 277 (pdf pages)
[7] Bartosz Adamczewski, The Gospel of Mark: A Hypertextual Commentary, Vol. 8, (New York: Peter Lang Edition, 2014), 98.
[8] Francis J. SDB Moloney, The Gospel of Mark – A Commentary, Ebook Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 198 (pdf pages).
[9] John MacArthur, “Mark 1-8,” in “The MacArthur New Testament Commentary,” (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2015), 388 (pdf pages).
[10] Tim Hegg, “Did God Change His Mind About Food? Understanding Mark 7:19 and Acts 10 (Peter's Vision) from a Historical, Grammatical Interpretation,” 5. Accessible at https://tr-pdf.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/articles/did-god -change-his-mind-about-food.pdf.
[11] Douglas S. Winnail, “The Biblical Dietary Laws Explained,” accessed at https://www.lcg.org/bible-studies/biblical-dietary-laws-explained.
[12] Jan M de Beer, “Did Jesus Really Declare All Food Clean? – Interpreting Mark 7:19b within its various contexts,” Research Paper at the University of Pretoria, Department of Ancient languages, 12.
[13] Ibid., 12.
[14] Jiri Miskala, “The Validity of the Levitical Food Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals: A Case Study of Biblical Hermeneutics”, Journal of the Adventist Theological Society, Vol. 22, No. 2 (2011), 26.
[15] David Wilber, “Did Jesus Reject the Torah's Dietary Laws? (Mark 7:1-23),” accessed at https://davidwilber.com/articles/did-jesus-reject-the-torahs-dietary-laws-mark on August 16, 2022.
[16] John van Maaren, “Does Mark's Jesus Abrogate Torah? Jesus’ Purity Logion and its Illustration in Mark 7:15–23,” Journal of the Jesus Movement in Its Jewish Setting (JJMJS) No. 4 (2017): 38-39.
[17] E. P. Sanders, “Jesus and the First Table of the Jewish Law,” The Historical Jesus in Recent Research by James D. G. Dunn and Scot McKnight (ed.), (Winan Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2005), 234-235.
[18] A. D. Frimpong, “Purity and Impurity: Menstruation and its Impact on the Role of Akan Women in the Church,” Ph.D. Thesis Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, (2011), 135.
[19] Vic Lockman, The Dietary Laws of the Bible, (Yreka: Vic Lockman, 1997), 106.
[20] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws: A Reassessment of Mark 7:19b,” EQ 74, No. 4 (2002): 302-303, 310. Revised and updated version, “Yeshua and the Dietary Laws: A Reassessment of Mark 7:19b,” Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism, (2003), 118-119.
[21] Abner Chou, “A Hermeneutical Evaluation of the Christocentric Hermeneutic,” The Master's Seminary Journal Vol. 27, No. 2 (2016), 24.
[22] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws, 302.
[23] D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 182-183.
[24] David J. Rudolph, “Jesus and the Food Laws, 302-303.
[25] J. D. G. Dunn, Jesus, Paul and the Law: Studies in Mark and Galatians, (Westminster, 1990), 45.
[26] Donald A. Hagner, The New Testament: A Historical and Theological Introduction, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 181.
[27] D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction, 176-177.
[28]http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640%3Abook%3D3%3Achapter%3D39%3Asection%3D16.
[29] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=2.15.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640.
[30] Justin Martyr, “Dialogue with Trypho 106.3,” ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus by Philip Schaff (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, t.t), 252.
[31] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=6.14.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0640.
[32] Irenaeus, “Against Heresies 3.1.1,” ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus by Philip Schaff (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, t.t), 414.
[33]David B. Woods, “Interpreting Peter’s Vision in Acts 10:9–16,” Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 13, Issue 03 (March, 2012): 204.
[34] Ibid., 196.
[35] Johannes E. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based On Semantic Domains, Second Edition, (New York: United Bible Societies, 1989). 77.49 (????????).
[36] Barclay N. Newman, Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, (T.k.: Hendrickson Publishers, t.t), 89; H. G. Liddell, et al, A Greek and English Lexicon, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940), 314.
[37] G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, (Edinburgh & London: T & T Clark, 1922), 222.
[38] William D. Mounce (ed.), Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary Old & New Testament Words, 114; W. E. Vine, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Vol. 2, (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1981), 195.
[39] H. G. Link and J. Schattenmann, “Pure,” in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNT) by Colin Brown (ed.), Vol. 3, 6th Printing, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan publishing House, 1981), 102.
[40] Donald A. Hagner, The New Testament, 181. For views that regard the text as referring to the normal “cleansing” of digestion, see Cornelius A Lapide, The Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: S Matthew's Gospel 22-28 and S. Mark's Gospel Complete, translated by Thomas W. Mossman, First Edition, (Edinburgh: John Grant, 1908), 335 (pdf pages); David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 296 (pdf pages). Garland argues that a good reading variant is katharizon (neutral nomnative participle), not masculine, therefore the purification in question is cleansing through the process from the stomach to the latrine.
[41] Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 654.
[42] Robert H. Stein, “Mark,” in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT) by Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 345- 346. In this case the phrase '????????? ' is referred to as Mark's parentetic declaration, see James R. Edwards, “The Gospel to Mark,” in The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC) by D. A. Carson (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 250-251 (pdf pages).
[43] Ralph Earle, Word Meanings in the New Testament, One-volume Edition, (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1987), 92-93 (pdf pages).
[44] Camille Focant, The Gospel according to Marks: A Commentary, (Eugene: Pickwick Publication, 2012), 291.
[45] C. E. B. Cranfield, “The Gospel According to St. Mark,” in The Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary by C. F. D. Moule (ed.), (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959), 241.
[46] William L. Lane, “The Gospel of Mark,” in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT) by Ned D. Stonehouse, F. F. Bruce, and Gordon D. Fee (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), 215 (pdf pages).
[47] Adela Yarbro Collins, “Mark: A Commentary,” in Hermeneia - A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 347. Although the concept of “impurity” (??????, vv. 2, 5 ) comes from the Levitical law of purification (Lev. 15:11) as proposed by F. G. Untergassmair, “??????,” in the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Horst Balz and Gehard Schneider (ed.), (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), 2:302.
[48] Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Mark, (2022 Edition), 156.
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Published
2022-10-30
How to Cite
Laia, H. Z., Sutrisno, J. and Wibowo, D. A. (2022) “The Old Testament Dietary Laws Was Abolished According To Mark 7:19b?”, Theological Journal Kerugma, 5(2), pp. 109–122. doi: 10.33856/kerugma.v5i2.256.
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