You are both most welcome, dear 'Mom and Tec (mornin' and peace to you, both!). Just a bit more, following a discussion of these matters with dear hubby, who shared what HE was told during our conversation. Many (particularly the WTBTS) believe and so teach that the reason Peter was told three times to eat from the things in the sheet was for emphasis. This is not accurate. As I shared above, Peter SHOULD have obeyed when first told to eat. Some will argue that Peter COULDN'T have just ate, because he would have been transgressing the Law: those things had been declared unclean under Moses when Israel was in the wilderness. What such ones overlook is:
1. By THIS time, the Law had been fulfilled... and replaced... by the NEW Law; under which 2. Christ had pretty much declared ALL foods clean, which declaration Peter should have remembered.
Here is that account (recorded at Mark 7:1-23):
"The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus] and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
"So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked [Jesus], “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
"He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
"And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
"Again [Jesus] called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”
"After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, [Jesus] declared all foods clean.)
"He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
So, when he said to Peter, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat”... what SHOULD Peter have DONE... IF Peter TRULY loved Christ AND had the faith in him he kept SAYING he had? He should have OBEYED... because to obey is BETTER than sacrifice. Yet, per the account (Acts 10:9-20) Peter responded:
“Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
Wait. Did Peter know WHO was telling him (NOT asking him; TELLING him) to kill and eat? His response, "Surely not, LORD!" lets us know he DID know: his Lord... and ours - the HOLY One of Israel, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH (MischaJah).
He was then told:
“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Was that ENOUGH for our dear Peter, enough for him to leave off his OWN thinking... and just OBEY? Apparently not. Because the account states:
"This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven."
But it didn't stop there. Apparently, Peter STILL didn't remember what our dear Lord had told him, because the account states, in verse 17:
"While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision..."
And, again, at verse 19:
"While Peter was still thinking about the vision..."
Given this, one can only conclude that, rather than being OBEDIENT... PETER... was "DULL" IN HIS HEARING! And each of these accounts regarding him SHOW this! He NEVER listened, NEVER got it right off the bat, but always put himself OUT as if he did!
John, on the other hand... knew that he DIDN'T know (anything)... and so not only relied on the One TELLING him, but OBEYED... AND... rather than giving HIMSELF the glory ("I thought", "I said to myself", "I know", "I can figure it out", etc.)... gave the glory... always... to the One Who told him or allowed him to BE told (by other spirit beings).
So, when we look at Peter, seeing him as one to be raised up over the others is... not wise. Nor is it accurate, at least to the extent that he was raised up such by Christ. He was not. He was repeatedly made an EXAMPLE of by our dear Lord... as one who was HARD-HEADED, albeit faithful, one who had to be GOADED... rather than just obediently follow.
Dear ones, you CANNOT rely on the "traditional" teachings of men on these matters. Indeed, I would exhort you to NOT rely on what man has told you about Peter and his "position", at ALL. It is a LIE... based on the erroneous beliefs and teachings of those who DO NOT POSSESS HOLY SPIRIT and so DID NOT RECEIVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND TEACH FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Please... if you need to... go back and read ALL of the accounts YOURSELF, if you need to. Pay ATTENTION to what they are saying. FORGET what you have been taught, but let CHRIST lead you... and read the accounts to you... so that you have HIS truth about it.
Or... just ask as to what occurred and what the "lesson" of the accounts are. And then LISTEN to what the TRUE Rock on which the Household of God is built (1 Corinthians 10:4), the HOLY One of Israel, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH (MischaJah)... HIMSELF... tell you what TRULY occurred, why, and what HE meant when he said:
"On this 'rock' I will build MY City."
Please... look up the Greek word that some transliterate as "church" - you will find it means "city." And in the beloved "City" of God... there are MANY "mansions" (houses). WE... are those "houses," dear ones. Each of us, a "temple." An individual dwelling place of God... which, joined TOGETHER... make up a CITY... the TRUE temple of God:
The NEW (city of) Jerusalem (double peace!)... which is built... on the ROCK... Christ... by means of FAITH... IN HIM!
Matthew 7:24-27; 16:18 John 14:2 Revelation 3:12; 20:9; 21:2
There are TWO (2) "cities", dear ones: the "great city" that is "Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots" (Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21)... and the great and "Beloved City" that is the "NEW Jerusalem" (Revelation 20:9; 21:10)
In which "city" do YOU "dwell"?
As always, peace to you ALL!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shellamar
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