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Clean and Unclean Meats
August 18, 2012

I am in the minority as a Christian. I believe that there is a reason why God taught Israel about clean and unclean meats, and that this reason did not go away when the Holy Spirit was given. I know many of my Christian brothers and sisters view this otherwise and to them I wish them peace in our differences. For those who may not be familiar with the concept of clean and unclean meats, a list of meats that could be eaten was given to the children of Israel, and only the clean meats were to be eaten. Most Christians believe that when the Holy Spirit was given, this requirement was tossed out the window with all of the other commandments, with the plausible exception, given the Chick-Fil-A controversy,the one on being gay. I don't get the picking and choosing of modern Christians, and that's why I am what is called an Apostolic First Century Christian, one whose practices would be very similar to what one might find during the first century church. I believe that when Jesus talked about new wine in new wine skins, he still intended for fermented grape juice to be the end product using a process and method previously used, just with new materials. I don't think he intended for a different kind of juice to be placed in a different type of wine skin. So let's start with this passage and work our way backwards to Clean and Unclean Meats and why I don't think unclean meats should be eaten today.

Matthew 9:14-17
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Some use this passage and similar ones in the other gospel books to show that the law of God was done away. But what these verses show is that the ritualistic tradition of man is tossed out. All that the Pharisees did was not commanded and the Pharisees did what they did for whatever reason they did, but the end result was they appeared to be better than the average person. Other verses show this caused at least some Pharisees to think very highly of themselves, what today might be called self-righteousness. There are other verses that might be used by some to prove in their minds that it is acceptable to eat any kind of meat, and one of these is used to explain that clean and unclean meats was really an object lesson about Israelites and gentiles, and how even the gentiles could access the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:9-18
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

There are those who will say that God declared unclean meats to be clean. All I see is that God cleansed that which was considered common. Again, a ritual was used to make a meat clean, and if a meat did not go through this ritual, it was common. If you note the response of the voice, it only chastised him for not being willing to eat common meat. Nothing was said about the refusal to eat unclean foods. God was beginning to show that it is the Holy Spirit rather than rituals that made a person Holy. Additionally, if you research the Greek meanings of common and unclean as these are used in this passage, different words with different meanings are used. Further down in the chapter in verse 34 Peter finally gets the vision; it's not about meats, but about accepting gentiles into the faith. But since we have been talking about clean and unclean meats, let's see what the Bible lists.

Leviticus 11:1-47
And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you. And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even. And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you. These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even. And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed. And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you. Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean. And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean. But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you. And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even. And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

For those who really want to eat bacon and lobster, this won't convince you. I believe that there is nothing in the New Testament that undoes this chapter. But why does God list certain types of animals as unclean? The pig, lobster, and vulture are bottom feeders, eating what is dead, rotting, or garbage. Animals like cows, trout, and chicken eat lower on the food chain and typically do not eat what is dead and rotting. So if you believe you are what you eat, eat lower on the food chain and eat only clean meats. And for those of you still worried about the last slice of bacon, don't worry about me, because for me it's turkey bacon!

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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