Food is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, beginning in the Garden of Eden.
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29
Before the fall, it appears that this was a vegetarian diet. It is important to remember the wide variety of food God has created for us to enjoy. If the sole purpose of food was to provide nutrients for the body, God could have created pellets that provide the same function. Instead, He made a wide variety of food and flavours that can be combined with God-given creativity into almost endless culinary delights.
After Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, they are given God’s law, which includes many laws about food.
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 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. Leviticus 11:1-7
These laws are difficult for us to comprehend. They are part of the ritual purity system designed by God to teach the people about his holiness. They also seem likely to have fulfilled a protective function for God’s nation in keeping them away from food more likely to be diseased.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17
Since Jesus has fulfilled the law, Christians do not approach the Old Testament laws in the same way as the ancient Israelites. Ceremonial laws regarding the temple no longer apply as God is now present in his people, the church. Ritual purity laws no longer apply as we are made pure through the blood of Jesus. Civil laws do not apply as we are not living in the nation-state of Israel. The Old Testament laws which are still binding on Christians today are those that are reiterated in the New Testament.
As the early church is formed by Jews who believe Jesus is the promised Messiah, they continued adhering to their previous food laws. This becomes a point of conflict as Gentiles start to respond to the gospel message. Do Gentile Christians now have to adopt a Jewish way of life, including the food laws?
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.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. Acts 10:9-16
Peter’s vision is a fundamental turning point in the acceptance of Gentiles as Christians. Later, we read about a meeting of the Jerusalem church to discuss Gentile believers.
Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. Acts 15:14-20
While the decision is made that Gentiles do not need to adhere to the entire Mosaic law, they do insist on some requirements for food – abstaining from food offered to idols, strangled animal meat and blood.
Paul addresses the idolatrous meat in his letter to the Roman church which was made up of Jewish and Gentile believers.
Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 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. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. Romans 14:13-21
Here, Paul describes all food as clean and that the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat and drink. However, he urges Christians to be considerate of others in their actions. For the church at the time, that might mean that they do not eat certain foods, even though they are not ‘unclean’ for the sake of not affecting the conscience of their fellow believers. Food may not be a divisive issue in the western church at the moment but, in many cultures around the world, Christians will need to follow Paul’s instructions in these verses.