Many Christians have been taught to avoid pork by their parents, grandparents, and pastors. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. “`Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. If you’ve ever wondered if this is a matter of obedience or tradition, check out our list of Bible verses about eating pork in the New Testament:
Christian dietary laws vary between denominations. The general dietary restrictions specified for Christians in the New Testament are to “abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals”. Jesus preached that his servants become perfect, but we cannot become perfect without putting God’s Word in practice (Mt 5:48). Thus, we must study God’s Word and hear God’s Word taught or preached, and once we become seasoned in the Word, become preachers, teachers and doers of good deeds.
Bible Verses About Eating Pork In The New Testament
Christians may eat pork because God has declared it once more to be clean. “What God has declared clean you must not call common” (Acts 10:15). Pork is one of those “foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1Timothy 4:3).
Many people around the world follow dietary restrictions based on their religious beliefs. In Christianity, the topic of what foods are permissible to eat is often discussed. One particular area of debate is whether or not eating pork is allowed according to the teachings of the New Testament. Let’s explore some Bible verses that shed light on this topic.
1. Acts 10:13-15
“Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'”
2. Mark 7:18-19
“‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)”
3. Romans 14:14
“I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.”
These verses indicate that in the New Testament, there is a shift in perspective regarding dietary laws. While some Old Testament laws prohibited the consumption of certain foods like pork, the teachings of Jesus and the apostles suggest that what matters most is the heart of the individual. Ultimately, it is up to each person to discern what they believe is permissible to eat based on their own convictions.
What does the Bible say about eating pork?
If you’re a Christian, it might seem odd that you can’t eat pork. After all, pigs are considered unclean in the Old Testament and many Christians believe that Jesus came to fulfill the Law. But there are still plenty of Bible verses about eating pork in the New Testament.
Here are some of those verses:
Matthew 7:6 – Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (NIV)
John 15:19 – If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 10:28: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Eating Pork Is A Sin Bible Verse
The Bible’s stance on eating pork is often a source of debate, but there is no question that eating pork was forbidden by God. In Leviticus 11:7, the Bible says that all animals with “cloven hooves” and “chews cud” are unclean, which means they can’t be eaten. That includes pigs and other mammals such as cows and sheep.
However, there is some confusion about whether this applies only to Old Testament times or if it applies to New Testament times as well. The reason for this confusion is Romans 14:20-21, which reads:
“Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food”. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you don’t need to worry about what type of meat you eat because He already died for our sins (1 Corinthians 10:25-28) so now we can eat whatever we want without fear! Matthew 15:11 states clearly that pigs are unclean animals that should not be consumed by humans due to their dirty nature (Leviticus 11).
1 Corinthians 10:25-28
>”Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone 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—the other man’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s scruples? If I can convince my brother that it is good for his well-being that he does this thing or abstains from doing it, why should I object if he chooses what seems best to himself? The food will not harm me; I know this because nothing common or unclean has entered my mouth. Yet not all men have this knowledge; but some have a zeal for God without knowledge.”
Romans 14:20-21
21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither if we eat are we the better; neither if we eat not are we the worse.
Matthew 15:11
Jesus’ words in this passage are similar to the ones he spoke in Matthew 7:15-20, which we discussed earlier. In the same way that Jesus says that it’s not a person’s outward appearance that makes them unclean, but what comes out of their heart and mouth (Matthew 15:19), he also says that it’s not what goes into a person’s stomach, but what comes out of his or her mouth, which makes him or her impure (Matthew 15:11).
This means that God doesn’t care whether you eat pork or shellfish with your friends or family—the only thing He cares about is how you treat others!
Leviticus 11:7
Leviticus 11:7 says, “And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.”
In other words, pork isn’t kosher. The phrase “unclean” refers to foods that are considered inedible by God and should not be eaten by Christians or Jews. This food restriction is shared by Muslims as well because they believe in the Old Testament laws. Hindus also do not eat pork due to religious reasons that have led them to believe that pigs are unclean animals (though this belief may have been influenced by some other factors).
All Food Is Clean New Testament Verse
The New Testament says that all foods are clean.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul writes, “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 [foods], which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Paul is saying here that those who forbid marriage or tell people not to eat certain types of food are teaching false doctrine. They have seared their consciences with a hot iron (which was done as a way for someone who had disobeyed God’s law to receive punishment).
We believe that the Bible teaches us to be good stewards of our bodies and that we can eat anything as long as it is done out of thankfulness for God’s gift. We are not commanded by scripture to not eat pork, but rather given permission. This permission is only given because God heals us from eating unclean foods and makes them clean. The scriptures do teach us to be good stewards over what we have been given and use this opportunity wisely so that others may see Christ in us through our actions.
Is It A Sin To Eat Pork As A Christian
Many people ask can Christians eat pork and is it sinful to do so according to the Bible? The clear point blank answer to these questions are yes and no. Christians are free to eat anything. Pork, shrimp, seafood, meat, vegetables, anything. There is nothing that is restricting us and let me explain why.
In the Old Testament God gave dietary laws to Israel. Remember He didn’t give them to everybody He only gave them to the Israelites.
Leviticus 11:7-8 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Deuteronomy 14:1-8 You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.
When Jesus died on the cross He didn’t just die for our sins. He fulfilled the Old Testament Law. He fulfilled the laws against unclean food.
Ephesians 2:15-16 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Galatians 3:23-26 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Romans 10:4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Jesus says all foods are clean. We are free to eat whatever.
Mark 7:18-19 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
1 Corinthians 8:8 Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat.
Acts 10:9-15 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Some people who are weak in the faith might not understand this so you should be careful not to be divisive and cause someone to stumble. If the person that you are around will be offended you should remain from eating it.
Romans 14:20-21 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Romans 14:1-3 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.
At the end of the day we must all understand that salvation is by faith in Christ alone.
Galatians 3:1-6 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
All Food Is Clean New Testament Verse
They cite as proof Romans 14:14, in which Paul wrote, “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.”
This approach, however, fails to consider the context of Paul’s letter as well as the specific Greek words he used.
Many Bible resources agree that Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians around A.D. 55 and that he wrote his epistle to the Romans from Corinth in 56 or 57. The food controversy in Corinth (reflected in chapters 8 and 10) was over meat sacrificed to idols.
Since Paul was writing to the Romans from Corinth, where this had been a significant issue, the subject was fresh on Paul’s mind and is the logical, biblically supported basis for his comments in Romans 14.
Understanding Paul’s intent
Those who assume the subject of Romans 14 is a retraction of God’s law regarding clean and unclean animals must force this interpretation into the text because it has no biblical foundation. The chapter itself shows that the discussion concerned meat sacrificed to idols.
Romans 14:2 contrasts the person who “eats only vegetables” with the one who believes “he may eat all things”— meat as well as vegetables. Romans 14:6 discusses eating vs. not eating and is variously interpreted as referring to fasting (not eating or drinking), vegetarianism (consuming only vegetables) or eating or not eating meat sacrificed to idols.
Romans 14:21 shows that meat offered to idols was the underlying issue of this chapter: “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” The Romans of the day commonly offered both meat and wine to idols, with portions of the offerings later sold in the marketplace.
The Life Application Bible comments on verse 2: “The ancient system of sacrifice was at the center of the religious, social, and domestic life of the Roman world. After a sacrifice was presented to a god in a pagan temple, only part of it was burned. The remainder was often sent to the market to be sold. Thus a Christian might easily—even unknowingly—buy such meat in the marketplace or eat it at the home of a friend.
“Should a Christian question the source of his meat? Some thought there was nothing wrong with eating meat that had been offered to idols because idols were worthless and phony. Others carefully checked the source of their meat or gave up meat altogether, in order to avoid a guilty conscience.”
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 8 that the main concern for a Christian is to not defile his own conscience or the conscience of other Christians. Jewish Christians especially might have been inclined to feel contaminated by anything related to idolatry. But because an idol cannot, by itself, render anything pure or defiled, a person’s conscience, not the idol, is the real issue.
So what is the point of Paul’s instruction about eating or not eating in Romans 14? Depending on their consciences, early believers had several choices. Those wishing to be sure of avoiding meat sacrificed to idols could choose to eat only vegetables or fast—avoid food altogether—when faced with the prospect of consuming foods of suspicious background.
For those whose consciences were not troubled by eating meat purchased in local markets just because it might have been ceremonially offered to idols, that option was open to them with one important restriction. They were (especially at group meals where offenses were more likely to occur) to consider first the conscience of others who were present, to be careful to give no offense.
Within this context, said Paul, “let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5) because “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
Greek words clarify Paul’s meaning
An understanding of the Greek words Paul used can also help us understand Paul’s meaning.
The New Testament writers referred to two concepts of unclean, using different Greek words to convey the two meanings. Unclean could refer to animals God did not intend to be consumed as food (listed in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14). Unclean could also refer to ceremonial uncleanness.
In Romans 14 Paul uses the word koinos, which means “common” (W.E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “Unclean,” p. 649). In addition to the meanings of “common” and “ordinary” (see Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Titus 1:4; Hebrews 10:29), the word also applied to things considered polluted or defiled. This word, along with its verb form koinoo, is used in Mark 7:2, Mark 7:15-23, where it obviously refers to ceremonial uncleanness.
Koinos and koinoo appear throughout the New Testament to refer to this kind of ceremonial uncleanness. Something could be “common”—ceremonially unclean—even though it was otherwise considered a scripturally clean meat.
An entirely different word, akathartos, is used in the New Testament for those animals Scripture specifies as unclean. Both words, koinos and akathartos, are used in Acts 10, where Peter distinguished between the two concepts of uncleanness by using both words in Acts 10:14.
When Paul said in Romans 14:14 that “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean [koinos, or ‘common’] of itself,” he was making the same point he had made earlier to the Corinthians: Just because meat that was otherwise lawful to eat may have been associated with idol worship does not mean it is no longer fit for human consumption. As seen from the context, Paul wasn’t discussing biblical dietary restrictions at all.
Paul goes on to state in Romans 14:20 that “all food is clean” (NIV). The word translated “clean” is katharos, meaning “free from impure admixture, without blemish, spotless” (Vine, “Clean, Cleanness, Cleanse, Cleansing,” p. 103).
“Clean” meats as such aren’t addressed in the New Testament, so there isn’t a specific word to describe them. Katharos is used to describe all kinds of cleanliness and purity, including clean dishes (Matthew 23:26), people (John 13:10) and clothing (Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:8-14), “pure” religion (James 1:27), gold and glass (Revelation 21:18).
Realize also that, in both Romans 14:14 and Romans 14:20, the word food or meat doesn’t appear in the original Greek, but was inserted by later translators. No specific object is mentioned relative to cleanness or uncleanness. The sense of these verses is merely that “nothing [is] unclean [koinos: common or ceremonially defiled] of itself,” and “all is clean [katharos: free from impure admixture, without blemish, spotless].”
Paul’s point is that association of food with idolatrous activity had no bearing on whether the food was inherently suitable or unsuitable for eating. Romans 14 doesn’t say that the Bible’s rules about which meats are clean and which aren’t should be disregarded.
