Chapter Seven of the Gospel of MARK is another one of those amazing chapters in the Bible that after having read it, one just sits there numbed by its truth. How can so much be said with so few words?! And how can so many overlook or misunderstand these simple truths when our Lord has said it so plainly?! Sometimes it seems as if we are not all reading from the same Book.

Verse 1 begins "Then came together unto Him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem". Yeshua (Jesus) was about His Fathers business and along came the religious leaders from Jerusalem. Do you suppose they were coming to help Yeshua with His ministry? Do you suppose that at the very least they came to learn from the Master? No, His enemy had come to sow.

MARK 7:2  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

You and I today may not think that to eat with unwashen hands is such a big deal, but I assure you, to these religious leaders it was a very big deal. Notice it doesn't say, unclean hands, but unwashen hands. Their hands were clean, but they hadn't gone through the accepted ceremony of "hand washing". There were just some things you must do if you were trying to convince others that you were spiritual, and to these religious leaders, the traditions were a requirement. Religion can be defined as any attempt to make the flesh acceptable to GOD. In contrast, we are commanded by GOD to reckon the flesh dead. Some do torturous things to their bodies in a vain attempt to gain GOD's approval, yet HE has plainly and repeatedly told us it's not sacrifice HE wants, but obedience to HIS Word (1 SAMUEL 15:22   ECCLESIASTES 5:1).

It wasn't until after these religious leaders had came, saw and then found fault, that they finally "asked Him". They were not seeking truth, but they were seeking to trap Him, to ensnare Him even to destroy Him. So they asked, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders?" Don't you understand Yeshua, we have all these wonderful traditions, and they all make us feel so good about our relationship with GOD, and now you have to come along and mess everything up. Why can't you just leave things as they are Yeshua?

His response, as usual, cut right to the heart of the issue. He answered, "Well hath Esaias (Isaiah) prophesied of you hypocrites!" Does that sound harsh? I mean, they were just asking a harmless question. But He knew that in their hearts they were not seeking truth; they had come to sow tares.

MARK 7:6-7  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

It is interesting to learn from this verse that it is possible to "honour" GOD with one's words, yet the heart be far from HIM. Actually, it would not only appear possible, but that seems to be the norm, at least as we read about the established Religious order throughout the Bible. "In vain do they worship me!" As the word "vain" means "to no avail", we learn here that some can think that they are worshipping GOD, yet in truth their worship is to no avail.

Today this means going through the motions such as clasping your hands and kneeling in prayer, doing the "+" thing across your chest, wearing the priestly gowns, rolling on the floor being slain by the spirit or waving your hands and shouting "amen" and "glory halleluiah". All the things, which look spiritual, may actually just be "in vain". And why would they be "in vain?" Because the heads of the denomination were "teaching for doctrines (for right believing), the commandments of men".

It is critical that our doctrines, our way of believing and thinking about GOD be not from men but only from GOD's Word! Never allow what you think GOD said and meant, to be your basis for action. Always have a Scriptural basis for all your beliefs. Men can guide us to the truth, but they can't give us an understanding of the truth. That is our responsibility alone.

Yeshua continues;

MARK 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Amazingly, they would not even consider what He was teaching because they were convinced their traditions were right on. And those traditions looked spiritual, they looked righteous and "ordained of God" but they were not. These Pharisees and scribes were at best "hypocrites" and at worst children of even a different father.

This issue was so important to Yeshua that "when He had called all the people unto Him in verse 14, He said unto them, "Hearken unto me everyone of you, and understand!" He was making it as clear as He could, making sure everyone had the opportunity to hear and understand. Yet, even with all this, His disciples still didn't quite get it, so for the third time He again laid it out for them.

MARK 7:18, 20-21  And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him...And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts...

It is not what we put into our mouth that defiles us, but rather what comes out of our mouth. That might not fit with current religious doctrine, because many teach that chewing Beechnut, smoking Marlboros or drinking Budweiser somehow defiles us. Yet Yeshua plainly teaches that it can't possibly defile us. They ignorantly reject the commandment of GOD by their tradition. And if you ask for their scripture and verse the few that can will find one, but not one that actually says what they want it to say. A great example is when they take you to the 1^st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:16,17  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

They proudly proclaim that because we are the "temple of GOD", to do anything that would harm our bodies such as drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes, would be defiling this temple. Plausible, which all lies must be, but to know the truth we must take the time to see how this verse sits in the scope of the entire chapter. We must read it loosed from the tether of tradition, which blinded even the disciples, leaving them "without understanding". When thus read, we will see that chapter 3 of 1 CORINTHIANS teaches just the opposite of what the "hypocrites" would have us believe.

Paul begins his discourse in chapter three by declaring that although these believers were indeed brethren, they were "carnal". The Corinthian believers were not spiritual but rather "babes in Christ", being necessarily fed not with meat but with milk, not with the knife but with the bottle. He continues;

1 CORINTHIANS 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

They were as we see many today, proudly proclaiming that they are of this church or followers of that man. You know, "We are Episcopalians", or Catholics, or Baptist's, or of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (whereas these in reality follow not HIS Book but rather Joseph Smith's book).

Because they were carnal, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men", Paul couldn't teach them the meat of the word. He attempts to help them grow spiritually by exclaiming that it is not "he that planteth...neither he that watereth; but GOD that giveth the increase". It doesn't matter what group witnessed to you, what group brought you to salvation, or who signed you up as the newest member of their Church. What matters, is to realize that it is GOD that gives the increase and not the ministry of some man.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

We are laborers or workmen together. Paul writes "ye" are GOD's husbandry (GOD's field or farm) and "ye" are GOD's building. Whenever the pronoun "ye" is used in the archaic, it always refers to "you" in the plural. This is critical in understanding this section of scripture because Paul was writing that they, the church, the group of Believers were GOD's husbandry, GOD's building, and not the individual.

Establishing this truth, that the body of believers were GOD's building, Paul exclaims that he "laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon" (3:10). But then he goes on to warn, "take heed" how one builds upon the building of GOD, and that;

1 CORINTHIANS 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If ones work abides he will receive a reward, but if ones work shall be burned he will suffer loss, yet "he himself shall be saved" (3:15). The one working is the individual but his "work" is in the Assembly. "Know ye (plural) not that ye are the temple of GOD, and that the spirit of GOD dwelleth in you?" (3:16). The word "temple" is also very important to understand, for it is not referring to the individual. "Temple" refers to the church while the individual is referred to as a "tabernacle" (see 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1 and 2 PETER 1:13-14). This is not to say that an individual doesn't have the spirit of GOD dwelling in him but the context Paul is writing in here is concerning the body of Believers, the temple, and not the individual.

Now we come to our verse in question; "If any man defile the temple of GOD, him shall GOD destroy". If anyone building upon the foundation Paul laid should defile the temple of GOD, which is the body of Believers, him shall GOD destroy.

We are not talking here about chewing tobacco or drinking adult beverages! This whole section of this Epistle is about following men's teaching, which runs contrary to Scripture. In verse five of the second chapter Paul had written that their "faith should not stand in the wisdom of men". In verse 13 they were instructed that the things which were freely given unto them of GOD were not known by "the words which man's wisdom teacheth". Then in verse 21 of the third chapter, "let no man glory in men".

Defiling the body of Believers is to mishandle them or teach them wrongly. This verse set in the context of this chapter is teaching about carnal Christians working to build envying, strife and divisions within the body of Christ. The erroneous teaching of defiling our bodies by smoking or drinking alcohol is itself "a work that shall be burned". The verse concludes, "for the temple of GOD is holy, which temple ye are".

Religion will always endeavor to enslave the body of Believers with "commandments and doctrines of men". Truth, as the opposing force will always make men free from the snare of the enemy. Their power and wealth require a following, but most don't follow unless they are led. Therein lies the need for the rules of their camp, the "do's and the don'ts" for entry into their congregation.

In chapter 5 of Paul's letter to the Galatians he commands the reader to "stand fast...in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage". Christ has made us free and we have liberty to leave, nay we are commanded by GOD to leave their camp. As Paul wrote two chapters earlier in GALATIANS, "are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" The works of the flesh, whatever they may be, cannot make us complete or perfect.

It is appropriate to mention here that while Paul is charging the Believer to stand fast in this liberty, in the same chapter he also exhorts the Believer to not use this liberty as an occasion to the flesh (GALATIANS 5:13). In other words, this doesn't give one the latitude to live with unbridled desires. Certain actions are never right. The Scripture commands us to not be drunk, but it doesn't say that we are not to drink alcohol at all. Everything is a balance. All things in moderation.

Since antiquity the enemy has been desperate in his attempt to hide the truth of what the Word of GOD proclaims. Over the centuries his methodology has been monstrous against "the good seed" yet GOD has always been faithful to guard it. In this age, for those who strive to enter into it, the truth is available. But let us not leave other camps for just another. Let us leave all for Him!

TITUS 1:15, 16  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.