TRUE SALVATION
Straight from the Bible
UNCLEAN FOODS
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Introduction
Many Christians believe that dietary laws in the Bible are not applicable to us today, believing that we are not under God’s law and that Jesus declared all foods clean. They also point to the writings of Paul to support this view. Is this really what the Bible teaches? Did Jesus really intend to abolish the law and allow us to eat any and everything, as long as we pray over it?
Topics covered in this study:
I. Reasons to Avoid Biblical Unclean Foods
II. Foods Considered unclean for God's people
III. The Biblical Diet
IV. Common Objections to Abstaining from Unclean Foods
V. Health Concerns Tied to Eating Unclean
VI. Conclusion
I. Reasons to Avoid Biblical Unclean Foods
1. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, and he commanded his followers
to practice and teach the law (Matthew 5:17-20), which teaches that certain foods are unclean.
(See “Unclean Foods” section below)
2. God’s Law tells us to avoid unclean foods. (See “Unclean Foods / Animals” section below)
3. Eating biblically clean is associated with being holy, and without holiness no will see God.
a. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the
Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
b. You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the
dogs. (Exodus 22:31)
c. For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you
shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am
the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I
am holy. (Leviticus 11:44 -45)
d. You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and
clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—
those that I have set apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am
holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. (Leviticus 20:25-26)
4. Eating unclean food is offensive to God.
a. Eating of pigs, rats, and other unclean meat is part of why God judged the Israelites and is part of the judgment coming upon all men (Isaiah 65:4, 66:16-18).
b. God classifies those who eat pigs, rats and other “abominable” things will together to be judged by fire
and sword in Isaiah 66:16-17.
i. Abominable (some Bible versions use detestable) is defined as causing moral revulsion (disgust and
loathing); very bad or unpleasant.
ii. Usually when certain activities were declared “abominations” or “detestable” they not only applied to
the nation of Israel, but also to all people everywhere. God told the Israelites that the nations before
them became defiled by detestable things and that’s why the land vomited out those nations, and
that the land would vomit them (the Israelites) out if they practiced the same things (Leviticus
18:24-30, 20:22-26). Unclean foods are declared detestable in Deuteronomy 14:3.
c. Unclean food laws don’t apply just for Israelites & Jews only, but to non-Israelites also.
i. In a prophecy concerning the Philistines (enemies of Israel), God promises to take the blood from
their mouths and the forbidden foods from their lips (Zechariah 9:6-7).
ii. The Israelites were to have the same law for the foreigners living among them (Numbers
15:14-16*, 29).
d. Jesus takes issue with his servants eating food sacrificed to idols and requires them to repent
(Revelation 2:14-16, 20-23).
i. The apostles at the Council at Jerusalem wrote to the Gentiles (non-Israelite) believers to abstain
from food sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:29).
e. As God used Ezekiel to prophesy judgment over Jerusalem's sins, he says "Her priests do violence to my law
and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach
that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping
of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezekiel 22:26)
i. Peter said that we (Christians) are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. (1 Peter 2:9)
f. If God no longer considers any animals unclean, why does he mention in Revelation 18:1-2 that Babylon
the Great has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every
unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal?
i. Is there a correlation between unclean animals and demons?
a.) Consider the fact that Jesus cast the demons (unclean spirits) into the pigs which are
considered unclean animals. (Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-33)
5. Unclean foods were established in Genesis before the law was given to the Israelites.
a. God had already categorized animals as clean and unclean in the time of Noah entering the ark, long
before the Law was given or the Israelites existed. (Genesis 7:1-2)
i. Noah was only to take 2 of every kind of unclean animal, while taking 7 of every kind of clean
animal onto the arc (Genesis 7:2). One might assume that God was making provision for people to
eat the clean animals; hence the larger amount.
b. Eating blood was also forbidden both before (Genesis 9:4) the law was given and within the law (Leviticus
17:10-14), both for the Israelite and the alien (Gentiles) because the life is in the blood.
c. Some would argue that after the flood, God did tell Noah that he was giving everything that lives and
moves as food (Genesis 9:3). However, if his intent was to give men all animals to eat, then there would
have been no reason to restrict the Israelites.
6. Following God's commands is a necessary part of what makes us holy & righteous. (Leviticus
20:8, Deuteronomy 6:25) Some have been persecuted for refusing to eat unclean foods.
a. In 2 Maccabees 7, a mother and her 7 sons were arrested and tortured to death, 1 by 1, because they
refused to eat pork. They were skinned alive and then their hands and feet were cut off. They referenced
their belief in the resurrection several times (2 Maccabees 7). This story was actually part of fulfillment
of prophecy in Daniel 7:25. It was common for pagans to try to get God's people to break his laws.
i. The pagans (Greeks) also tried to force Eleazar, the scribe, to eat pork (2 Maccabees 6:18)
II. Foods Considered Unclean for God's People
1. Do not eat blood or anything with blood in it. (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:17, 7:26-27, 17:10-14,
Deuteronomy 12:16, 23, 15:23)
a. Blood may be found in strangled animals, which is why the NT Jerusalem council prohibited eating such
meat, though not directly stated from God. The intent is to not eat blood. (Acts 15:20, 29, 21:25)
2. Do not eat the fat of an animal. This includes lard, tallow, suet, duck and schmaltz. (Leviticus 3:17, 7:22-25)
3. Unclean Animals – God defines unclean animals in the Law (Leviticus 11:1-47, Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Do
not eat the following unclean (or detestable) animals:
a. Detestable things are things the Lord hates. (Deuteronomy 12:31)
b. Animals that don’t both have a split hoof and chew the cud (camels, rabbits, pigs, hyraxes etc.)
(Leviticus 11:4-8, Deuteronomy 14:7-8)
i. The hoof is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick and horny keratin
covering. A Horse has a “parted hoof”, but it is not “cloven footed”. A cloven hoof, cleft hoof, divided
hoof or split hoof is a hoof split into two toes.
ii. Cud is a portion of food that returns from a ruminant's stomach to the mouth to be chewed for the
second time. More accurately, it is a bolus of semi-degraded food regurgitated from the reticulorumen
of a ruminant. Cud is produced during the physical digestive process of rumination.
a.) This infers that the animals that don't chew the cud do not process or digest the nutrients to
the same extent of the animals that do.
b.) Rabbits re-swallow up to 80% of their feces to use their food more efficiently in a process
known as 'refection'. Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half hour of a
grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective
feeding.
c. Sea creatures that don’t have both fins and scales are detestable (Leviticus 11:10-12, Deuteronomy 14:9-
10).
Some commonly eaten unclean examples of these today would include catfish, shrimp, octopus, crab,
lobster, crawfish, alligator, clams etc.
d. Some birds (eagles, vultures, falcons, ravens, kites, owls, gulls, hawks, ospreys, cormorants, storks,
herons, hoopoes, and bats) are detestable (Leviticus 11:13-19, Deuteronomy 14:11-18).
i. Cormorant - aquatic bird commonly encountered on British Isles
ii. Hoopoes - colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown"
of feathers
e. All flying insects that swarm and or walk on all fours are detestable except locusts, katydids,
grasshoppers, & crickets (Leviticus 11:20-23, Deuteronomy 14:19-20).
i. It is interesting to note here that bees are included among unclean insects we cannot eat, yet God
allows us to eat the honey (Exodus 3:8, 17, 13:5, 16:31, 33:3, Judges 14:5-9, Deuteronomy 8:8)
that bees produce through regurgitation.
f. Animals that walk on their paws (dogs, cats, lions, tigers, bears, etc.) are unclean (Leviticus 11:27).
g. Animals that move on the ground (weasels, rats, lizards, geckos, chameleons, etc.) are unclean (Leviticus
11:29-31).
h. Every creature (insects included) that moves about on the ground by belly or legs is detestable (Leviticus
11:41-42). This would include snakes, alligators, worms, etc.
4. Don’t eat meat found dead or torn by wild beasts. However, aliens within Israel and foreigners were
permitted to eat these, though it would cause them to become ceremonially unclean (Exodus 22:31, Leviticus
17:15-16, Deuteronomy 14:21).
5. Don’t cook a young goat in its mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26, Deuteronomy 14:21).
a. Note that Jews don't eat burgers in precaution of breaking this law. However, note also that Abraham
served the Lord milk and a calf (Genesis 18:6-8).
6. Don't eat any foods produced from crossbreeding. (Deuteronomy 22:9, Leviticus 19:19)
7. Don’t eat any foods sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:29, Revelation 2:14-16, 20-23). This is only found in the
New Testament (NT).
Popular Unclean Seafood
III. The Biblical Diet
1. Seed bearing plants and trees
a. Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every
tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. (Genesis 1:29)
2. Any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud (Leviticus 11:3)
a. As in ox (beef), sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, ibex, (Deuteronomy 14:4-5).
3. Sea creatures that have both fins and scales (Leviticus 11:9, Deuteronomy 14:9)
4. Any clean bird (Deuteronomy 14:11). This would include chicken, etc.
5. Some flying (winged) insects that walk on all fours including: Locust, katydid, cricket,
grasshoppers (Leviticus 11:21-22, Deuteronomy 14:20)
For a complete list of Clean and Unclean animals view the list here.
IV. Common Objections to Abstaining from Unclean Foods
1. We're not under the law
Most Christians tend to believe that the above mentioned dietary laws are all “under the law,” and that “we are
not under the law” (Romans 6:14) and therefore, laws about clean or unclean foods do not apply. This is
hypocrisy because most Christians base their morals of right and wrong from the items written in the Old
Testament (OT) Law, whether they know it or not. For example:
a. Most Christians believe the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21) of the OT Law are
still applicable today, although most only practice 9 of them since most don’t believe in keeping the
Biblical Sabbath.
b. Most Christians believe in tithing, which is in the OT Law (Leviticus 27:30, Deuteronomy 14:23, Malachi
3:8-12), and many of them testify that it brings blessings and that failing to do so brings curses. If one
believes failure to tithe will negatively impact their finances, shouldn’t they also believe
that eating unclean foods will negatively impact their health?
c. Many laws still obeyed by Christians today come from OT laws written outside of the 10 Commandments.
i. The greatest commandment mentioned by Jesus is to Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind
(Matthew 22:34-40). This is actually found in the Law in Deuteronomy 6:5, outside of the 10
Commandments.
ii. The 2nd greatest command mentioned by Jesus is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34-
40). This is found in the Law in Leviticus 19:18, outside of the 10 Commandments.
iii. The evil thoughts that Jesus defined that makes us unclean (Matthew 15:19 – murder, adultery,
sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander) all come from the OT Law. Slander and sexual
immorality are found outside of the 10 Commandments. Adultery (one of the 10 commandments) is
actually a form of sexual immorality. Sexual immorality covers a broader scope of sexual sins.
a.) Sexual immorality is condemned throughout the NT (Matthew 5:27-28, 15:18-19, 1Corinthians
6:9-11, 18-20, Ephesians 5:3-7, Galatians 5:19-21, Revelations 21:8, 22:14-15). The OT Law actually defines what sexual immorality is (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 18:1-30, 19:20, 20:10,
Deuteronomy 22:30).
iv. Witchcraft practices are outlawed in the NT (Galatians 5:20, Revelation 21:8, 22:15) are found in
Leviticus (19:26, 31, 20:6), outside of the 10 Commandments.
v. There are many more examples we could list in this section as nearly everything mentioned as sin in
the NT can be found in the OT Law. (Visit God's Commands lesson for more info.)
2. Many believe Jesus declared all foods clean
a. Is this true? Here's what Jesus said,
“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the
things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart
come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what
defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:10-20, Mark 7:14-23)
b. The context of this passage is about eating bread with unwashed hands and not foods declared unclean.
Also, in the previous verses Matthew 15:3-9, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes about how they "nullify
the word of God for the sake of your tradition" and calls them hypocrites saying, "They worship Me in
vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men." For Jesus to then do away with part of the law by saying we can
now eat everything would make him guilty as well.
c. Mark 7:19 actually has a note in brackets in most translations that says,
"(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)"
However, this is not in Mark’s actual text, that’s why it's in brackets. This note was added
by translators, injecting their own interpretation into the text. None of the other 3 Gospels have this note.
It is not in the King James Version. The original Greek manuscripts do not contain this note. You
can view it for yourself here.
d. If Jesus didn’t care about what we ate, why was he so concerned with his servants eating food sacrificed to
idols, threatening to judge them for it? (Revelation 2:14, 20)
e. There is no evidence in all the Bible that either Jesus or his disciples or apostles after him
ate anything unclean.
3. Some believe God made all foods clean based on the Apostle Peter’s Vision in Acts 10:9-20,
but that is not what Peter's understood the vision to mean.
a. Peter was shown a vision of unclean animals and told to “kill and eat.” Peter refused as he had never
eaten anything unclean. God told him “do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Peter’s
own interpretation of this vision (Acts 10:28, 11:4-11) was not that it was about God making
all animals clean for eating, but that it was about not calling any person impure or unclean.
i. These scriptures again reinforce that Jesus did not teach his disciples to eat unclean foods, because if
he did, wouldn’t Peter (an apostle) have known and not resisted eating them during the vision?
ii. Additionally, after this vision, the apostles made a decision in Jerusalem to tell the Gentiles to
abstain from food sacrificed to idols, meat of strangled animals (meat still having blood not drained
out), and from blood (Acts 15:29), which are based on the Old Testament Law.
4. The Writings of the Apostle Paul
Many appeal to Paul’s following writings (letters) as support for why they believe that we are free to eat any and
everything.
a. Again, Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but expects us to practice and teach them (Matthew 5:17-20). The fact is that we are still required to live by God’s moral standards found written in the OT Law, but we must interpret it's applicability, based on what it says and what has transpired since.
b. Paul is not God nor is he the Lord. He did not walk with Jesus while Jesus was on the earth, and we find
several contradictions between his teachings and Jesus’ teachings concerning matters of the law being
abolished. When we find apparent contradictions between God and one of his servants, we must always
choose to follow what God says (Deuteronomy 13:1-4).
c. It is important to note that while Paul was a servant of God, not all of his words should be considered as the
“Word of God.” The “Word of God” refers to statements that come directly from God the Father or from the
Lord Jesus. In the OT, the Words of God are accompanied by statements like: “The Lord says / said”, “thus
says the Lord,” “God says / said,” “God spoke,” “The Spirit of the Lord says / said,” the Angel of the Lord
says / said,” etc. Similarly, in the NT, any words quoting Jesus found in the Gospels can be taken as the
“Word of God” since Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). In contrast, the apostles never claimed to be
infallible, though they did have God’s Holy Spirit, which is also shared with believers today. However,
having God’s Spirit does not mean that every word you speak from the time you receive Him until eternity
will be the “Word of God” because humans are imperfect and we are not always directly led by God’s Holy Spirit in every word and deed.
i. In the same letter where Paul discusses abstaining from foods, he previously differentiates his own
words from those of the Lords by saying “I say this (I, not the Lord)” (1 Corinthians 7:12).
Arguments From the Paul's Letters Used By Those Who Believe We Can Eat Everything
Our Counter-Arguments
-
Paul was fully convinced that no food unclean in
itself (Romans 14:14) and said that all food is clean
(Romans 14:20)
1. There are no scriptures to prove that Jesus or his
disciples or future leaders ate unclean foods.
2. Peter (an apostle directly appointed by Jesus while on
earth) declared that he had never eaten anything
unclean (Acts 10:14).
3.Though Paul may have thought (in some cases) it was
okay to eat food sacrificed to idols (unknowingly), we
cannot assume that Paul was okay with eating unclean
animals as there are no scriptures to prove that he
actually ate them.
a. The Greek word Paul uses here to describe the
food is "koinos" (Strong's 2839) which is used to
say something has become unclean in the since of
becoming dirty or unwashed. Not in the since of
something being unclean because it is forbidden
in God's Law which would be the greek word
"akathartos" (Strong's 169).
4. Some assume that the New Testament writers (being
Jews) like Paul did not consider the animals that the
law deemed unclean to be “foods."
a. We do admit that though this is very
possible, there is no way for us to confirm
this today, as we don't know what was in
their mind.
2. Those who have stronger faith can eat anything while
those with weak faith are limited.
a. Paul felt that those who were accustomed to
idols were vulnerable to having weak
consciences about eating food sacrificed to
idols and that we are no better or worse
whether we eat such foods or not, since an idol
is nothing at all (1 Corinthians 8:4-8)
1. This contradicts Jesus having a problem with people
within his churches eating food sacrificed to idols
(Revelation 2:14-16, 20-25).
2. This contradicts the apostles and elders who agreed &
sent a letter to the Gentiles requiring them to abstain
from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of
strangled animals, and sexual immorality (Acts 15:1-31).
Paul was also present at this Jerusalem Council (15:19-
21).
3. In contradiction to his own words, Paul admits (in the
same letter) that sacrifices offered to idols are offered
to demons, and he warned not to participate (1
Corinthians 10:18-22). He goes on to say “eat anything
sold in the meat market without raising question, and
when invited to a meal, eat whatever is put before you,
but if they say it’s been offered to an idol, don’t eat it”
(1 Corinthians 10:23-30).
3. Colossians 2:16 - Therefore do not let anyone judge
you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a
religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a
Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that
were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
1. Paul does not directly say here that we can eat unclean
foods, though his statement does seem to lower the
importance of what we eat as some temporary thing.
2. From the context in Colossians 2:18, the "anyone judge"
that Paul was referring to in verse 2:16 were those who
delight in false humility and the worship of angels who
are puffed up in idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
This is not necessarily speaking against sincere
followers of Christ who believe in keeping the laws of
God (including eating clean foods).
3. Also from the context in Colossians 2:20-23, Paul is
referring to rules of this world and human commands
with self-imposed worship and harsh treatment of the
body. These should not be referring to abstaining from
unclean foods, since this is not a human command, but
is a command from God (Leviticus 11:1-47,
Deuteronomy 14:1-21). This is most likely dealing with
the human commands added to God's command,
similar to the time of Jesus when the Pharisees accused
his disciples of eating with unwashed hands (Matthew
12:1-14, Mark 2:23-3:6, Luke 6:1-10, 13:10-17, John 5:8-18,
*7:21-24, 9:13-16). Jesus had a problem with the rules
created by the religious leaders that interfered with
truly keeping God's commands and were simply rules
taught by men (Matthew 15:1-14, Mark 7:1-13). We also
see this in many churches of today, where God's
commands are not kept, but traditions of the church or
denomination are followed.
4. We can just pray over any food and it will be
blessed
a. Paul says that some would later follow deceiving
spirits forbidding people to marry and ordering
them to abstain from certain foods, which God
created to be received with Thanksgiving... everything God created is good, and nothing is to
be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (1
Timothy 4:1-5)
1. Just as it would not be wise to pray over anything
poisonous and eat it, we should not think it's okay to
pray over unclean foods and eat them.
2. Though we know that God made everything, he did not
allow his people to eat everything.
3. Note that Paul said "foods which God created to be
received with thanksgiving," i.e. the foods God said
could be eaten by his people.
V. Health Concerns Tied to Eating Unclean
1. Could God have been trying to protect us from diseases, by forbidding us from eating unclean foods?
a. Here are some health studies support abstaining from some known unclean foods:
i. Pork: Why you should avoid this meat - Dr. Axe
ii. What is the risk of shellfish - SFGate
b. Reference this interesting article describing ecological characteristics of unclean animals:
i. Study topic: Do you really want to eat that?
c. We know that plagues and diseases breakout, some from unclean food sources (i.e. swine flu), and many
of which the origins are unknown or undiscovered.
i. SARS
ii. Swine flu
iii. 11 (sometimes) deadly diseases that hopped across species
iv. Animal Transmitted Diseases
d. Many might argue that since they’ve eaten unclean foods all of their life, that it’s okay to continue.
However, that same argument can be used for many other sins that a person commits before coming to
the Lord. For example, there are many ex-fornicators, who have never gotten an STD, but that doesn’t
mean that they won’t if they continue. God holds us more accountable when we learn what we ought to
be doing (Luke 12:47-48). Also keep in mind people who have died younger than expected due to disease
and illness.
e. There are other laws concerning uncleanness in the Bible about other matters that have been medically
proven to be unclean (or dangerous to the health of the individual and others):
i. Infectious skin diseases (Leviticus 13:1-46, 14:1-32)
ii. Mildew (mold) (Leviticus 13:47-59, 14:33-57)
iii. Women on their periods (Leviticus 18:19)
iv. Women after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-2)
v. Bodily discharges (Leviticus 15:1-33, Deuteronomy 23:9-14)
2. Notice that Eastern cultures tend to eat (i.e. spiders, snakes, etc.) & do the most detestable things (i.e. idolatry)
and tend to suffer the worst (casualties) of God’s disasters.
3. Consider the fact that Jesus cast the demons (unclean spirits) into the pigs which are considered unclean
animals. (Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-33)
VI. Conclusion
1. Please pray about and consider eliminating unclean foods from your diet. The benefits are that this will:
a. bring you nearer to God as you obey him
b. bring blessing to your health
c. bring blessing to your family’s health
2. It really doesn’t take much to give up unclean eating. Sure there will be times when you can’t partake in what
everyone else is doing, but that’s really what we’re called to anyway as Christians in a world where sinful
practices have become commonplace. We are called to be holy (which means to be “set apart”). You can use
these opportunities to minister God’s word to others.
May God bless you for obeying him!