[That We Ought Not to Despise Any of the Sorts of Food that are Set Before Us, But Gratefully and Orderly to Partake of Them.]
XX. Now concerning the several sorts of food, the Lord says to thee, “Ye shall eat the good things of the earth;” 95 Gen. i. 31. Gen. i. 31. and, “All sorts of flesh shall ye eat, as the green herb;” 96 Gen xlix. 10. Gen xlix. 10. but, “Thou shalt pour out the blood.” 97 Gen. xlix. 9 Gen. xlix. 9 For “not those things that go into the mouth, but those that come out of it, defile a man;” 98 Isa. xi. 1, ix. 6 Isa. xi. 1, ix. 6 I mean blasphemies, evil-speaking, and if there be any other thing of the like nature. 99 Acts xv Acts xv But “do thou eat the fat of the land with righteousness.” 100 Ps. cix. 8; Acts i. 20. [The name common to apostles and elders.] Ps. cix. 8; Acts i. 20. [The name common to apostles and elders.] For “if there be anything pleasant, it is His; and if there be anything good, it is His. Wheat for the young men, and wine to cheer the maids.” For “who shall eat or who shall drink without Him?” 101 Acts xv. 1. Acts xv. 1. Wise Ezra 102 Acts. xv. 7, 8. Acts. xv. 7, 8. does also admonish thee and say: “Go your way, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and be not sorrowful.” 103 Acts x. Acts x.
[20] Περὶ δὲ βρωμάτων λέγει σοι ὁ Κύριος: »Τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε.« Καί: »Πᾶν κρέας ἔδεσθε ὡς λάχανα χλόης, τὸ δὲ αἷμα ἐκχεεῖς.« Οὐ γὰρ τὰ εἰσερχόμενα εἰς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς κοιλίαν γὰρ χωρεῖ καὶ εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκβάλλεται, τὰ δὲ ἐκπορευόμενα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, λέγω δὴ βλασφημίαι, καταλαλιαὶ καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτον. Σὺ δὲ φάγῃ τὸν μυελὸν τῆς γῆς μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι: »Εἴ τι καλόν, αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἴ τι ἀγαθόν, αὐτοῦ: σῖτος νεανίσκοις καὶ οἶνος εὐωδιάζων παρθένοις: τίς γὰρ φάγεται ἢ τίς πίεται παρὲξ αὐτοῦ;«