What New Testament teachings relate to dietary laws in Leviticus 11:4? Setting the Scene: Leviticus 11:4 in Focus “‘But of those that chew the cud or have split hooves you are not to eat these: the camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.’” (Leviticus 11:4) Jesus’ Words on Food and Purity • Mark 7:18-19 – “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 goes into his stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.) • Matthew 15:11 – “What goes into a man’s mouth does not defile him, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what defiles him.” Key idea: Jesus shifts the discussion from ceremonial categories to the moral condition of the heart, laying groundwork for a change in how clean and unclean foods are viewed. Peter’s Vision and the Clean/Unclean Divide • Acts 10:14-15 – “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” • Acts 11:9 – “The voice spoke from heaven a second time: ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’” Highlights: – Peter, a devout Jew, still held to Leviticus 11. – God himself declares a new status for previously forbidden animals, underscoring a covenantal shift tied to the gospel’s reach to the Gentiles. Paul’s Counsel to the Churches • Romans 14:1-4, 14, 17 – “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself… For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” • 1 Corinthians 10:25-26 – “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.’” • 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 is of Christ.” • 1 Timothy 4:3-5 – “Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” Paul affirms: – Food distinctions were temporary “shadows.” – Freedom must be tempered by love for weaker consciences (Romans 14:20-21; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13). Continuity and Fulfillment • The Levitical dietary code highlighted Israel’s call to be set apart (Leviticus 20:25-26). • Christ fulfills ceremonial law (Matthew 5:17) and brings its symbolism to completion (Hebrews 9:9-10). • Moral purity remains essential, but ceremonial barriers are lifted in the New Covenant (Ephesians 2:14-15). Practical Takeaways for Believers Today – Gratitude, not restriction, now governs the dinner table (1 Timothy 4:4). – Exercise liberty with sensitivity; never cause a brother to stumble (Romans 14:15). – Pursue holiness of heart—the deeper purpose behind the original clean/unclean distinction (1 Peter 1:15-16). |
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