Clean and Unclean Foods

According to the Hebrew Bible, before the Noahic flood, animals were already divided into clean and unclean categories. Unclean animals were not to be used for sacrifices. Detailed instructions about which animals were clean and acceptable for food are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. God designated only a few types of animals as “clean” for consumption. These animals were mostly docile herbivores with large populations. By declaring the vast majority of wild animals as “unclean” and therefore inedible, God provided the best form of protection for them.

God instructed the Israelites on what animals they could and could not eat but did not provide a reason. Although modern medicine has shown that eating “unclean” animals carries a higher health risk, God’s purpose in having His people “distinguish between the clean and the unclean, between the animals that may be eaten and those that may not” was not just for health. It was to teach His people to “separate themselves” and to “be holy” in their daily lives.

In modern Israeli society, the requirements of the Mosaic Law regarding clean and unclean foods are still strictly observed. But do Christians have any dietary restrictions? Should we also follow the Mosaic Law? In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them.” In this sense, “all foods are clean.” Paul also said, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” For modern people with an overabundance of food, if we try to follow these dietary guidelines, it can be a beneficial practice for our physical, mental, and spiritual health, allowing us to “glorify God in our bodies.” However, as Christians, we must be clear that when we believe and accept the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and cleanses our hearts. Therefore, we are no longer required to receive circumcision, obey the Mosaic Law, or follow Jewish oral traditions. We are saved by grace through faith, and this is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. Our hearts are cleansed not by following outward rules of cleanness but by receiving the renewal of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. As it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.