What New Testament passages connect with dietary laws in Leviticus 11:19? Leviticus 11:19—The Verse in View “the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.” (Leviticus 11:19) Why It Mattered under the Mosaic Covenant • The list clearly labels these birds as “unclean,” marking Israel as distinct from surrounding nations. • Obedience in food was one daily way to live out holiness (Leviticus 11:44–45). • The principle: God defines purity; His people trust and obey. New Testament Passages that Pick Up the Theme • Mark 7:18-19 — Jesus teaches: “Are you so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and is eliminated.” —Thus He declared all foods clean. • Matthew 15:11 — “What goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what defiles a man.” • Acts 10:14-15; 11:8-9 — Peter’s vision: “No, Lord! … I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” • Acts 15:19-20, 28-29 — The Jerusalem council affirms freedom from the Levitical food list for Gentiles, retaining only a few safeguards (idols, blood, strangled animals) for fellowship’s sake. • Romans 14:1-4, 14-15 — “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself…” yet love limits liberty. • 1 Corinthians 8:8 & 10:25-31 — Food “will not commend us to God,” but believers act for the good of weaker brothers. • Colossians 2:16-17 — “Therefore 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.” • 1 Timothy 4:3-5 — Some forbid foods “that God created to be received with thanksgiving… For every creation of God is good.” • Hebrews 9:9-10 — Food regulations were “external regulations applying until the time of reformation.” Key Bridges between Leviticus 11 and the New Covenant • Same Author, same authority—God’s word stands; changes in covenant come by His revelation alone. • Holiness still matters; the focus shifts from ritual categories to the heart (Mark 7:21-23). • Clean/unclean distinctions pointed to humanity’s deeper need for cleansing—met fully in Christ (Hebrews 10:1). • Freedom from Levitical diet is not license for self-centered living; it is an opportunity to serve others in love (Romans 14:19). Practical Takeaways • Give thanks for food; sanctify it “by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:5). • Exercise liberty humbly; protect the consciences of brothers and sisters who differ (Romans 14:20-21). • Remember that outward obedience once taught inward obedience; today, purity of heart and speech displays the same holiness God required in Leviticus. |
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