Christians and Pork - An Explanation for Those who have been Lied to.
I keep hearing on TWC, and it seems to be only some muslims who say this, that Christians don't follow their own book with regards to dietary restrictions, especially regarding eating pork. Christians, I am told, are either selective in their application, or lazy, or just warm fuzzy feeling people who don't care about how the Bible tells us to live.
This is wrong, and this is A LIE.
Let me please educate you, by means of verses taken directly from what Christians believe to be the Word of God, on exactly how Christians are instructed with regards to diet. Feel free to cross check any verses I give. They are all there, and will thoroughly disprove this malicious lie once and for all.
So what does the Bible tell Christians about diet?
*Here is the general principle:
So, beware of future religious or spiritual ideas that promote dietary restrictions. And all foods are to be accepted if received with thanksgiving, and thus sanctified.1Tim4:1-6. 1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
*Further verses
Mark 7:18–19 (NKJV)
18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”Romans 14:14 (NKJV)
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.1 Corinthians 10:23-31
23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."[c]
27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake[d]— 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.Revelation 2:14 (NKJV)
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.Romans 14:13-23
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, [B]I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.*OK, a fair few passages there, and none of which forbids the eating of pork - or anything at all for that matter. There are some verses in the New Testament which advise telling non-Jews to abstain from meat still with blood, or strangled animals; however that can be taken in context of the ''not causing your brother to sin'' exhortations in the above verses - as most early Christians were Jews - this was about their sensitivities, not the inherent impurity of the food.1 Corinthians 8:4-13
4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
*So in conclusion: this rumour among muslims about Christians is wrong, and it is a LIE.
When it comes to food for the Christian - ALL FOOD is sanctified by the Word of God, and the person's prayers of thanksgiving. The only exceptions are (1) when it is food sacrificed to idols or demons or (2) when fellowship with brothers is in jeopardy.
*One final thought for you guys on this matter:
I hope that clears some things up.1 Corinthians 10:30 (NKJV)
30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?
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Originally Posted by Ummon
's sake why don't you read the New Testament yourself where it all becomes quite obvious? It's not about ignoring the Old Testament - THERE ARE NO CHRISTIANS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT! The Old Testament dietary restrictions are the customary JEWISH LAWS, prescribed for the Jews by God! It contains prophesy about the coming Christ, and many gems of wisdom about the nature of God. It is important to Christians, but the Jewish Laws, for his Chosen People, are not for Christians!
