Biblical Dietary Laws
The dietary law in the Bible refers to the regulations concerning food that God allowed for His people. From the Garden of Eden, through the Old Testament, and into the New Testament, the Bible shows that dietary laws differed in each age. Since every law of God is given for the salvation of humanity, those who obey according to God’s will in their respective age can be saved.[1] In the same way, following the dietary law permitted in one’s age is the proper way to obey God and the path to salvation.
Dietary Law in the Old Testament
Garden of Eden
The first biblical dietary law appears in the Garden of Eden. At that time, God gave plants—seed-bearing herbs and trees with seed-bearing fruit—as food, along with the Tree of Life. However, He commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.[2]
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.”
After Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, they were no longer allowed to eat from the Tree of Life.[3]
After the Flood
In the time of Noah, after God judged the wicked world with the flood, He permitted Noah—the righteous man who followed Him—and his family to eat meat, on the condition that they did not eat it with blood. From that time on, both plants and meat became part of the God-given diet.
“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.”
This dietary law continued until the time of Moses.
Time of Moses
During the time of Moses, God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments along with various additional laws, including dietary regulations.
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. . . . 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.’ ”
Before this point, no distinction existed among animals. However, beginning with Moses, animals were divided into clean and unclean. Only animals with a divided hoof and that chewed the cud were considered clean and could be eaten; others were unclean and forbidden. God also classified sea creatures,[4] birds,[5] and insects[6] into clean and unclean categories, commanding the Israelites to eat only what was clean so that they might remain holy.[7] This dietary law became a sign distinguishing Israel from other nations[8] and remained deeply rooted in their daily life for centuries.
Dietary Law in the New Testament
Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ abolished the Law of Moses, which had been given to Israel in the Old Testament, and established the Law of Christ—the New Covenant—for the salvation of all humanity. With this, the dietary law given in the time of Moses was replaced by the dietary law of Christ.[9]
At the Jerusalem Council, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostles declared the New Testament dietary law: All foods were permitted except food sacrificed to idols, blood, and the meat of strangled animals.
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
The early Church people who received Christ no longer followed the dietary regulations of Moses but obeyed the new dietary teaching given in the New Testament. To ignore this teaching and insist on Old Testament regulations is to disobey God’s word and stand in opposition to Him.[10] For this reason, the Apostle Paul warned that those who cling solely to the Law of Moses would be cut off from Christ.[11]
The removal of the distinction between clean and unclean animals in the New Testament also symbolized that salvation was now extended to all nations. For about 1,500 years—from the time of Moses onward—dietary laws were a significant factor that distinguished Jews from Gentiles. Jews regarded Gentiles as unclean largely because of the food they ate. But after Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross for all people, the grace of salvation—once limited to Israel—was now granted equally to all nations.[12][13] Since Christ cleansed the Gentiles, even the unclean animals that symbolized them were now considered clean.[14] From that time on, the message of salvation was proclaimed to all people without distinction.
Dietary Laws by Era
The following is a table summarizing the biblical dietary law by era.
| Era | Dietary Law |
| Garden of Eden | All plants and fruits (except the tree of knowledge of good and evil) |
| After the Flood | Meat allowed (but not with blood)[15] |
| Law of Moses | Only clean animals permitted |
| Since Christ | All food permitted, except food sacrificed to idols, blood, and meat of strangled animals |
See also
References
- ↑ "Matthew 7:21".
- ↑ "Genesis 2:15–17".
- ↑ "Genesis 3:22–24".
- ↑ "Leviticus 11:9–12".
- ↑ "Leviticus 11:13–19".
- ↑ "Leviticus 11:20–23".
- ↑ "Leviticus 11:43–47".
- ↑ "Deuteronomy 14:2–3".
- ↑ "Hebrews 9:10–11".
- ↑ "1 Timothy 4:1–3".
- ↑ "Galatians 5:4".
- ↑ "Romans 10:9–12".
- ↑ "Ephesians 2:11–19".
- ↑ "Acts 10:9–48".
- ↑ "Genesis 9:4".