should Christians eat pork or shellfish?

[rstrats]

In Isaiah God speaks about "a rebellious people which walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoke Me to anger continually to My face," (65:2,3). One of the reasons these people provoke the Lord is because they "eat swine's flesh, and broth of unclean meat is in their pots" (65:4).

Also, before the new heavens and new earth are established, God declares that He will consume those people "who eat swine's flesh, detestable things, and mice" (Isa.66:17). The context of this prophecy is the end times, right before the new heaven and new earth. This would certainly seem to suggest that the Lord will still expect an obedience to His dietary laws.

And Revelation talks of unclean birds which doesn't make sense if all animals have been made clean.

 

[Harbingr]

Everything deemed unclean flesh in the Bible is not simply called so arbitrarily. Bats, pigs, shellfish, and so on are particularly unclean compared to cows and such. In fact, you could eat beef raw so long is it is fresh and not contaminated.

But even then, the dietary laws dictate many things like only certain cuts of the clean animals can be eaten, that milk cannot be consumed after meat, and so on.

The dietary laws are more extensive then simply not eating pork and shellfish. As such, if you aren't following all of it, then you are just wasting your time.

Also, it's self evident just by the decree of Christ that one would not have to follow this ordinance. Adherence to it was more disciplinary then spiritually practical.

 

[Messy]

It is said that those who eat pork or shellfish should be stoned to death.

Do you eat pork? Or shellfish?

Should Christians eat pork or shellfish?

I like shellfish, pork not so much.

Acts 15
They wrote this letter by them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”[f] —to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.[g] If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

 

[rstrats]

Messy,

re: "28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.[g] If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well."


Any particular reason for quoting those 2 verses?

 

[Messy]

Messy,

re: "28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.[g] If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well."


Any particular reason for quoting those 2 verses?

That's the reason I always heard in church for not having to keep all the food commandments or things like not wearing clothes with two kinds of fabric.

 

[childofdust]

It is said that those who eat pork or shellfish should be stoned to death.

It is not said of “those” it is said of JEWS.

Do you eat pork? Or shellfish?

As a gentile, I do. Though not often. And certainly NEVER in the company of a Jew.

Should Christians eat pork or shellfish?

If they're JEWISH they should not. If they are gentile, there is no Law against it.

Jesus came and established a new covenant with humanity and the dietary laws like this do not apply.

You are correct that Yeshua came and established a new covenant with humanity, however, that does nullify or change the Word of God, which the dietary laws are.

Should Jews refrain from eating pork and shellfish or is it okay to eat it now?

Jews should refrain.

Eating certain foods (and the list also includes beef from the wrong part of the cow, and any meat butchered in the wrong way, or with blood still in it, and certain foods being served at the same meal and other rules) is a violation of a covenant or agreement that God made with the Children of Israel. His covenant with Christians does not include those dietary restrictions.

Yes, indeed, it does!

The very first decision of the very first Jerusalem Council as led by the disciples of Christ himself said this about it:

"The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
--Acts 15:23-29 (NRSV)

Notice that the substance of their entire letter is focused almost entirely on dietary restrictions for the church--and they are called essentials:
1. do not eat food sacrificed to idols
2. do not eat blood
3. do not eat what is strangled

Only if such foods appeal to the palate in question.

According to the early church's first decree as quoted above in Acts 15, there is FAR more to it than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[childofdust]

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")

He went on, "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " (The Gospel of St. Mark 7:17-23,NIV)

This whole quote is not relevant because it is about HAND-WASHING (and, hence, purity). The subject of this thread has nothing whatsoever to do with hand-washing. Nor purity. But rather, HOLINESS. Eating or not eating certain foods that are profane instead of holy is a completely different issue that was not addressed in Mark 7.

 

[childofdust]

As a Christian, I profess Christ's finish work upon the cross which has abrogated the ceremonial laws.

They are not "ceremonial laws," they are COMMANDMENTS OF GOD'S HOLY AND ETERNAL WORD. They are decreed by holy imperative on pain of death.

 

[childofdust]

I find it interesting that Peter was shocked when a voice came to him and said Rise, Peter; kill, and eat (Acts 10:13). He said back, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

It seems the whole time Jesus walked with him, he never straightly told Peter that eating unclean animals was okay. In Mark 7:18 Jesus asks Peter and the other disciples, Are ye so without understanding also? Even after Jesus was no longer with them bodily, it seems the parables He taught had not yet been fully understood, even by his disciples. Unless, of course, we are the ones who do not fully understand. Humm..?


In verse 17 Peter was trying to understand what the vision should mean, and in verse 28 he tells the interpretation of the vision, Peter says; God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So peter, even after the vision did not believe that he was able to eat unclean animals, but that he was able to go into the house of a gentile, which before that day hadn't happened.

Bingo. Gentiles were considered impure (even though, technically, they cannot be because purity and impurity are only applicable to Jews). The fact that Peter was so repulsed by the idea of eating something he shouldn't also proves that Yeshua taught him nothing about being able to eat anything.

 

[childofdust]

It's said God is the same yesterday, today, as is tomorrow, so it worries me about eating unclean foods.

Are you Jewish? If not, don't worry. Those foods are only impure to a Jew.

I try to stay away from unclean foods. However my mother eats pork alot, if she serves me it at her house, I don't tend decline it. (but I am pondering on doing so)

Is your mother Jewish? If she is, you should take the pork she gives you, throw it in the trash, then take the pork on her plate and throw it in the trash. Otherwise, if neither of you are Jewish, who cares?

 

[childofdust]

A Christian should eat pork or shellfish if he or she feels so inclined.

Only if he or she is gentile. And only if there are no Jews present.

Simple reason I don't do those things is because I'm a Christian, not a Jew. My religion is Christianity, not Judaism.

There is such a thing as a Jewish Christian. To separate the two as if they were completely different religions is not only ahistorical, but unhelpful. Christianity is a Jewish religion.

 

[childofdust]

I don't see how someone can read those verses and still believe that eating pork is sinful. None of God's creation is inherently sinful.

Point of fact: no one is reading those verses and believing that eating pork is sinful. What they are doing, however, is pointing out that certain things are inherently HOLY or inherently PROFANE.

 

[childofdust]

In Isaiah God speaks about "a rebellious people which walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoke Me to anger continually to My face," (65:2,3). One of the reasons these people provoke the Lord is because they "eat swine's flesh, and broth of unclean meat is in their pots" (65:4).

Also, before the new heavens and new earth are established, God declares that He will consume those people "who eat swine's flesh, detestable things, and mice" (Isa.66:17). The context of this prophecy is the end times, right before the new heaven and new earth. This would certainly seem to suggest that the Lord will still expect an obedience to His dietary laws.

And Revelation talks of unclean birds which doesn't make sense if all animals have been made clean.

Thank the Lord Yeshua for someone who knows the scriptures.

 

[childofdust]

That's the reason I always heard in church for not having to keep all the food commandments or things like not wearing clothes with two kinds of fabric.

Good reason! However, just because so little is forbidden to us gentiles doesn't make it good for us to do them.

 

[rstrats]

childofdust,

re: "If they're JEWISH they should not [eat pork and shellfish]."

What about the descendants of the House of Israel? Are they also exempt from the dietary regulations?

 

[South Bound]

It is said that those who eat pork or shellfish should be stoned to death.

Do you eat pork? Or shellfish?

Should Christians eat pork or shellfish?

Sure. As long as the pork is cooked properly and the shellfish is fresh and you have no allergy to it, why not?

We just roasted a whole hog a couple of weeks ago for the Auburn-Arkansas game. Good pig.

 

[rstrats]

South Bound,

re: "Sure...why not?

Maybe because the supreme being says not to?
　


re: "We just roasted a whole hog a couple of weeks ago for the Auburn-Arkansas game. Good pig."

What is your point in saying that?

 

[South Bound]

South Bound,

re: "Sure...why not?

Maybe because the supreme being says not to?

He said not to, to the Nation of Israel. We're not Jewish. He says we can eat whatever we want.
　
Others have already cited the appropriate scriptures for you. If you want to live under the law, fine. More bar b que for the rest of us.

Just make sure you're following all the laws.

re: "We just roasted a whole hog a couple of weeks ago for the Auburn-Arkansas game. Good pig."

What is your point in saying that?

Why does there have to be a point? Why can't I just recall a recent experience that ties into the subject we're discussing?