What kind of meat can you eat according to the Bible?
The Bible about meat says that many peoples who lived next to the ideas 2000 years ago found it strange not to work on the Sabbath, to have a God who is not visible and not to eat pork meat.
Unclean is what the pig was called.
7 and the swine, because its hooves are cloven and its hooves are deeply cut, but it does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you; (Lev.11:7)
She was also considered a symbol of dirt, sin and lack of remorse. 22 But what happens to them is according to the true proverb: the dog returns to his vomit, and the washed pig [goes] to wallow in the mud. (2 Peter 2:22)
Today you can still find people who observe similar restrictions, not eating pork for biblical reasons.
For example, do not eat the meat of any animal, do not eat it on certain days, or do not eat it for religious reasons.
The Bible on Meat for Food
Meat food in Christianity
Table of contents
“Food should strengthen the body, not cause illness”
It is undeniable that for a baby the mother’s voice is more important than even the most sonorous voice of a beautiful rattle. So we, in search of answers to our questions, bypassing shallow half-truths, will lean with our infant hearts to the most dear and close to us parental voice of God.
The Triune Lord established the Church on earth and, having sanctified Her with his personal presence, preserves and guides Her with His boundless love.
Orthodoxy is You can follow this path only with a firm step, on two legs - with two commandments: love for God and love for neighbor. The steps from which these feet start are the Holy Tradition and the Holy Scripture, where a lot of attention is paid to what we eat.
When we talk about meat, it can mean the following:
It is clear that we will discuss the attitude of Orthodoxy towards animal meat. Such meat is usually divided into beef, pork, lamb, horse meat, chicken, etc.
What do Bible verses say about meat and food?
Before the Flood, man was given only vegetation for food.
After the flood, animals became part of the human diet and for this reason they began to fear us.
2 Let all the beasts of the earth fear and tremble at you, and all the birds of the air, everything that moves on the earth, and all the fish of the sea: into your hands are they given; 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; I give you everything like green herbs; 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life or its blood; (Gen.9:2-4)
The law given to the chosen people describes restrictions on the consumption of meat food, and one of them is about a pig (an example at the very beginning of the post).
In the Old Testament there is also such a concept as “fasting”.
When a person did not eat and hardly drank in order to devote his thoughts to God and weigh the events in his life.
5 Is this the fast that I have chosen, the day on which a man languishes his soul, when he bends his head like a reed, and spreads rags and ashes under him? Can you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord? 6 This is the fast that I have chosen: loose the chains of unrighteousness, untie the bands of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; 7 Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into your home; When you see a naked person, clothe him, and do not hide from your half-blood. 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly increase, and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will hear; You will cry out, and He will say: “Here I am!” When you remove the yoke from among you, you will stop lifting up your finger and speaking offensively (Isa. 58:5-9)
^ Reader question: Will vegetarianism save the world?
Some people mistakenly believe that complete abstinence from meat foods will lead humanity to the highest moral point of its development and, as a consequence of this, the world will be saved. However, the pages of Holy Scripture say that such a law does not work. The Lord destroyed the entire vegetarian population of the earth with a flood. Yes, yes, before Noah, all of humanity ate only plant foods and, despite this, complete corruption of morals still reigned on earth, corruption of such baseness that the Lord had to take such a decisive extreme step.
“Beware of measuring fasting by simply abstaining from food. Those who abstain from food and behave inappropriately are like the devil, who, although he does not eat anything, does not stop sinning.”
The Bible on Meat Eating Today: Forbidden or Not?
Starting from the New Testament, namely from the book of Acts, events are described to us that turned out to be to the surprise of the Apostles - incredible or more, as Scripture says, “hard-hitting.”
Events begin with a pagan, a man on whom, according to the ideas of the Jews and even the Apostles, the Holy Spirit could not descend.
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion from the regiment called Italian, 2 who was pious and feared God with all his household, who gave much alms to the people and always prayed to God. (Acts 10:1,2)
Scripture shows a military leader who is acceptable in the eyes of God. His prayers are heard and in order to receive salvation he must send servants for Peter.
At this time, the Apostle receives three visions, where “unclean animals” are presented:
14 But Peter said, “No, Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 Then another time a voice came to him: What God has cleansed, do not consider unclean. 16 This happened three times; and the vessel rose again to heaven. (Acts 10:14-16)
Perth is at a loss, since the food in the basket was sinful and unfit for consumption.
Further events, and I would say that the Spirit of the Lord brings Cornelius and Peter together:
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers of the circumcision who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out also on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter said: 47 Who can forbid those who, like us, have received the Holy Spirit, to be baptized with water? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for several days. (Acts 10:44-48)
Until this moment, only Jews were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and no one imagined that the pagans would be given such an opportunity.
The ban on food is abolished and access to the Kingdom of God is opened for the pagan - this is a comparison, an allegory. Peter did not fully understand his knowledge until the “unclean” was sanctified by God.
These events caused quite a bit of controversy among the Apostles and other Christians:
1 The apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came to Jerusalem, the circumcision rebuked him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 Peter began to tell them the story in order, saying: Acts 11:1-4
Peter recounts in order all the events that led to the baptism of the pagans, fellowship with them and eating food together.
17 Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as he gave to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who am I that I could hinder God? 18 Having heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying: It is clear that God has given the Gentiles repentance that leads to life. (Acts 11:17,18)
In this passage, one of the important thoughts uttered by Peter is:
34 Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34)
Now there is no difference between whether you are a Jew or an ordinary person, whether food is clean or “unclean.”
28 There is no longer Jew nor Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 But if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. (Gal.3:28,29)
Should we worry about what we eat today so as not to defile ourselves? What's the exact menu? Or what day is suitable for meat and so on...
The Bible gives a clear answer:
11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a person. (Matt. 15:11) 18 But what comes out of the mouth—comes from the heart—this defiles a person (Matt. 15:18)
Such knowledge gives a Christian freedom.
We have the power to choose any food that we deem healthy and nutritious, we can give up meat or choose certain days for this. And this does not in any way affect faith in God.
In Christian relationships there is also a recommendation in the complexities of this issue.
For example, when a brother or sister still doubts their faith and prefers not to eat, and also transfers everything to their faith.
The Bible says this:
13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to stumble. (1 Cor. 8:13)
Even if you and I already know the answer to such a question, this does not mean that others will agree with us.
And in order not to lose a brother/sister in the faith, it is better not to give rise to temptation.
Jesus Christ said:
32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:32)
Chapter 11
1–32. Difference between clean and unclean animals. 33–47. Cases of desecration of a person by them.
The law about fish, which in the history of the creation of peace are named (Gen. 1.21) earlier than birds. The signs of fish that are clean or allowed to be eaten are indicated with certainty - these fish must have: 1) swimming feathers and 2) scales (according to the Mishnah, Hullin, 3:7, the presence of only the last sign was sufficient, since the first sign is necessary assumed if the second sign is present). Based on this law, Jews even now do not eat, for example, sturgeon (as do Shiite Persians).
Birds, haoph, are the name given to all creatures capable of flight, including bats and winged insects. The law counts 19 (according to Lev.11.13–19) or 20 (according to Deut. 14.13–20) breeds of unclean flying ones, with the repeated addition: with their breed, that is, with all varieties of a given breed. The Bible does not indicate general signs of uncleanness of these birds: the zoology of the Talmud is already trying to do this. The Mishnah (Chullin 3:6) gives the following rules in this regard: “every bird that tears is unclean”, “every bird that separates its legs is unclean”, “if, when sitting on a rope, it separates two fingers in front and two back, then she is unclean”; “a bird that lives among the unclean and resembles the unclean is unclean”; a clean bird has a prominent crop, an extra finger, and an easily torn off stomach. Named in the Bible that is, birds are mostly those that feed on meat, carrion, worms, insects or objects disgusting to humans. Blazh. Theodoret says: “Of the birds, Moses calls the predatory birds unclean, those that feed on dead bodies and love darkness, thereby teaching us to abstain from covetousness, to deny the fetid food of sin and to hate darkness.” The identification of Jewish names with existing breeds is in many cases difficult, especially since the translation of LXX (especially in Lev. 11:15–18) introduces here, instead of explanation, even greater confusion (cf., however, Vlastova, Holy Chronicles 2: 154–157). Bat, Heb. atalleph - the bat is classified as a bird in appearance.
Small four-legged and many-legged living creatures, reptiles on the ground, and insects that have wings for flight, are all considered unclean, with the exception of 4 breeds of locusts, “which have legs higher than their feet” (Lev. 11:21; Vulg.: per quae salit super terram - something like a grasshopper).
If touching a living animal, even an unclean one, did not make one unclean, then the corpse of a dead animal certainly desecrated the one who touched it, and this uncleanness, which lasted until the evening, was removed by washing.
and Lev.11:41–43 complete the indication (in Lev.11:20–23) of prohibited reptiles, such as all snakes, shellfish, worms, snails, toads, moles, frogs, etc.
Determination of the presence of uncleanness or defilement in various cases of contact of the person himself, his clothing, food and other items of use with unclean animals or their corpses (cf. Blessed Theodore. Questions 12 and 13 on Lev.).
fulfill the indication (in Lev. 11:20–23) of prohibited reptiles, such as: all snakes, shellfish, worms, snails, toads, moles, frogs, etc.
In the final remarks on the laws regarding clean and unclean animals, the selection of Israel by Jehovah from among other nations and the special holiness and purity required by this are pointed out. By blessed Theodoret (question 11 on Lev.), “by dividing animals into clean and unclean, Moses, moreover, convinces not to recognize any of them as God. For who among the sane will call God either something unclean, which he abhors with hatred, or something that is sacrificed, and that which is eaten by those who offer it themselves.”
^ Blood cannot be eaten, but how can it cleanse the soul?
The indications that “this blood cleanses the soul” speaks of sprinkling God’s altar as a deposit for the sin committed (details in the book of Leviticus).
This bloody act, with a superficial look at the history of Holy Scripture, seems senseless and cruel. However, everything remains difficult to explain until the Lord Jesus Christ appears. The Savior Himself became a “calf” for the altar and sprinkled His Blood on the Altar-Cross in order to once and for all cleanse our souls from the abyss of alienation from God. This divine instruction is a prototype of the Great future Sacrifice for our sins. “Christ with His blood entered once into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:11,12), says the Apostle Paul in a letter to the Jews.
This is how the God-Man reconciled man through His Blood with God the Father. So we too, through partaking of the Blood and Flesh of God, stepping across an insurmountable abyss, become involved in the Kingdom of Heaven.
^ Jewish food - permitted
“ Kashrut” is a set of Jewish laws regarding food prohibitions. According to these laws, food can be kosher and non-kosher suitable and unfit for consumption.
* “The spiritual sensitivity of a person who consumes non-kosher products decreases, his heart “closes” to the perception of spiritual ideas.” Jewish wisdom.
The distinction between clean and unclean animals and the prohibition in the Old Testament from eating unclean animals for food had a special and temporary meaning: to teach Jews purity of life and heart, and was an external means of distinguishing and separating Jews from other nations. With the coming of the Messiah, such separation became unnecessary: all nations who accepted the Gospel were sanctified and cleansed by the blood of Christ; Therefore, in the kingdom of grace there is Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, but Christ is all and in all (Col. 3:11).
“You can only eat meat that has been slaughtered and not electrocuted or strangled. This can be determined by color:
light meat - with blood released; dark meat - from unreleased meat (carrion);
^ Why are there food bans?
The Apostolic Canons contain special instructions on the attitude of Christians to the Old and New Testaments. It says: “The books that should be read are the Old and New Testaments.” Therefore, the Orthodox Church anathematized, that is, excommunicated from Herself, all those who doubted the holiness and inspiration of the books of the Old and New Testaments.
Saint Ambrose of Milan called both Testaments “cups of wisdom” in our hands, because, he said, from “both you drink Christ.”
God's contract with people
The word "covenant" means agreement. The “Old Testament” means an agreement with the ancient righteous patriarchs, that is, the fathers and representatives of the peoples of the earth - Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They can be imagined as precious seeds that fell into the hand of a sower during a period of worldwide drought. The Lord’s goal is to protect the life in these seeds from disease and death, that is, to preserve the purity of faith and the race in which Christ, the Savior of the world, should be born. Therefore He makes strict demands on faith, devotion and obedience. In return, He gives His blessing and promises to grant salvation to the people of God.
The Almighty's care for His people consisted in His commandments, some of which were the commandments to be attentive to food. However, it is necessary to understand that now that Christ has already been born, lived among us, was crucified, resurrected and sits at the right hand of God the Father, this Old Testament agreement, strict for obvious reasons, has been carried out. And now the time of the New Testament is stretching out for us, an agreement between all people without distinctions or distinctions, an agreement of “repentance-forgiveness”, the main criterion of which is our personal conscience.
