Many to most mainstream Christians love to quote the verses or parts of them listed below, shown in CAPITALIZED letters, lifting them “sky high” out of their proper contexts, to try to prove that the food laws have been annulled. From just quickly reading the explanations, though, you can easily see that they do not really prove that the very beneficial, protective food restrictions have been abrogated.
1) 1 Timothy 4:1-5: “…… in latter times SOME WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS, 2 SPEAKING LIES …… 3 FORBIDDING TO MARRY, and COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM FOODS WHICH GOD CREATED TO BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING by those who believe and know the truth. 4 FOR EVERY CREATURE OF GOD IS GOOD, AND NOTHING IS TO BE REFUSED if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (NKJV)
ANALYSIS: Not just a “red flag,” but an almost “blindingly bright, pulsating, red flare streaking skyward” should immediately be seen when reading the words “FORBIDDING TO MARRY” if you mistakenly believe verse 3 and 4 prove that the food laws have been annulled. Those words instantly indicate that the particular people telling us not to marry and to abstain from foods ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE following Biblical principles because marriage of course is certainly condoned and encouraged in the Bible. Such people could not possibly have been Jews, Benjamites, or any other Old Testament, Mosaic food law obeying tribe of Israel. The context of chapter 4 is found in verse 1 which is a WARNING AGAINST DEMONIC DOCTRINES and DECEIVING SPIRITS (demons) teaching celibacy and EXCESSIVE ASCETICISM concerning foods. The context of verse 3 is a certain class of food, and not necessarily just any food, which God specifically created to be “received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the TRUTH,” or to be eaten with thanksgiving by those people. What kind of TRUTH do you think that most likely would be? Biblical truth, previously established Biblical truth as in the Mosaic food laws, would of course most likely be the kind of truth referred to here. Verse 4 involves the same context and is logically referring only to the same group of edible foods “God created to be received with thanksgiving,” according to Leviticus, not necessarily just any creature or food.
2) Matthew 15:11: “THAT WHICH ENTERS INTO THE MOUTH DOESN’T DEFILE THE MAN; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” (WEB)
ANALYSIS: Nearby Matthew 15:2: “Why do Your disciples …… not wash their hands when they eat bread” essentially “spells out” that the MAIN SUBJECT MATTER here in chapter 15 all the way to verse 20 is the man concocted Jewish ritual of washing hands in a certain way before eating, NOT the forbidden foods. Ingesting unclean meats most certainly can “defile” you, however. You can be so defiled by eating what is forbidden, such as eating contaminated shellfish, that you can die within 2 days. Further proof that verse 11 cannot be referring to the forbidden foods is the similar KIND OF DEFILEMENT Jesus is referring to in verses 18 and 19. The defilement being described in those 2 verses comes from the mouth and heart (mind) and consists of EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, ADULTERIES, FORNICATIONS, THEFTS, LYING, and BLASPHEMIES. Therefore this type of defilement is spiritual, not physical. Unclean foods are physical.
3) 1 Corinthians 8:1,4,10:25,27: “Now concerning things offered to idols …… 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols ……” 10:25: “EAT WHATEVER IS SOLD IN THE MEAT MARKET …….. 27 …….. EAT WHATEVER IS SET BEFORE YOU, asking no question for conscience’ sake.” (NKJV)
ANALYSIS: Briefly, the issue in these verses is not about whether certain meats are clean or unclean. According to Acts 14:13, the only NT verse describing what kinds of animals were sacrificed, oxen, which are clean, were offered to pagan gods, which more than likely indicates that unclean animals were not the kind that were sacrificed. The all important context, though, involves whether or not you should eat apparently clean meats previously meant to be offered as a sacrifice to a pagan god. In 1 Corinthians 8:1,4 the phrases “Now concerning things offered to idols” and “Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols” pinpoint the kind of food issue being discussed, which is the eating of food, regardless of whether it is “clean” or not, that has or will be offered to pagan gods. No other verse or word in 1 Corinthians 8-10 even suggests that the discussion involves the decision to eat clean or unclean meats. In certain circumstances when it might offend someone if you initially refused to eat meat previously meant to be offered to an idol, Paul said it is okay to eat that meat to avoid offending another person, apparently especially a potential Christian. In verse 28, however, Paul told us to not eat that previously offered meat if eating it would make someone unhappy.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:17: “Come out, then, from among them …….., separate yourselves from them, and DO NOT EVEN TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN ………” (Knox New Testament)
Mainstream Christians routinely not only touch but also eat bacon, crabs, pizza with pork contaminated pepperoni, and Vibrio vulnificus contaminated oysters, etc. The above is a New Testament verse by Paul that provides additional evidence that the dietary laws are still valid, which also implies that many other Mosaic laws are still valid, too. The original Greek word for “touch” is haptomai, defined by world renowned Biblical word expert Joseph Thayer as “……. to fasten to ……. adhere to, cling to, ……. to touch …….” In accordance with other commentators Thayer further defines haptomai as “……. have no intercourse with the Gentiles, no fellowship in their heathenish practices ……. THE THINGS NOT TO BE TOUCHED APPEAR TO BE both women (unbelievers) and CERTAIN KINDS OF FOOD (forbidden food).” The original Greek word for “unclean” in the above verse is akathartos, which in accordance with Thayer is defined as “……. that which MUST BE ABSTAINED FROM ACCORDING TO THE LEVITICAL LAW, lest impurity be contracted …….” which of course would include food.
1 John 3:4: “…… SIN IS THE VIOLATION OF LAW” (Weymouth New Testament)
Romans 6:1,2: “So what do we do? Keep on SINNING so God can keep on forgiving? I SHOULD HOPE NOT! 2 If we’ve left the country where SIN is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good?” (The Message) The word “SIN” appears in this and other verses, so remember, according to 1 John 3:4 above, it means ONLY one thing, BREAKING either the food, festival, tithing, Saturday rest, or some other OT or NT law or a combination of those laws.
Romans 3:31: “Are we abolishing Moses’ Teachings by this faith? THAT’S UNTHINKABLE! Rather, we are SUPPORTING Moses’ teachings.” (God’s Word Translation)
JUDE 1:4: “…… (impious, PROFANE) persons …… PERVERT THE GRACE …… of our God into LAWLESSNESS ……” (The Amplified Bible)
ROMANS 3:24,25: “…… GRACE, through …… Jesus: …… 25 in His pity God let the SINS OF EARLIER TIMES GO UNPUNISHED.” (Bible in Basic English) That is why we need to keep on obeying the law after our baptism. New, post baptismal sins, though, when confessed and sincerely repented of, can also be forgiven (1 John 1:9, 2:1,2). Abandoning one’s conversion and baptism, however, or deliberately and consistently sinning may ultimately be judged as unforgiveable according to Hebrews 6:4-6, and 10:26-27.
Remember, only 7 verses in the entire Bible say literally that Christians are no longer under the law, but every single one of those 7 contextually constricted verses is limited to the very few, specific laws that the Apostles said were now abolished. Those laws are the sacrifice, circumcision, Levitical priesthood, and eternal death penalty laws. The topic is never the general law, so that means the safe meat, mostly prophetic, hope filled festivals, and enriching tithing laws are still in full force despite what the popular, verse skipping, added verse supporting, mainstream churches fanatically preach (the last sentence in Mark 7:19, which is highly deceitful and therefore sinful, in most translations, IS NOT in the original Greek).