Have you ever gone pork shopping and wondered which cut was the best? Or how to prepare it? How can I make sure that it turns out delicious? If you’ve ever found yourself asking these questions, then this book is for you. It will teach you everything that you need to know about pork, including all the buzzwords like bacon, ham, and sausage.
If you’re a pork lover, you’re going to love this post.
In Leviticus 11:27, God forbids Moses and his followers to eat swine “because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud.” Furthermore, the prohibition goes, “Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.” That message is later reinforced in Deuteronomy.
But have you ever wondered what the Bible has to say about your favorite meat? Well, wonder no more! Here are some of the most interesting facts about pork from the Good Book:
Cooking with pork is a beautiful thing. It’s versatile and delicious, and it’s been around for thousands of years—so long, in fact, that it’s impossible to trace its origins completely.
Is it a Sin to Eat Pork as a Christian?
The question of whether eating pork is a sin for Christians is a topic that has sparked debate for centuries. Some argue that Christians are bound by the dietary laws outlined in the Old Testament, including the prohibition on consuming pork. However, others believe that the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament supersede these laws. In Acts 10, Peter has a vision in which he is told not to consider any food unclean, symbolizing that the Gentiles (non-Jewish believers) are now included in God’s plan of salvation. This vision is often interpreted as a shift away from the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Furthermore, in Mark 7:18-19, Jesus states, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him…Thus he declared all foods clean.” These passages suggest that Christians are not bound by the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament and that eating pork is no longer considered a sin.
Eating Pork is a Sin Bible Verse
In many religions, dietary restrictions play a significant role in maintaining spiritual purity and moral conduct. In Christianity, the consumption of pork has been a controversial topic for centuries. Some believers argue that eating pork is a sin according to certain biblical verses. Let’s explore this topic further by looking at 10 to 12 Bible verses that address the issue of eating pork.
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 14:8
“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.”
Isaiah 65:4
“Who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots are polluted by their meat.”
Isaiah 66:17
” Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats, and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow, declares the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Romans 14:23
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
Acts 15:20
” Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.”
Colossians 2:16
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”
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.)
By examining these biblical verses, it is clear that the debate over whether eating pork is a sin is a complex and nuanced one. Some verses from the Old Testament prohibit the consumption of pork, while others from the New Testament suggest that all foods are clean and permissible for consumption. Ultimately, each individual believer must interpret these verses in accordance with their own faith and conscience.
Eating Pork In The Bible New Testament
Pigs are unclean, according to the Bible.
The Bible says that pigs are unclean, so you shouldn’t eat them.
It’s in the book of Leviticus, which was written by Moses in the Old Testament.
Basically, God told Moses that pigs were unclean animals. That means they were bad for you to eat and touched by evil spirits or demons or something like that.
So if you want to get right with God and go to heaven after you die (which is where we all go), then don’t eat pork because it will make your soul dirty and send you straight to hell with Lucifer!
Eating pork is a sin because God prohibits it.
The main reason that eating pork is a sin is because God prohibits it. This prohibition is recorded in the Bible, Torah and Quran. In Genesis chapter 9 verse 3, God commanded Noah to abstain from eating swine: “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you [except] you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” Pigs are classified as unclean animals in Leviticus 11:7-8 and Deuteronomy 14:8-9.
In the Qur’an (the holy book of Islam) there are many references to the prohibition against eating pork such as 2:173; 5:3; 6:145; 16:115; 22:34-36
The laws of kashrut therefore define pigs as forbidden.
The laws of kashrut therefore define pigs as forbidden. The laws of kashrut are followed by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, but not so much by Buddhists.
The Jewish prohibition on pork stems from the book of Leviticus, which states: “And the swine — although it has a divided hoof yet it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you” (11:7). In other words, whereas cows or sheep actually chew their cud before they eat grass again (see Deuteronomy 14:6), pigs do not have that ability — and so their meat is forbidden by God. This rule applies to both kosher and nonkosher meat; Jews who keep kosher will abstain from eating pork regardless of whether they buy kosher or nonkosher meat at the grocery store (and even if there were no such thing as kosher food).
A pig is not Kosher if its split hooves don’t show a cleft.
Pigs are not Kosher or Halal if their split hooves don’t show a cleft.
The pig must have split hooves in order to be kosher or halal.
Pork is forbidden in Islam and Judaism.
Pork is forbidden in Islam and Judaism.
You’ll see this referred to as a “pork-forbidden” diet, which sounds like an oxymoron. How can you eat something that’s forbidden? The answer is that you don’t—you abstain from eating it.
There are different kinds of pork-forbidden diets: some include all meat that comes from pigs (this includes bacon), while others allow for fish, fowl and other types of meat but not pork.
Conclusion
And thus, the bible was born. A book for all people to follow and live their lives in accordance with the will of god. This is why pork is a great way to start living a more healthy lifestyle because it has less calories than other meats such as beef or chicken and provides you with many nutrients like Vitamin B12 which helps with brain function.
what does the bible say about eating pork and shrimp
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.”
what is forbidden to eat in christianity
Christianity is unusual among religions in that it does not have a closely defined purity code. There is not a laundry list of acceptable or forbidden foods. Most of the other major religions have some sort of purity code. Judaism is known for eating only kosher foods which for those who are extremely orthodox or overwhelmingly devout can require two sets of kitchenware. Muslims avoid food that is not killed or cooked in a specific way to make it halal. Hindus do not eat beef, and many Buddhists are complete vegetarians. Christians, however, have no such restrictions. Some will keep to a version of the purity code listed out in the Old Testament, but most Christians do not think twice about eating whatever they want unless they give up a specific food for Lent. That does not mean that there is not wisdom in the purity code laid out in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In fact, the Old Testament purity code has some advice that is good for anyone to follow for a variety of reasons. Here are five forbidden foods in the Bible Christians should avoid.
Animal Fat
Leviticus 7:23 states that it is forbidden to eat the fat of animals such as cattle and sheep. While this is part of the Old Testament purity code that is often ignored, it is a good idea to follow it. Animal fat is horrifically unhealthy. While it may taste delicious, fat from animals is high in saturated fats. Saturated fats in turn are associated with heart disease, obesity and other unpleasant health issues. While it may be acceptable from a spiritual point of view for Christians to eat the grilled fat on the edge of their steak, it is a better idea to simply cut it off and throw it out. There are other things that taste just as good without being so harmful to a person’s health.
Bats
Leviticus 11 contains the longest running list of what animals are considered clean and unclean. Certain sea creatures are said to be off-limits, such as crustacean, as are certain land animals, like pigs. Leviticus 11 makes it a point to list which birds should not be eaten by the Israelites. At the end of that list are bats.
People today are aware that bats are not actually birds but flying mammals. They are also unlikely to wind up on a dinner table. While bats certainly seem like an odd food source to many Western Christians, there are plenty of places that see bats, especially large fruit bats like flying foxes, as a perfectly legitimate food source. Those who have no more problem eating bats than chicken, however, would do well to find an alternative food source. Bats are generally eaten in the Pacific Rim and Asia. While they may be little harder to catch than the average bird, bat meat comes with a variety of risks. Bats are excellent vectors, animals that carry diseases, and those diseases can become lodged in bat flesh. People in Guam, for example, developed a neurological disease known as Lytico-Bodig disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism-dementia (ALS-PDC). The disease is as frightening as its massive name. Contracted by eating fruit bats, ALS-PDC is a twisted mixture of ALS, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and it was a leading cause of death among the Chamorro people in Guam for more than a decade.
Insects
It has become somewhat cool nowadays for a person to be able to claim that they ate bugs. Brownies with crickets in them are sometimes made by teens as a way of grossing out or scaring their friends, and social media has plenty of videos made for the shock value of a watching friends eat fried tarantulas.
Insects and arachnids are a great source of protein and a common staple in many parts of the world. They are also a risky food source. Leviticus states that people can only eat various species of “locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper.” While those who enjoyed conquering their fear of spiders by biting into a tarantula would argue that there are plenty of other sorts of bugs that make acceptable food, the fact is that eating insects and arachnids is risky. Many insects and arachnids contain poisons that are toxic to humans. They are also excellent carriers of disease. While some may simply find eating creepy crawlies unpalatable, Leviticus may have been right to declare them off limits. It is simply too easy to pick up the wrong sort of bug.
Vultures
Like bats, vultures are not something that most Western Christians would ever consider eating. Frankly, most Westerners, Christian or not, are perfectly happy to pretend that buzzards do not exist. They are large, associated with death and often painfully ugly. They are also about the worst thing to eat in a survival situation.
In some ways it makes sense to see the vulture as a potential food source. They are slow fliers, on the ground often and very, very large. Logically, they would be easier to capture and eat than any other bird of similar size. Vultures, however, survive by eating rotting meat. This leaves them absolutely covered in bacteria. Vultures themselves are largely immune to the bacteria they consume, but this is not the case for whatever eats them. In fact, almost nothing will eat a dead vulture, including other vultures. That is about as flagrant a sign as nature can create that says “do not eat.”
Blood
The purity code of the Old Testament is filled with injunctions against consuming blood. Beyond the various spiritual reasons that consumption of blood is forbidden, it may also be a food that it is better to avoid for health reasons. Blood is considered a “meat byproduct” by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, and it has to pass inspections both before and after the animal is slaughtered to be considered safe to eat. Pig blood must be heat-treated and all the stock must come from a country free of swine fever in order to avoid passing the disease on to humans. Similarly, there have been outbreaks of the H5N1 avian flu linked to consuming dishes made with poultry blood. While blood can be a safe source of iron, it can also be very risky to eat both due to lingering diseases and the risk of iron poisoning or haemochromatosis.
Christians generally do not pay much attention to the list of forbidden foods in the Bible. That said, there is some legitimate health advice in the Old Testament. Many of the foods that are considered off limits are things that Westerners were not planning to eat anyway, but some people still do consume them. Those that are thinking of trying out a new dish might want to think twice. If it contains something that Leviticus listed as a forbidden food, it might be in the best interest of your health to politely say, “no thanks.”