Are Christians Allowed to Eat Pork?

Introduction

I have recently been confronted by a man that I greatly respect. He is an excellent teacher and he loves the Lord. He is my brother in Christ and I will be together with him worshiping the Almighty God forever and ever. He is to remain unnamed for the sake of this blog, but in past days he has made me question a crucial issue in the Word of God.

Do we as Christians have the authority to eat animals which were labeled unclean by God in the Old Testament? Why would the dietary laws fizzle away as if they never existed? And why do we so often believe that the cross means we have freedom to devour whatever our appetites are craving?

He now believes that we are still under the dietary laws and must not eat things such as pork. I believe the opposite. The remainder of this blog post will be the reason why I believe we are no longer held under the Law. I ask you to pray, not that we would prove each other wrong, but that we may live as one in Christ. Don't pray that we will change our minds. Pray that we will guard our hearts.

Genesis 9:1-4 Interpretation

"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood."

Jim Staley, a well known Pastor who believes that the food laws are to still be observed today, said concerning the above verses, "If you don't have proper hermeneutics, then you won't understand this passage." Is it just me or do you sense a little arrogance in that statement?

When discussing unclear things in Scripture, I just get a little shaky when someone claims to be the hero of the church. Jim Staley and I both believe we are right. Both of us bring excellent evidence to the table. However, neither of us are all knowing.

Yes, we have the Word of God to study, but so often we forget that God is not clear on every detail. There are things in Scripture that God has not made black and white. Some things are just grey and God is calling us to trust in Him and make a decision in regards to those things.

Jim will say that Noah had an understanding of what food was (i.e. you would never eat a milk jug). Thus when God said everything alive is food for you, He was basically telling Noah that only clean animals are food for you. We know that Noah knew which animals were clean and unclean because of Genesis 7:2 when God is commanding Noah how many of each animal to bring upon the ark.

The first problem with this theory is that Noah and his family wouldn't have had an understanding of eating any type of meat, whether clean or unclean. They didn't eat meat before this time. Their understanding of food would have been apples and bananas, broccoli and cabbage. Before the flood, they were only allowed to eat fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

The second problem is that there are two things that God said would happen between man and animals.

1. Fear of man will be on every beast of the earth, bird of the sky, creeping thing, and all of the fish of the sea.
2. Every moving thing alive is now food for man just as God gave man originally the plants.

Within these two commands of God, why is it that only the second one does not mean what it says? We all agree with God concerning the issue of the fear of man upon all of the animals, yet for some reason we cannot agree with Him concerning what we can eat.

It is kind of like we are telling God, "I believe that animals have a fear of me, but I just cannot bring myself to believe that You would allow me to eat whatever is living. Therefore, God, I will believe Your first point, but it's obvious that You would never actually give me freedom."

The third problem is that God didn't say you can eat whatever you want. He said that you can eat every moving thing that is alive! You cannot eat wood. God did give us common sense not to eat a milk jug. And now, for Noah and His family, God is now telling them that they are free to eat any animal they would desire and all of the plants.

The fourth and final problem with Jim's view is that God gave only one requirement when eating this meat. He did not tell Noah that it had to be a clean animal. God commanded that they never eat meat that still had its blood in it.

Many people will then in defense exclaim, "God doesn't change His mind!" Indeed they are right...in one sense...and indeed they are wrong in another. God in the fullest sense, knows all things. Yet God all throughout Scripture has been known to postpone or change or even desire to change His plans.

God changed His mind by postponing the judgment when Jonah preached and the men of Nineveh repented. God desired to wipe out the entire Israel nation and restart with Moses because of their disobedience, yet Moses pleaded with God and He relented. God commanded Ezekiel to cook his bread over human poop, yet when Ezekiel pleaded with God, God allowed him to cook it over cow's dung.

I admit that I don't fully understand how God who is all-knowing can possibly change His mind, but I don't ever want to limit Him by saying that He cannot. This in no way changes who He is yesterday, today and tomorrow because God is forever faithful. That is who He is and just because He changes His mind about poop doesn't at all effect His faithfulness. We all agree that God cannot lie. Changing His mind about postponing His judgment with Nineveh is not lying because the object of His wrath changed.

Context

The main passage concerning dietary laws is Leviticus 11. Through this chapter we learn what we can and cannot eat...or do we? Do you remember when Cain killed Abel? God placed a mark on him so that if anyone found him and killed him then the Lord would have vengeance upon the killer sevenfold. That is interesting because we don't usually imagine God protecting murderers.

I bring up that story because God was talking specifically to Cain. Certainly God does not protect every murderer! Thus in interpreting the Scriptures we must know who God is talking to. Leviticus 11:2 clarifies that God is only speaking to the sons of Israel. Are you a son of Israel? I'm not. I think we often forget that the Bible is a very Jewish book and that it was written to a specific people.

God chose a nation and named it Israel. They were to be His people. Through this nation He would send His Son and all the peoples of the world would be blessed through them. Often we forget that He still loved Gentiles. Not only that, but God even chose people who were not part of Israel such as Abimelech, Rahab, Ruth, Naaman, Nebuchadnezzar, etc.

Peter's Vision

The most common place for us to go is Peter's vision in Acts 10. As you know, Cornelius and his family were Gentiles who loved the Lord. They feared God, yet they knew nothing of Jesus...at least not of His death, burial, and resurrection.

An angel of God came to Cornelius and told him to send for Peter in Joppa. On the next day, Peter was praying and God revealed to him a vision. He saw the sky opened up and something like a great sheet came down lowered by its four corners.

This sheet was filled with all sorts of animals and God said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!" Peter gave the excuse that he has never eaten anything unclean and then God told him, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." This all happened three times before it was taken back up into the sky.

While Peter was wondering about what the vision meant, the Gentiles had come to the house in search for him. The Spirit of God told Peter to go with them and so he did. Peter went into the Gentile's house and told them everything about this Jesus.

The main argument put forth is in verse 28. Peter explains how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a Gentile and he says, "God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean."

Wait! Where in Scripture did God ever call Gentiles unclean? He didn't. Instead God commands Israel to love them and show them hospitality. This seems that Peter and the other apostles were acting in a type of Jewish traditionalism of hatred towards outsiders because this definitely was not a Scriptural idea.

Many people who believe that we are held under the dietary restrictions will actually use this chapter in support of their cause. They claim that when Peter explains the vision in verse 28 he doesn't even acknowledge food. Therefore, they say that the vision was about how the Gentiles are no longer unclean.

The problem is that God never said the Gentiles were unclean. He said their food was unclean. Notice I said their food. The Gentiles ate pig. This was something that was associated greatly with Gentiles and now God gives Peter a vision and tells him to kill and eat these animals.

Yes. The vision was to take Peter to the Gentiles, but how does a Jew best associate themselves with a Gentile? He eats their food. He dines with them. He fellowships with them. He meets them where they are at and comes into their life and their way of living, which just so happens to involve some bacon.

James's Judgment

This explanation of the vision would make perfect sense later on in Acts chapter 15. Jews had come in among the saved Gentile believers and were teaching them that they must adhere to the Law of Moses and observe their customs. Paul and Barnabas, however, were furious and had great debate with them.

The church decided that they should each go up to the apostles in Jerusalem concerning this issue. Within this entire chapter, Luke reveals to us that the apostles themselves believed that God is doing something different than He had done previously. For even while some Pharisees were hard-pressed in keeping with the unbearable yoke of the Law, the apostles determined from the Old Testament and the giving of the Holy Spirit that the Church is not to be held in bondage of the Law.

In fact, James gives his judgment, but notice what he doesn't say. He says that they should abstain from sexual immorality, things sacrificed to idols, what is strangled and from blood. He never says that they should abstain from unclean animals. Obviously he knew what Gentiles ate.

In all seriousness, this address is actually only given so that there will be unity among the Jews and Gentiles. Sexual immorality is the only black and white sin issue dealt with in this passage.

Galatians 2:11-21

This idea continues to confirm Scripture when Paul is addressing the Galatian believers. In this passage, Paul tells the story of when Peter basically forsook the Gentile believers in order that he may have a good reputation among the Jews.

Again I ask, what were Gentiles eating? Pigs. Peter not only sat with the Gentile believers during meal times, but he ate what they ate. However, when some Jews came from James, he separated himself from among them and would not associate himself with them. He not only left their table, but he left them eating pork steaks by themselves.

Because of this, Paul opposed him to his face in front of all of them for his hypocrisy.

The book of Galatians tells us that we are no longer under law, but under grace. We no longer need a schoolmaster to get us dressed in the morning and ready for school and then babysit us the rest of the day. God, by the grace He has shown through Christ Jesus, has made us to be adult sons. He wants us to grow up. It is His desire that we grow into a mature man in making decisions based on His Word and relying on His Holy Spirit.

I am reminded of an illustration by one of my teachers at Bible School. Imagine Adam in the garden bringing an apple to God. Imagine Adam asking God, "How would You like me to eat it? Should I cook it or eat it raw? If I cook it, should I do it over fire or bake it? Should I wrap it in caramel?" Then, imagine God's response. God says, "Just eat it! It doesn't matter what you do to it. I made it for your delight. Eat it however you want. It makes Me no difference." Yes, we depend upon God, but there is a level of maturing that He desires of us.

1 Timothy 4:1-5

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude..."

In the last days men will tell you to forbid marriage and abstain from certain foods. Do you believe we are in the last days? We have seen all throughout church history the idea of forbidding marriage, but what about the other?

If we add to this passage, we can make it say whatever we want. Jim Staley and many others will say that this means vegetarians will tell you to abstain from meat all together. Is this what this passage is referring to?

I believe it isn't. If you compare the amount of vegetarians who are telling you to abstain from meat with the amount of "Law abiding Christians" telling you to abstain from unclean meat, the results are staggering. The amount of "Law abiding Christians" to every vegetarian is 10 to 1. This passage is talking about people in the Church falling away and believing these doctrines of demons.

Therefore, in the church, when was the last time you ever heard a pastor who is vegetarian, tell you that it is wrong to eat meat? Personally speaking, I have never heard this. However, flip that question around. When was the last time you heard a pastor or teacher telling you to abstain from specific types of meat? I have heard the latter many a time...especially in  recent days.

I was told that even Joel Olsteen believes we should abstain from unclean animals and therefore that has got to warrant some credit. If anything, this should even more cause you to question this belief seeing how he is a heretical teacher.

Again, when, besides Chick-fil-A, have you ever heard a pastor or teacher telling you to not eat cows? Never! When was the last time you heard a pastor or teacher telling you to refuse the consumption of pigs? Yesterday! If Paul is not referencing these "Law abiding Christians" denying the Jewish unclean animals for consumption, then we can't be in the last days because it is a rare thing for someone in the Church to actively vocalize the legality of forbidding all types of meat.

Conclusion

In conclusion, whether you agree with my views or not, I am overjoyed that we will be spending eternity together enjoying the Lord. Paul said in Romans and 1 Corinthians that some have consciences that won't allow them to partake in various areas, while others aren't bothered by it in the slightest. If you struggle with this concept, I am not trying to change your views. I am simply opening up the Scriptures and showing from a Biblical standpoint why I believe what I believe.

In Paul's writings we get the idea that if by some chance you somehow encourage a brother to do what his conscience won't allow him to do, then you have sinned against your brother. Eating pork, according to Scripture, is not a sin, but I do feel that causing someone to feel guilty either about eating it or not would be detrimental. Thanks for reading. Walk with God.