Expert: Dr Eddy Cheong - 10/23/2006

Question
Hello Dr.
I would like to know the truth about Christians eating pork. My wife and I were watching a Christian program on tv the other day and we heard a prominent Pastor teach that we as Christians should not eat any pork what so ever. I know it is written in the Bible how pork is unclean. We have since removed it from our diet. I must admit I really miss some of the dinners we had with pork as the main entree, however we are a family that when we learn and know better we make a conscience effort in doing better. I also know it is also in the Muslim faith not to eat pork. Please provide me some biblical insight on this matter. We are a little confused because we have been to outings with several churches we have attended in the past and they all ate pork including the Pastors.  

Answer
Eric, You are referring to the Levitical Law pronounced below…

Lev 11:6-8
7 And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
NIV

First of all, let me mention that there are seven dispensations taught in the Bible (summarized in the figure below):

Dispensation of innocence-conscience- human goverment-promise-Law- Grace-Kingdom


A dispensation is a period of time in which God dealt with His People a particular way. As one dispensation succeeds another, the previous dispensation makes way for the next succeeding one. In other words, the next dispensation nullifies the previous one. The Levitical laws were given to Moses for Israel in order to make them Holy and separate from the world. When our Lord came to earth, He lived a sinless life and fulfilled all the commandments in the Law of Moses thereby abolishing it…

Matt 5:17

17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
NIV

The Apostle Paul summarizes this aptly in the verses below:

Gal 2:15-16

15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
NIV

Failure to satisfy just one requirement of the Law puts one under a curse…
Gal 3:10-11

10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
NIV (There are many requirements of the Law including sacrificing a lamb every morning and evening).

We are now living in the dispensation of Grace and come under the teachings of the New Testament relevant to the church. In fact, to be specific, our Lord Jesus has already annulled the food laws in the early chapters of Mark…

Mark 7:18-19
18 "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")
NIV

Hope this answers your question.