How does Deuteronomy 14:21 relate to New Testament teachings on food? Deuteronomy 14:21 at a Glance • “You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner in your gates so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (Deuteronomy 14:21) Original Purpose in Israel’s Covenant • Purity in diet highlighted Israel’s distinct identity as “a holy people to the LORD.” • Avoiding meat that died naturally guarded against disease and ritual defilement (Leviticus 17:15). • The prohibition against boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk protected Israel from adopting Canaanite fertility rites. • Allowing foreigners to purchase such meat underscored that the command was covenant-specific, not a universal health mandate. The Transition in the Gospels • Jesus re-centered defilement on the heart, not the menu: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him… (Thus all foods are clean).” (Mark 7:18-19) • While God never declares His earlier law mistaken, Christ fulfills the ceremonial aspects (Matthew 5:17). The food laws served as shadows pointing to the greater holiness found in Him. Key New Testament Passages on Food • Peter’s vision: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:13-15) • Paul’s conviction: “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” (Romans 14:14) • Freedom with gratitude: “Every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected.” (1 Timothy 4:4-5) • Warning against legalism: “Let no one judge you by what you eat or drink… These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17) Continuity: Timeless Principles • Holiness still matters; the standard is now internal transformation rather than external diet. • Stewardship of the body remains wise; avoiding what harms health honors God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). • Sensitivity to others: Liberty is tempered by love so we “pursue what leads to peace and mutual edification.” (Romans 14:19) Application for Today • Believers may eat any food with thanksgiving, confident that God declares it clean through Christ. • Dietary choices can still reflect devotion—fasting, simple living, or abstaining for the sake of a weaker brother (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). • The heart posture matters more than the plate: holiness, gratitude, and love remain the guiding principles that bridge Deuteronomy 14:21 and the New Testament teaching on food. |
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