What New Testament passages discuss dietary laws and their fulfillment in Christ? Setting the Stage: Leviticus 11:7 “ And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.” • Under the Mosaic Law, certain animals—including the pig—were off-limits. • These distinctions taught Israel to live set apart and pointed forward to something greater. Jesus Redraws the Lines – Mark 7:14-23 “ Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him… (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)” (vv. 18-19) • Jesus shifts the issue from the stomach to the heart. • By declaring all foods clean, He signals that ceremonial boundaries have reached their fulfillment in Him. A Vision on a Rooftop – Acts 10:9-16 “ What God has cleansed, you must not call impure.” (v. 15) • Peter sees a sheet of every kind of animal, hears, “Kill and eat,” and hesitates because of Leviticus 11. • God’s reply affirms that the old categories have served their purpose; Gentiles as well as foods are now welcomed through Christ. Freedom Explained – Romans 14 “ I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” (v. 14) “ The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (v. 17) • Paul urges believers to enjoy liberty while protecting weaker consciences. • The focus moves from external regulations to Spirit-empowered righteousness. Guidance for Corinth and Colossae 1 Corinthians 8 & 10 • “Food does not bring us near to God.” (8:8) • “Eat anything sold in the meat market… ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.’ ” (10:25-26) • “Let no one judge you by what you eat or drink… These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ.” • Dietary rules were previews; Christ is the substance. Pastoral Counsel – 1 Timothy 4:1-5 “ …abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” • False teachers revive food-based restrictions; Paul counters with Genesis-rooted goodness and gratitude. Shadow and Reality – Hebrews 9-10; 13:9 • “Regulations for the body—foods and drinks—imposed until the time of reformation.” (9:10) • “It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by foods.” (13:9) • Levitical shadows give way to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. Pulling the Threads Together • Leviticus 11:7 set a standard of separation; the New Testament reveals that Christ accomplishes the holiness those laws pictured. • Jesus declares foods clean, Peter confirms it, and Paul and the Hebrews writer ground our freedom in the finished work of the cross. • The believer now walks in grateful liberty—free to eat or abstain—while pursuing love and edification in the body of Christ. |
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