“1 Cor 6:12 KJV All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
I want to attempt to answer the question that I am constantly asked, when teaching that we are to keep the commandments of Yahveh. If we are supposed to keep the commandments, what about 1 Cor. 6:12 that states all things are lawful unto me? Peter addressed this issue when he spoke concerning Paul’s Epistles. “2 Peter 3:16 KJV As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” The term unlearned here refers to the uneducated, those who were not familiar with the Torah. Many of the people that Paul taught were familiar with the commandments. However some were not, hence called the unlearned or untaught.
If you are untaught and have never been taught you are not to eat pork, you might have a struggle with someone telling you that you are not to eat ham. Why? Because not eating pork is a totally a new concept to you. This is also a new concept to many people today, due to a poor choice of words when translated from Greek. When we translate a word from Scriptures we must make sure the concept it portrays agrees with all other Scriptures prior and following. There can be no contradiction in the Scripture. If there is an apparent contradiction then we have assigned an erroneous meaning to the word.
For example, Yahshua spoke saying “Matt 5:17-18 NKJV “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Again in ” Luke 16:17 NKJV “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” Yet when we read 1Cor 6:12 and it states, “all things are lawful to me” there seems to be a contradiction between 1Cor.6:12 and what Yahshua said Matt 5:17-18 and Luke 16:17. I assure you there is no contradiction.
I suggest instead that word translated “all” in the English was a poor choice of translations. The Greek word pas was translated all things could and was on several occasions translated “whatsoever”. Let us replace all with whatsoever and see what happens to the apparent contradiction. 1Cor 6:12 KJV (whatsoever) things are lawful unto me, (on the contrary) all things are not expedient: (whatsoever) things are lawful for me (on the contrary) I will not be brought under the power of any. The apparent contradiction disappears. Not that the translation is incorrect, it is not the best translation and it gives a false conception of what the Apostle was communicating. All things are not lawful and we have to understand that even if we were no longer required to keep the Commandments we still should keep them because it pleases the Father.
The Father did not change His mind about which day of the week He wanted you to keep Kadosh (Holy). He didn’t say, “oh my I made a mistake it would be better to keep the First day Kadosh rather than the Seventh day. I know what I will do, I will tell the Pope to change it for me”. Non sense!! The Father declared that He is the same He changes not.
The seventh day is still the Sabbath and requires you to do no work and to neither buy nor sell on that day. It is not about the Sabbath it is about the Sovereign of the Sabbath an you disrespecting Him by ignoring His Commandments and disregarding His Sovereignty.
My precious friend, all things are not lawful and what is lawful is not necessarily expedient or good for you, if you do it to your hurt. For example, if you’re overweight it is not good for you to eat a half a loaf of bread every meal, although it is lawful to eat bread. All things are not lawful and whatsoever is lawful on the contrary may not be expedient.
Keep the Commandments and keep the relationship.
The Trumpet