Food Law or Tradition
The good ole church BBQ. Is it biblically okay? Is it a tradition of man? We're going to take a look at the top scriptures used to defend the pork butt so that you can prayerfully find the answers to those questions.
My family has been eating biblically clean for two years this month. It wasn't a natural change to make as we were raising pigs for meat at the time, but it was an easy decision. God had been working on our hearts for a few months prior, giving my husband and I understanding of His word in contrast to the doctrines we'd always been taught. I now look at these scriptures I'm about to present and wonder how in the world we ever believed they meant something different. Consider this: if you had never stepped foot in a church or heard a sermon before, and you picked up a bible for the very first time and read the following passages, would you draw the conclusion that pork is now okay to eat? Probably not. We only believe that is what these passages mean because it's what we've been told- it's what we've been indoctrinated to believe. The fact is, all of these passages are actually speaking against indoctrination and man's teachings. The irony is real!
Matthew 15:1-2 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Tradition of elders is NOT the Law of God. Jesus makes this distinction clear here when He directly quotes the Law in comparison to the Rabbinic tradition.
Matthew 15:3-9 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’(Ex. 20:12, Deut. 5:16); and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ (Ex. 21:17, Lev. 20:9) But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God” then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
When the commandments of God are nullified because of man made doctrine, theology, or tradition Jesus calls this vain worship. It is hypocrisy to say you worship the God of the bible yet follow the teachings of man.
Matthew 15:10-12 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
The modern day Pharisees in the pulpits will get offended if you tell them the commandment to not eat pork still applies today. Why? Because they trust in their seminaries and the theologians of old more than they trust the pure word of God. Exactly what the Rabbinic Pharisees and Scribes did.
Matthew 15:13-14 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Every word which God did not command or establish will fail. Those who teach the doctrines of man, as well as those who follow the doctrines of man, will be uprooted.
Matthew 15:15-20 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
To eat with unwashed hands is the context of the Pharisees issue. NOT the eating of unclean animals. The Rabbinic rituals of hand washing was about them believing they could consume a demon- Jesus is setting them straight that this is not how you become defiled. Food going into the mouth is digested and eliminated. Pig, as an unclean animal, was never considered food!
Teachings that do not align with the established word of God, defiles a man. False witness of God's commands and blaspheming His word, is defilement.
Out of the mouth comes, "We no longer have to obey God's food laws," is a heart position of rebellion and evil. This heart position to forsake the command of God for man-made doctrine is defilement.
Mar 7:2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.
Mar 7:5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Col 2:20-23 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations- “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” -according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Each of these examples plainly shows that there is a distinction that must be made between man made rules and teachings, and God's actual commands. Rabbinic (Jewish) law and tradition is NOT the same as God's laws, statutes, and commandments.
Paul makes it clear to the Colossians that these traditions of man have no value in distinguishing what is and what is not sin. The Law of God alone defines sin. The Spirit of God alone convicts the flesh to deny sinning.
Legalism has nothing to do with obeying God's word, but everything to do with obeying additions to, and subtractions from, God's word. To say we no longer need to obey the food laws laid out in Leviticus 11 is just as legalistic as Rabbinic tradition adding hand washing rituals.
The Creator of every bit of creation knows what is suitable to be food and what is not. Leviticus was not the first instance of the distinction between clean and unclean ANIMALS. Noah was instructed to take 7 of each clean animal and 2 of every unclean animal in Genesis 7. Why? Because this was not a Law given to burden Israel at Sinai, it's simply the way God created the animals to begin with.
I want to add a note before we move any further. Quite often, when this topic is brought up there will be a question of Mark 7:19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared all foods clean.). The parenthesis here is not apart of the original text, it was added by translators. However, even if it were in the original text, the context of the conversation still stands. All food is clean, it cannot be tainted the way the Rabbinical law suggested. But, this does not mean all animals are food. Unclean animals were never considered food, period.
Peter's Vision
Acts 10:9-17 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.
Peter's Vision is a metaphor- the same as Joseph's dreams or Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the statue of different materials being the different kingdoms that will arise. The vision of clean and unclean animals had nothing to do with creation all of the sudden being changed to make pigs and seafood suitable to consume. It was about the people who were considered "unclean" by Rabbinic law, now being deemed clean by God.
Peter never doubted a change in the food laws- He didn't understand what the vision meant. The conversation in the vision happened three times because there were three "unclean gentiles" coming to speak with Peter. God was relaying to Peter that these people were not to be considered as unclean animals. Cornelius was a man made clean by his faith and dedication to God.
Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Peter gives interpretation of the vision in these verses. It had nothing to do with animals- we just have to keep reading.
We have a duty and a responsibility to read the fullness of the context. Assuming the meaning of a passage because a man with a plaque on the wall told you to believe a certain way is exactly what Jesus is talking about "the blind lead the blind." You choose blindness when you choose traditions and doctrines of man of the word of God. The Father gave us a gift when He gave us the food laws- He created the creatures, He knows what's healthy and what is not!
Pig Facts
Here are a few scientific facts to consider:
God's laws for clean vs unclean animals has a lot to do with the differing digestive system. A pig digests whatever it eats rather quickly, in up to about four hours. On the other hand, a cow takes a good 24 hours to digest what it’s eaten. Because of the way a pig's digestive system functions, many toxins are not removed as effectively and remain in its system to be stored in its fatty tissues ready for our consumption.
Pigs have very few functional sweat glands and can barely sweat at all. Sweat glands are a tool the body uses to be rid of toxins. This leaves more toxins in the pig’s body. When you consume pork meat, you too get all these toxins that weren’t eliminated from the pig.
According to the World Health Organization, processed meat like ham, bacon and sausage causes cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer actually classifies processed meat as a carcinogen.
Pigs carry a variety of parasites in their bodies and meat. Some of these parasites are difficult to kill even when cooking. This is the reason there are so many warnings out there about eating undercooked pork. One of the biggest concerns with eating pork meat is trichinosis or trichinellosis. This is an infection that humans get from eating undercooked or uncooked pork that contains the larvae of the trichinella worm.
It’s estimated that 70 percent of factory-farmed pigs have pneumonia when they go to the slaughterhouse. Conditions are so bad that the only way to keep these pigs barely alive at times is to misuse and overuse antibiotics. Similarly to humans, pigs are more commonly developing diseases that are resistant to antibiotics.
I am a researcher. Understanding that the food laws are indeed still for us today sealed the deal for me, but researching WHY pigs are not a clean animal to consume just further solidified my trust that God knows what He's talking about! Our faith is to be in Him, which means we trust and obey what He says- not what theologians, scholars, and pastors say. His word does not change!
Lev. 11:7 The swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
Deut. 14:8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
Isaiah 66:17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens after an idol in the midst, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.
Matt. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Matt. 8:30-31 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
Spiritual Significance
In closing, consider this last verse of Matt. 8:31- demons begged to be sent into swine. There is a spiritual aspect of unclean animals. We consider animals like serpents and bats to have an association with evil- these also are unclean. Within the gospels we can find multiple instances of the uncleanness of pigs having an association with evil. Isaiah 66 connects the eating of swine's flesh with pagan worship,yet we find that the church tends to ignore this spiritual significance for the sake of annual BBQ traditions. You have the choice- will you decide to continue forsaking the commandments of God for tradition and man's teaching? Or will you surrender and repent to obey God's clear, undefiled word?