Biblical sufficiency vs Modern Questions?

[Bible Highlighter]

What God is actually saying in that chapter is it is not what we put into the body in moderation, but using the body for sexual immorality that defiles the body, and in particular, in that case, with demon-possessed pagan temple prostitutes. That is what God calls sin. And that is all I care about. What He thinks. We are not taking this body to heaven with us. Knowing what God calls sin, and what He doesn't will help us judge rightly, and not illegally in His sight.

Paul was condemning any kind of sin in 1 Corinthians 3:17. The Corinthians were working the sins of strife and envy, etc. in 1 Corinthians 3:3. The sins of strife and envy are the kinds of sins that Paul mentions to the Galatian church in Galatians 5:19-21. Paul told the Galatians that they which do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:17 that he that defiles the temple (via by grievous sin, and they don't repent), God will destroy them in the Lake of Fire. The Corinthians at this moment in time were like works of hay, stubble, and wood that would be burned up, and yet Paul himself would be saved as through fire (unless they repent).

 

[1213]

…
It's hard to me to adhere to biblical sufficiency when I come to a situation and think "what does the bible say about (x)?" and the answer is nothing, it says nothing, so it doesn't help as a guide there and all I can go with are human opinions and leaps of logic which are never consistent.

I think it is hard only if one wants to do something that he thinks is not good and needs an excuse to justify the matter he knows is not really good. I believe Bible promises Holy Spirit as teacher for disciples of Jesus so that we could know what is good and right.

However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.
John 16:13

But the problem may be, what if the message is not what one wants to hear. But anyway, even though you may not like general guides, I think these are good:

”All things are lawful for me," but not all things are expedient. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be brought under the power of anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are profitable. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things build up."
1 Corinthians 10:23

In case of marijuana, it would be not good, if you allow it to rule you.

 

[CharismaticLady]

Paul was condemning any kind of sin in 1 Corinthians 3:17. The Corinthians were working the sins of strife and envy, etc. in 1 Corinthians 3:3. The sins of strife and envy are the kinds of sins that Paul mentions to the Galatian church in Galatians 5:19-21. Paul told the Galatians that they which do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:17 that he that defiles the temple (via by grievous sin, and they don't repent), God will destroy them in the Lake of Fire. The Corinthians at this moment in time were like works of hay, stubble, and wood that would be burned up, and yet Paul himself would be saved as through fire (unless they repent).

He didn't want them to confuse food with sexual immorality. But, specifically joining the devil with the Spirit. The 'harlots' back then were from pagan temples and were demon possessed.

 

[Jamdoc]

#1. My prayers and sympathies go out to you.

You have my sympathies. In reading this thread, if I understood you correctly, you are going through a lot of pain that needs to be managed. My prayers are with you so as to manage this pain so that you can focus on Christ and Him alone in all things. For I am sure you would like to follow Jesus in everything according to His Word and give Him the glory by the good work He does in you (When you surrender more to His inner working).

#2. The Bible is sufficient for all matters of our walk with the Lord in this life.

The Bible is sufficient for all matters of our walk with the Lord in this life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." There are many evidences that back up the Bible that tell us that it is divinely inspired and perfect. I would encourage you to check out my Blogger article here for the many evidences that prove God's Word is trustworthy, and sufficient.

Love Branch: Evidences for the Word of God

#3. God's grace and His following instructions on righteous living.

We know that from Genesis to Revelation, it is filled with instructions on how we need to be reconciled with God and then we need to live righteously in order to have fellowship and salvation in Him. As you know (being a New Covenant believer), this begins by believing in His Son Jesus Christ and what He has done for us (for salvation), and in seeking forgiveness with Him, and in believing in His death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf, and inviting Christ into our life by way of prayer. This is God's grace and it involves receiving a new heart with new desires. Without truly experiencing His grace, we know, no man will seek Jesus, and or desire to follow Him and or uplift His Word or trust in it. After being saved by His grace, we will naturally want to enter the Sanctification Process (if we decide we want to continue to make Him our Lord and Savior). For we have the power to live righteously by the working of His grace and Spirit. So we should strive by His power, and being and not our own to follow the Lord's commands that come from Jesus and His followers (Note: This would not be going back to the 613 Laws of Moses (as a whole or contract); For example: We do seek to obey things like circumcision, the Saturday Sabbath, and the dietary laws, etc.). However, God's moral laws (that came into existence for mankind after the Fall of Adam when they received the knowledge of good and evil) should be obeyed (i.e. like: Do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, etc.). This is the kind of Law that Gentiles were able to keep without having the Law of Moses (See: Romans 2:14). The Moral Laws have continued on into the New Testament (or New Covenant). 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all Scripture is profitable for righteous instruction. Righteous instruction is in how to live right or righteously. So there must be some kind of righteous instruction when it comes to the topic of medical marijuana (even though it may not be clear to an individual at first glance). The truth on this matter may not be apparent to us at first because we seek to justify our own way (that is sinful), but the Bible is clear on how to conduct ourselves in this life (if one is truly seeking the truth of it in His Word with God's help and they are not seeking their own path or way). There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12). Time does not change God when it comes to the core of certain good things. For the Lord our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

#4. We need guidance from God, and we need to study His Word.

The Spirit will guide a believer into all truth (John 16:13). This is not always an overnight process. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV says we are to study God's Word to show ourselves approved of unto God.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

In other words, if we study God's Word and ask God to send His Spirit to help us to understand His Word, then we will be truly seeking after what God thinks His Word says (if we truly want to follow Him).

#5. Explaining why Pastors differ in opinion on this topic.

Pastors will differ on this topic because some are aligning with what God has talked to their heart on what is good and right, and others simply want to do the wrong thing (Although it is not obvious at first). Many appear to put on a sheep's covering when they are actually ravening wolves. But narrow is the way that leads unto life, and few be there that find it. Most want to justify sin and wrongdoing these days. Surely, it would be a waste of our time to serve two masters. One is either in total commitment to following the Lord, or they are only pretending to be His master. If wants to play games with their soul and take the wide gate path everyone is on, they by all means, they will justify just about anything these days in the name of the Lord.

#6. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

I think it is important not to have an appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV says,

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." ​

If you tell people of this world or believers that you take medical marijuana, the picture they conjure up in their minds is that you are a pothead whose car and apartment is filled with a thick fog of smoke with them coughing and repeatedly saying things like, "Hey dude," "That so cool," "That's radical, man," in a surfer kind of voice. They will think you hang with people who worship a plant instead of the one and true living God. They worship it because they wear a picture of this plant on their clothes, and have it displayed in their homes, and they talk about it all the time. Marijuana is their god. Does such medical prescriptions leave your home smelling like your a pothead in your car and home? 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says avoid having any appearance of evil. So if a Christian posted on this forum and they declared that they take medical marijuana, I would encourage them to edit all their posts in this thread (and other ones) so as not to give people the impression that they take medical marijuana in any form so as not to make people think the wrong thing of them (Thereby ruining their testimony or witness for Christ).

#7. No excuse or allowance for smoking or vaping.

Cigarettes and vaping in general can lead to coughing (chronic coughing for some), and lung disease. So a doctor who prescribes these versions of marijuana is not really a doctor, but a drug dealer. Sure, he may be a licensed doctor in the eyes of the State, but he is no different than the guy on the street who gives harmful substances to kids that destroy their own bodies. 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

Just take an hour researching cases in how real people died from cigarette smoke and the pain it caused them. Such a thing, while a part of the creation was not intended to be used in such a way. Oh, and those folks who quote Genesis 1:29 and Genesis 9:3 about how you can eat any green plant or herb, etc. have not considered that there are poisonous plants out there that can kill you if you eat them.

7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants

Either things have changed after the Fall, and or from the point of the beginning world from the time of Noah (after the flood), or it was understood by Adam, and Noah that there were certain plants later that could harm them. Surely, the command did not include them eating poisonous plants. That's just silly to say so otherwise. In fact, wasn't it the eating of the wrong tree (which is like a plant) by Adam the cause of all the trouble we are in now?

There is medical marijuana that does not involve smoking or vaping (as I am sure you know): Should you do it or continue to partake of it? Again, much prayer and searching the Scriptures on this matter should be taken before throwing down the hammer of judgment against concluding that God's Word may not be sufficient for handing the tough questions in living righteously today. Only your own conscience of the new man in the sight of God, His Word, and prayer can lead you to make the right decision ultimately, but I would be cautious to not tell others that you take it (if that is the case), because it can make them have a wrong idea about you that is not true. For is the guy who smokes marijuana or vapes a follower of Christ and in right standing with the Lord? I don't believe so. They are destroying their lungs, and the rest of their body, and potentially doing the same for others around them, as well. We are to live in such a way that is beneficial to others, and not in a selfish way. Christ was obedient to the Father unto death. Christ died so as to save others. We are to follow Christ's example. We are to let the light of Christ shine unto others to those who are in darkness.

I hope what I said here helps;
And may God bless you this fine day.

I can agree with most of this but I will say that the dangers of vaping are a bit overblown. There is danger from vaping processed oils and "juices" and all that that is mostly caused by thickening agents that manufacturers add in order to get "impressive" looking clouds of vapor (vitamin E acetate oil and the like). When you vape just the flowers of the plant, the vapor is thin and wispy. There is no coughing or irritation, no decrease in oxygen saturation of the blood that would be indicative of lung damage, etc. It is also the most effective way to dose for moderation as the effects are near instant, so you can stop yourself before getting intoxicated a lot easier, eating can work but dosing is difficult to get right, it's easy to get too much when eating. So I use vaporization to do at least less harm than smoking, but be easier to judge when to stop, and I use the flowers of the plant as they are naturally rather than something processed by man because I feel it is safer, and it is truer to God's creation.

 

[Jamdoc]

I agree with most of this except the false dichotomy explaining why pastors differ in opinions on scripture. It’s not always that one pastor is right and the other is a wolf in sheep’s clothing or refusing to follow the lead of God. There are many many many non salvation issues where earnest, Bible believing, Christ exalting pastors and teachers disagree. They each believe the Holy Spirit has enlightened their understanding of a particular passage a certain way and share their convictions. The problem in most disagreements one or both are mistaken about the truth. Godly men can disagree and Godly men can be wrong.

I think the differences stem because while God is perfect, we are not.

 

[Jamdoc]

I made it through a back injury without medications. The pain was there to let me know not to move my back for it to heal. I had oral surgery and had a prescription for an opioid. I used one, it made me sleepy. I threw the remainder in the garbage.

and when you're autoimmune the pain is there to let you know that you need to die I guess. Because there's really not any injury that causes the pain it's your own immune system deciding to destroy your own tissues.

 

[Jamdoc]

I believe smoking and vaping of any kind is a grievous sin in God's eyes because it destroys the body in a really bad way. 1 Corinthians 3:17 is not an easy pill for some Christians to swallow. Legalizing a sin (By the state or country) does not undo the fact that is a sin still in God's eyes.

As for non-smoking or non-vaping forms of marijuana:
A believer should never proclaim they do this before others if they desperately need it to ease pain because they could come off as stoners to others (When they are not). If they find that the use of this substance is damaging to them in a bad way, they should stop taking it. We are not to harm our bodies. We are also to be sober minded, as well. If we are never sober minded at any point in our life for the Lord, then we are disobeying the instructions within His word to be sober minded. For if we cannot think clearly, then the enemy can make us to believe wrong things about God, His Word, and other people.

I feel that I should be honest about it, and not have it hidden, but I always put it in the context that it's the for managing an illness, not for fun.

 

[Bruce Leiter]

A lot of pastors and Christians believe in the doctrine of biblical sufficiency, but often times they get asked questions that the bible just does not directly address and the best they can do is to go on a general principle.
One that comes up a lot is should a Christian use Medical Marijuana, or even should a Christian use Marijuana recreationally. While when the law in the US was that it was strictly illegal, that was an easy question to answer because Romans 13 teaches us to abide by the laws of the land, even the secular ones, because God put that authority in place. But now states and even some countries like Canada are legalizing it even for recreational use. Then it becomes more of a stretch and many cite scripture about sorcery and justify that the word for sorcery is the same as pharmacy, but isn't directly related, or scripture referring to alcohol and making a stretch to make it cover all intoxicants, or just the commands to be sober minded in general.
Now as far as recreational goes, they're probably right along the lines of needing to be sober minded. But when it comes to medical use it becomes murky, because a person might be using opioid pain relievers truly just to alleviate severe pain, not to get intoxicated but intoxication is a side effect. They may have use of marijuana when other pharmaceutical agents have failed for various conditions, chronic pain and inflammation, seizure disorders, as an adjunct to chemotherapy in cancer, etc.
so as a Christian you're in a bind. Do you use the medication that helps with medical symptoms that your doctor has prescribed for you, or do you obey the command to be sober minded even if you're in so much pain that it distracts you from all other things (which is in a way, also not being sober minded, you can't focus on God when your focus is pretty much railroaded on pleasure that does not come from God, OR on pain). The bible doesn't really address it, and faith leaders and pastors you may ask, can only give their opinions based on leaps of logic from scripture about other topics.

That is just one example but there are others that in modern life, the bible just doesn't seem to address.
It's hard to me to adhere to biblical sufficiency when I come to a situation and think "what does the bible say about (x)?" and the answer is nothing, it says nothing, so it doesn't help as a guide there and all I can go with are human opinions and leaps of logic which are never consistent.

You have the wrong idea about "biblical sufficiency." It's full sufficiency for our salvation; the Bible isn't a handbook for every possible situation in life. Some situations fall into the area of disputable matters that Paul talks about in Romans 14, where he shares God's principles for people's different approaches to matters not directly referred to in Scripture. We need to love one another in spite of our differences.

The job we have, however, is taking the biblical principles like our body being the Holy Spirit's temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and our need to do everything for God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and applying them to our lives.

For example, I'm a sports fan. Sports used to be an idol in my Christian life. In my first church as a pastor, God led me to preach on the second text. He then guided me into a internal dialogue, "Are you doing sports to honor God?" I had to admit that I wasn't but that it was selfish pleasure instead. My two choices were to get rid of sports or to find some way to honor God as I was watching them. God led me to the second choice, though the other choice was just as Christian. I began to see that as I watched sports, I could praise God with my mind to honor him as the Creator of the human body because of the great talents on display. God then made my watching a hobby instead of an obsession with my focus on him instead of on myself. I'm thankful for God's change, because I could then talk and watch sports with unbelievers as my point of contact leading my witnessing to them.

 

[Thomas White]

Marijuana has not been approved for any medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Marijuana use contributes to the risk of lung cancer. New Zealand estimated 10% of their lung cancer was from marijuana use. Marijuana was shown to retard brain development in adolescents. People driving under the influence of marijuana were more likely to wreck. Colorado legalized marijuana and traffic accidents increased. Marijuana is a hallucinogenic waste of time. It is a waste of money. It should be illegal.

Yeah, I'm going to have to ask for citations on this.

 

[Jamdoc]

You have the wrong idea about "biblical sufficiency." It's full sufficiency for our salvation; the Bible isn't a handbook for every possible situation in life. Some situations fall into the area of disputable matters that Paul talks about in Romans 14, where he shares God's principles for people's different approaches to matters not directly referred to in Scripture. We need to love one another in spite of our differences.

The job we have, however, is taking the biblical principles like our body being the Holy Spirit's temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and our need to do everything for God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and applying them to our lives.

For example, I'm a sports fan. Sports used to be an idol in my Christian life. In my first church as a pastor, God led me to preach on the second text. He then guided me into a internal dialogue, "Are you doing sports to honor God?" I had to admit that I wasn't but that it was selfish pleasure instead. My two choices were to get rid of sports or to find some way to honor God as I was watching them. God led me to the second choice, though the other choice was just as Christian. I began to see that as I watched sports, I could praise God with my mind to honor him as the Creator of the human body because of the great talents on display. God then made my watching a hobby instead of an obsession with my focus on him instead of on myself. I'm thankful for God's change, because I could then talk and watch sports with unbelievers as my point of contact leading my witnessing to them.

I agree with this, when I mean this doctrine of biblical sufficiency I mean that some Pastors see it as sufficient for EVERY area of human life, and think "nothing new under the sun" when well, I don't think there were cell phones, video games, and computers in the days of Moses. How do we look at these new technologies in the light of the bible? It all becomes disputable.

 

[GenemZ]

A lot of pastors and Christians believe in the doctrine of biblical sufficiency, but often times they get asked questions that the bible just does not directly address and the best they can do is to go on a general principle.
One that comes up a lot is should a Christian use Medical Marijuana, or even should a Christian use Marijuana recreationally.

They ask because they really do not want to know. If they were truly filled with the Spirit they would not need to ask.

They ask because the Bible does not address it directly, and they want to feel free to do as they please when no direct answer is to be given.

Yet, the Bible does say this about another mind altering substance...

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18​

Having smoked enough Marijuana in the 60's to know what I am talking about. Marijuana has as strong an effect in altering the mind, even stronger than drinking ever did.

grace and truth

 

[dqhall]

You were very fortunate your back injury was minor. Many folks have serious injuries and ailments that require pain medication.

Most back injuries are temporary and people recover from them. A smaller percent are long term injuries.

 

[dqhall]

and when you're autoimmune the pain is there to let you know that you need to die I guess. Because there's really not any injury that causes the pain it's your own immune system deciding to destroy your own tissues.

I had a torn shoulder capsule that caused a dull aching pain for years. One day I was praying and the pain left me. I got cataracts at 59. I needed surgery and lens implants. Switching to a vegan diet healed me of kidney stones.

 

[dqhall]

Yeah, I'm going to have to ask for citations on this.

You might have to do Google searches for years. The search rankings are constantly changing.

 

[Jamdoc]

They ask because they really do not want to know. If they were truly filled with the Spirit they would not need to ask.

They ask because the Bible does not address it directly, and they want to feel free to do as they please when no direct answer is to be given.

Yet, the Bible does say this about another mind altering substance...

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18​

Having smoked enough Marijuana in the 60's to know what I am talking about. Marijuana has as strong an effect in altering the mind, even stronger than drinking ever did.

grace and truth

I find quite the opposite, when I drank, there were times I didn't know how I got home, found myself passed out on the floor, lose control of your body, say a lot of things you don't mean, and your thoughts are all lust driven, sometimes violence driven.
Cannabis.. about the worst has been sleeping in a recliner or a couch but I always was able to control my body to go somewhere fitting to sleep, never threw up, never found myself on a floor, or a fight, or driven by lust any more than usual. Worst thing I think there is well, gluttony, the "munchies" which alcohol also drives you to eat a bunch of greasy food at the end of the night. I'd say it still becomes easier to sin and your inhibitions are released, but not to the extent of alcohol. Nothing I've ever had has taken me as far down as alcohol, Alcohol it's a slow startup but once you start taking those shots your whole brain fills up from the top down. First the top and front parts of your brain, your judgement and coherent thinking, then it works down to loss of control of your emotions, and slurring your speech, and blurring your vision as it moves through the visual cortex, and midbrain where your emotions are controlled, then it goes into your cerebellum, where physical coordination is controlled, and you stagger and lose control of your body. Finally it goes into your brain stem which controls digestion, the state of consciousness itself, and breathing, in that order. You drink enough and you vomit, pass out, and can stop breathing entirely.
Cannabis' receptors don't concentrate in those areas, it's mostly in the upper and mid parts of your brain, which can still regulate whether you're hungry or sleepy, and your emotions, but you're sleepy and LOOK for a place to sleep, rather than faceplant on the floor because your brain stem is being affected.
Either way both should be avoided with a desire for the intoxicating effect. That much is super clear.

 

[Jamdoc]

I had a torn shoulder capsule that caused a dull aching pain for years. One day I was praying and the pain left me. I got cataracts at 59. I needed surgery and lens implants. Switching to a vegan diet healed me of kidney stones.

I pray for healing every single day. All I can say is we're not promised health and a long life on this earth, that's part of the old covenant. We're promised resurrection and eternal life in the new earth.

 

[GenemZ]

I find quite the opposite, when I drank, there were times I didn't know how I got home, found myself passed out on the floor, lose control of your body, say a lot of things you don't mean, and your thoughts are all lust driven, sometimes violence driven.
Cannabis.. about the worst has been sleeping in a recliner or a couch but I always was able to control my body to go somewhere fitting to sleep, never threw up, never found myself on a floor, or a fight, or driven by lust any more than usual. Worst thing I think there is well, gluttony, the "munchies" which alcohol also drives you to eat a bunch of greasy food at the end of the night. I'd say it still becomes easier to sin and your inhibitions are released, but not to the extent of alcohol. Nothing I've ever had has taken me as far down as alcohol, Alcohol it's a slow startup but once you start taking those shots your whole brain fills up from the top down. First the top and front parts of your brain, your judgement and coherent thinking, then it works down to loss of control of your emotions, and slurring your speech, and blurring your vision as it moves through the visual cortex, and midbrain where your emotions are controlled, then it goes into your cerebellum, where physical coordination is controlled, and you stagger and lose control of your body. Finally it goes into your brain stem which controls digestion, the state of consciousness itself, and breathing, in that order. You drink enough and you vomit, pass out, and can stop breathing entirely.
Cannabis' receptors don't concentrate in those areas, it's mostly in the upper and mid parts of your brain, which can still regulate whether you're hungry or sleepy, and your emotions, but you're sleepy and LOOK for a place to sleep, rather than faceplant on the floor because your brain stem is being affected.
Either way both should be avoided with a desire for the intoxicating effect. That much is super clear.

Well sir Obviously, according you your answer.. there can be no answer about Cannabis based upon subjective experience. But I witnessed to people doing lots of dumb and stupid stuff when high. Only that being filled with the Spirit will force the believer to stop lying to himself.. That much I can tell you. Believers who have a shallow walk could care less.

So, why bother?

God knows the heart of each believer and will transform us only if we desire to know Him on a deeper level... Not everyone does. It becomes apparent by "their fruit."

 

[Al Touthentop]

What do you make of 1 Corinthians 3:17?
Is not smoking a form of defiling the temple?

Is eating animal fat defiling the temple?

Can you honestly say that smoking is good for the body?

It actually does have some benefits. The main problem with smoking is the pesticides and additives put on the tobacco. Lung cancer wasn't a thing among the native tribes.

Is it not common knowledge that people know smoking is bad for them?
Are you unaware of this?

It's not mentioned at all in the bible. Anything can be harmful when one loses control. Sugar can cause enormous problems. Are you going to go around condemning people for eating too much sugar?

 

[GenemZ]

I pray for healing every single day. All I can say is we're not promised health and a long life on this earth, that's part of the old covenant. We're promised resurrection and eternal life in the new earth.

Its not only OT.

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health,
just as your soul prospers." 3 Jn 2:2​

Will not have health if we neglect growing in grace and Truth that will transform us in our soul's prosperity. That does not mean memorizing more verses. It means being taught actual sound doctrine from a competent pastor teacher, and to keep craving for more and more. The soul prospers through knowledge and insight. The OT is also given to us when applicable. Paul and the apostles studied the OT Scriptures in order to teach many things to the church. We just no longer live under the Law found in the OT. But, even the Law holds principles that apply to the church. Paul quoted the Law to make a point of principle in guidance for the church in the fallowing passage (and many others as well)..

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy
of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and
teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it
is treading out the grain,”and “The worker deserves his wages .”
1 Tim 5:17-18 (Deut 25:4)​

The OT is not to be dead to us. It requires wisdom by grace to understand how it still applies.

God can use illness as a means for greater grace with some chosen individuals. But, for most of us God wants us to prosper and be in health as our soul prospers. Prospers by becoming rich in knowledge and wisdom... Sickness for some only if that is called for in His plan for our lives

grace and peace...

 

[GenemZ]

Is eating animal fat defiling the temple?

Not if its organic.. Animal fat is beneficial for male hormones when its as God created the animal to be. Try Google - Animal fat is beneficial for male hormones.

But it must be as God created the animal to be. Grass fed. No antibiotics and added hormones.

God knew what He was doing when He provided our foods. Its man that came along and tries to alter these foods that causes us the most problems with food.