Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Did Jesus reject the Torah’s dietary laws? Many say that he did, citing Mark 7:1-23 as proof. In this video, I will explain the problems with the traditional interpretation of this passage and offer an alternative view that presents a more consistent and accurate portrayal of Jesus’s teaching.

00:00 Introduction
00:24 What is the traditional view?
02:30 The traditional interpretation of Mark 7:1-23 makes Jesus a hypocrite.
03:03 The controversy in Mark 7:1-23 was over ritual handwashing, not the Torah's dietary laws.
04:56 Mark's earliest readers did not understand Jesus's teaching in Mark 7:1-23 to be a rejection of the dietary laws.
06:34 Jesus's earliest followers did not understand Jesus's teaching in Mark 7:1-23 to be a rejection of the dietary laws.
10:50 A better interpretation
14:25 A technical note regarding the Greek grammar of Mark 7:19.
17:25 Conclusion

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