Previous
Questions and Answers
Why do Christians
eat pork?
The flesh of the swine forbidden (a)
"Of their flesh (of the swine) shall ye NOT EAT, and their carcass ye shall NOT
TOUCH; they are unclean to you " LEVITICUS 11:8 Jesus destroyed 2000 pigs to heal one
man- (b) "And forthwith Jesus gave them leave (permission). And the unclean spirits
(the devils) went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep
place into the sea (they were about two thousand); and were choked in the sea MARK 5:13.
So why do Christians eat pork?
At the first, God did not allow man (or animals) to eat meat. Genesis 1:29,30
says, “And God said, Behold, I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERY HERB bearing seed, which is upon
the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding
seed; TO YOU IT SHALL BE FOR MEAT. And TO EVERY BEAST of the earth, and TO EVERY FOWL of
the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have
given EVERY GREEN HERB FOR MEAT: and it was so.”
After the
flood, God then gave permission for man to start eating meat. Genesis 9:1-4 says,
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every
beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth,
and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. EVERY MOVING THING
THAT LIVETH SHALL BE MEAT FOR YOU; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But
flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.”
When God gave the Law to
His people Israel, He then placed some exceptions upon them as to what meats they could
and could not eat. Leviticus 11:2-23 says, “Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the
earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the
beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud,
or of them that divide the hoof: as the CAMEL, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth
not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the CONEY, because he cheweth the cud, but
divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the HARE, because he cheweth the cud,
but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the SWINE, though he divide the
hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their
flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the
waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And ALL THAT HAVE NOT FINS AND
SCALES in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living
thing which is in the waters, they SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOU: They shall be even an
abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in
abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an
abomination unto you. And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the
fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the EAGLE, and the OSSIFRAGE, and
the OSPREY, And the VULTURE, and the KITE after his kind; Every RAVEN after his kind; And
the OWL, and the NIGHT HAWK, and the CUCKOO, and the HAWK after his kind, And the LITTLE
OWL, and the CORMORANT, and the GREAT OWL, And the SWAN, and the PELICAN, and the GIER
EAGLE, And the STORK, the HERON after her kind, and the LAPWING, and the BAT. All fowls
that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of
every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to
leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and
the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after
his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an
abomination unto you.”
So when
God created everything, He told man not to eat meat. After the flood, He said that man
could eat meat (with no restrictions as to what meat). Then, when He gave the Law to His
chosen people, Israel, He placed certain restrictions upon them as to what meats they
could eat.
After the
Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross and gave His pure and innocent blood for our sins,
and then arose victorious from the grave, He then gave new instructions to Christians as
to the matter of meats. To Peter, He sent this word in Acts 10:9-17 says, “On the
morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the
housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten:
but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain
vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let
down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild
beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise,
Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that
is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, WHAT GOD HATH
CLEANSED, THAT CALL NOT THOU COMMON. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up
again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen
should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's
house, and stood before the gate.” God was using new instructions regarding meats, to
also show Peter that Jewish Christians were not to consider Gentiles as
“unclean,” but were to care about their souls and give them the gospel, as well
as to the Jews.
Colossians
2:13-17 says, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; BLOTTING OUT THE
HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES that was against us, which was contrary to us, AND TOOK IT OUT
OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made
a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. LET NO MAN THEREFORE JUDGE YOU IN MEAT,
or in DRINK, or in respect of an HOLYDAY, or of the NEW MOON, or of the SABBATH DAYS:
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” All of those
ceremonial things regarding food and days were done away with when the Lord Jesus Christ
died on the cross.
Further
instruction in the New Testament is seen in I Timothy 4:1-6, which says, “Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH,
GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron; FORBIDDING TO MARRY, AND COMMANDING TO
ABSTAIN FROM MEATS, WHICH GOD HATH CREATED TO BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING OF THEM WHICH
BELIEVE AND KNOW THE TRUTH. FOR EVERY CREATURE OF GOD IS GOOD, AND NOTHING TO BE REFUSED,
IF IT BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING: FOR IT IS SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of
Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast
attained.”
God told
us that in the latter times, seducing spirits would come along with doctrines of devils.
Two examples of their lies are given: they will come along saying that people should not
marry; and they will come along saying that people should not eat meats. God makes it
clear that it is okay to marry in God’s will, and that it is okay to eat any meat,
because it is sanctified (set apart for our bodies’ nourishment) by the Word of God
and prayer.
If you
have not yet repented of your sins and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in
Him alone for the salvation of your soul, come to Him today. John 14:6 says, “Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me.”
Previous Questions and Answers
Ask
A Question