Bible Study: "Nothing Is Unclean" vs Mark 7:19 and Acts 10:14 (pvj-11)¶
Question¶
Paul says "there is nothing unclean of itself" (Romans 14:14) and "whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat" (1 Corinthians 10:25). In Mark 7:14-23, Jesus discusses what defiles a man -- and Mark 7:19 contains the clause "purging all meats" which some translate as "thus he declared all foods clean." Did Jesus abolish food laws? Examine: (1) The context of Mark 7 -- the dispute was about handwashing traditions (Mark 7:2-5), not Levitical food laws. (2) Compare the parallel in Matthew 15:1-20 which LACKS the "purging all meats" clause. (3) Is Mark 7:19b Jesus's words or Mark's editorial comment? Parse the Greek. (4) Acts 10:14 -- years after Jesus's teaching, Peter says "I have NEVER eaten any thing that is common or unclean." If Jesus had declared all foods clean, why didn't Peter know? (5) What does koinos (G2839, common) vs akathartos (G169, unclean) mean -- are they the same?
Discovered Scope¶
Topics Found (from naves_semantic.py)¶
| Topic | Score | Key Verse References |
|---|---|---|
| CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS | 0.66 | LEV 11; DEU 14 |
| UNCLEAN | 0.47 | LEV 11; DEU 14 |
| MEAT OFFERING | 0.47 | (offerings context) |
| PHARISEES | 0.72 | MAT 15:1-3; MRK 7:1-15; MAT 15:4-9 |
| DEFILEMENT | 0.50 | LEV 7:18-21; 11:43; JHN 18:28 |
| VEGETARIANS | 0.37 | ROM 14:2 |
Verse References¶
Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20, Acts 10:9-28, Acts 11:1-9, Romans 14:1-23, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, Leviticus 11:44-47, Genesis 7:2, Isaiah 66:17, Acts 15:28-29, Colossians 2:16, Ezekiel 4:14, Revelation 18:2
Strong's Numbers Found¶
| Strong's | Word | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| G2839 | koinos (common) | Paul's word in Rom 14:14; Mark 7:2 (defiled hands) |
| G169 | akathartos (unclean) | Levitical uncleanness term; Acts 10:14 |
| G2840 | koinoo (to make common/defile) | Mark 7:15,18,20,23; Matt 15:11,18,20 |
| G2511 | katharizo (to cleanse) | Mark 7:19 "purging"; Acts 10:15 |
| G1033 | broma (food) | Mark 7:19; Rom 14:15,20 |
| G2907 | kreas (flesh/butcher's meat) | Rom 14:21; 1 Cor 8:13 ONLY |
Related Existing Studies¶
| Study | Question | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| biblical-diet-romans14-timothy | Romans 14 and 1 Tim 4:1-5 abolishing diet? | Directly relevant -- analyzed koinos vs akathartos |
| comprehensive-dietary-laws | Complete biblical teaching on dietary laws | Full timeline Genesis through Revelation |
| pvj-03-audience-differences | Audience differences between Jesus and Paul | Audience context for alleged contradictions |
| pvj-04-greek-terms-baseline | Greek vocabulary comparison Paul vs Jesus | Vocabulary baseline for this series |
Key findings from prior study (biblical-diet-romans14-timothy): - Romans 14 uses koinos (G2839) 3x, never akathartos (G169) - kreas (G2907) links Rom 14:21 to 1 Cor 8:13 (idol meats) - Mark 7 dispute is about unwashed hands, not Levitical food laws - Peter in Acts 10:14 distinguishes koinos AND akathartos - Acts 10:28 -- Peter interprets vision as about PEOPLE not food
Focus Areas¶
- Greek grammar of Mark 7:19 -- katharizo participle (nominative masculine singular) with neuter subject
- Matthew 15:20 explicit conclusion vs Mark 7:19 editorial reading
- koinos vs akathartos distinction -- are they the same concept?
- Peter's "NEVER" in Acts 10:14 as evidence of what the apostles understood
- Paul's specific vocabulary in Romans 14 (koinos, kreas)
- concept_context.py --scope author on key verses from both Paul and Gospels
Research Instructions¶
Gather all verse text for Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20, Acts 10:9-28, Acts 11:1-9, Romans 14:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. Run Greek parser on Mark 7:15, 7:19, Acts 10:14-15, Romans 14:14. Run cross-testament parallels. Compare synoptic parallels Mark 7 vs Matthew 15.
Workflow¶
answer-question
Scoped: 2026-03-03 Folder: bible-studies/pvj-11-food-laws/