What is uncleanliness according to the bible?

[friend of]

Question in title

Edit: Would smoking be considered what is meant by passages about uncleanliness? Given how filthy they are

 

[hedrick]

There's not a simple answer. The OT gives a set of rules. What it doesn't do is describe the concept and explain how the rules connect to it. So we sort of have to reverse engineer the definition. Here's one attempt: Clean, Unclean - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Online. In many cases it seems to be a violation of boundaries, between holy and unholy, or even between two kinds of animals or two kinds of cloth.

Of course Jesus mostly rejected the concept.

 

[Carl Emerson]

There's not a simple answer. The OT gives a set of rules. What it doesn't do is describe the concept and explain how the rules connect to it. So we sort of have to reverse engineer the definition. Here's one attempt: Clean, Unclean - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Online. In many cases it seems to be a violation of boundaries, between holy and unholy, or even between two kinds of animals or two kinds of cloth.

Of course Jesus mostly rejected the concept.

I am happy to be corrected but I thinks many of these requirements were related to the safety and health of the Children of Israel at the time. They were wise guidelines for various - some understood - some not.

 

[sdowney717]

There is also the spiritual aspect of clean and unclean, which is of greater importance, its not just a physical quality.

The evil are unclean on the inside.
And they are so consumed with looking good on the outside.
Matthew 23:26
Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

John 13:10
Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”

John 13:11
For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

 

[hedrick]

I am happy to be corrected but I thinks many of these requirements were related to the safety and health of the Children of Israel at the time. They were wise guidelines for various - some understood - some not.

For a couple of the rules yes, but if you look at the whole set of clean / unclean distinctions I don't think it's generally true.

 

[JackRT]

I am happy to be corrected but I thinks many of these requirements were related to the safety and health of the Children of Israel at the time. They were wise guidelines for various - some understood - some not.

It is certainly true that some of the laws of ritual purity appear to be wise from a point of view of sanitation and hygiene but it is still an open question as to whether or not they were designed or intended that way.

 

[friend of]

Would smoking be considered what is meant by passages about uncleanliness? Given how filthy they are

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Would smoking be considered what is meant by passages about uncleanliness? Given how filthy they are

Jesus said that it is not what goes into a person, but what comes out of them that shows the heart of the individual. He then lists the things that show that a person has a bad heart. A person with a bad heart will speak the things that are consistent with the works of the flesh (lust, uncleanness, envy, jealousy, hatred), and a person with a good heart will speak things consistent with love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Smoking is not a wise thing to do because of the harmful effects that it can have on one's health. I think it comes under the truth that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should do what we can to look after them, and not abuse them in any way.

 

[Greengardener]

Clean and common were distinctions of what was set apart for a purpose or for God and what wasn't. When it comes to food, clean was acceptable human food and unclean was good to other animals but not for humans. I've been around a lot of public health people and it is a marvel that God wanted His people to know how NOT to spread disease or contaminate themselves long before germs were identified.

The concepts that God's people were given could be extrapolated to behaviors like cigarette smoking as I would quickly agree that being in a smoky environment makes me feel very unclean. I would hope every smoker would consider whether he has the right to smoke because of their neighbor/family member/friend impacted by being in their smoke, then I would hope they would see that they don't really have the right to smoke up the temple of God which is their own body - if it were me interpreting the scriptural principles into areas that weren't covered by Scripture. God is always interested in helping us separate out the clean from the common, helping us to live lives separated for Him.

 

[dailyprayerwarrior]

I tend to lean towards spiritual cleansing when it comes to this topic. Thanks to Jesus we need only admit our mistake, genuinely repent, and God forgives us and "cleanses" us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Praise the Lord!

 

[Dkh587]

There are many things that are unclean/make someone unclean

Menstrual cycles
Giving birth
Emissions
Eating unclean animals like pigs and shellfish
Touching a dead body
Touching a dead unclean animal