1 Timothy 4:4
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
Cross-references
In 1 Tim 4:3, false teachers forbid foods God created to be received with thanksgiving — v4 directly affirms those foods are good.
In 1 Corinthians 10:25, Paul directs believers to eat market meat without question, directly paralleling the 'nothing to be rejected' command.
In Romans 14:20, Paul states everything is clean but warns against causing others to stumble, adding a relational nuance to the same liberty.
In Romans 14:14, Paul similarly declares nothing is unclean in itself, reinforcing the teaching that all food is acceptable with thanksgiving.
Acts 11:7-9 records God's command not to call impure what He has made clean, directly reinforcing the principle that no created thing should be rejected.
Genesis 1:31 declares all God made 'very good', providing the OT foundation for the claim that everything created is good and not to be rejected.
Luke 9:16 shows Jesus giving thanks for the loaves before feeding 5000—modeling the thankful reception of food Paul instructs.
In Titus 1:15, Paul teaches all things are pure to the pure — reinforcing the idea in 1 Tim 4:4 that nothing is to be rejected.
In 1 Cor 10:30, Paul argues that giving thanks justifies eating — directly echoing the logic of 1 Tim 4:4.
Mark 6:41 records Jesus blessing the loaves before feeding 5000—the thanksgiving pattern Paul calls for.
Matthew 15:36 again shows Jesus giving thanks before multiplying loaves—reinforcing the thanksgiving practice Paul teaches.
Matthew 14:19 shows Jesus giving thanks for the loaves before the feeding—the very act of thanksgiving Paul commands for all food.
In Genesis 2:16, God gives Adam every tree for food, establishing creation’s goodness—the original precedent for the principle in 1 Timothy 4:4.
In Genesis 9:3, God expands the permissible foods to all animals, affirming that everything He creates is good for food—a direct parallel.
In Genesis 9:4, God restricts eating blood, contrasting with 1 Timothy 4:4’s blanket 'nothing to be rejected', showing an exception.
In Leviticus 3:17, a permanent ban on fat and blood contrasts with 1 Timothy 4:4’s declaration that nothing created is to be rejected.
In Leviticus 7:26, a prohibition against eating blood directly opposes 1 Timothy 4:4’s claim that nothing is to be rejected.
Leviticus 11:2 lists clean/unclean animals—the dietary restrictions Paul says are no longer binding for believers who receive food with thanksgiving.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 commends eating and drinking with joy as God's gift—the same grateful enjoyment Paul endorses for all creation.
Matthew 15:11 declares that eating doesn't defile a person—the same principle Paul uses to say all foods are good and not to be rejected.
In Acts 27:35, Paul gives thanks for bread before eating — a practical demonstration of the 'receive with thanksgiving' principle.
Deuteronomy 8:10 commands blessing God after eating from the good land—the thankful posture Paul says to have when receiving food.
Deuteronomy 12:16 forbids eating blood—a food restriction that persists in Acts 15, contrasting with Paul's claim that nothing is to be rejected.
Acts 15:20 lists food restrictions for Gentiles, which seems to contrast with the 'nothing is to be rejected'—though the decree is for unity, not intrinsic uncleanness.
Acts 15:29 repeats the decree to abstain from certain foods—a practical restriction that contrasts with the broad statement that nothing God created is to be rejected.
Acts 21:25 reiterates the apostolic decree on food restrictions, again contrasting with the affirmation that all created things are good when received with thanksgiving.
In John 6:11, Jesus gives thanks before distributing loaves — a direct illustration of receiving God's provision with thanksgiving as in 1 Tim 4:4.
In 1 Corinthians 10:23, Paul applies a broader principle: all things are lawful but not beneficial, echoing the freedom but focusing on edification.
In Luke 22:17, Jesus gives thanks over the cup — a model for the 'receive with thanksgiving' principle in 1 Tim 4:4.