Can anyone explain 1Timothy 4: 1-5?

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Shaolen

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In this it talks about people leaving the faith teaching to abstain from eating meat. I recently saw a protestant using this against us. Does anyone have a way to explain this from the Catholic point of view?
 
It is in reference to people continuing to live by the OT food purity laws.
 
Oh ok how would I reply to someone using this against the catholic fasting during lent when we don’t eat meat?
 
Shaolen said:
Oh ok how would I reply to someone using this against the catholic fasting during lent when we don’t eat meat?
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What you do in Lent is a fast patterned after Christ: Matthew 4:2.

It’s not abstaining from meat because of purity laws, etc as in the OT.

Meat tastes awesome…think of bacon wrapped filet mignon. Mmmmmmmm.
Denying yourself tasty, delicious, meat on Fridays during Lent is a sacrifice, for us to draw closer to God by denying ourselves a bit of earthly pleasure.
 
Shaolen said:
Oh ok how would I reply to someone using this against the catholic fasting during lent when we don’t eat meat?
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Typically, I have found that people who use this against the Church also seem to think it’s completely fine for their pastors to institute a church-wide fast for whatever reason, such as an internet fast or whatever. So, they could just be hypocrites.
 
I seems to me that this passage speaks of hereticle groups that were around at the time.

To address the accusations by your friend: The Church does not forbid the eating of meat or getting married. There are certain times where we do not eat meat and the rest of the time we do. There are certain people who are given a choice to be married or not in regard to their vocation, but are not themselves forbidden to marry altogether.

When we abstain from meat, we do not reject the knowledge that God created it, but abstain in order to further appreciate this fact. The verse speaks of the heretical people who promote the things we are being accused of as having their consciences seared. Abstinence actually prevents this from happening and gives us a greater spirit of thanksgiving when the time of abstinence is over.

For those sworn to celibacy, that is a choice they make, and it is not out of ingratitude for the institution of marriage. The Church did not forbid them to marry, but established the discipline in the vocation for which they apply. They are simply given the choice to marry, or the choice to abandon the pursuit of marriage for the sake of their vocation and of God’s kingdom.
 
Fasting and self-denial are virtues even Martin Luther admitted this, where the Church differs from Jewish Law is that we do not attach salvific power to what we eat and drink but instead to our Faith.

Baptism, repentance, the Table these are the things of the Christian Faith and nothing may be added to them. St Paul is advising Timothy to not be carried away by those who would add to the Gospel things not having to do with salvation.

That does not mean these things are bad, it just means they are not the Gospel.

God Bless
 
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