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The Law of Clean and Unclean Meats
1
Timothy 4:1-5: Does It Abolish the Law of Clean and Unclean Meats?
.
The
meaning here is not that we should go ahead and just eat anything; the
reference is to the heretical doctrine of abstaining from foods that God gave
and approved. Nowhere does the apostle Paul refer to laws God gave through
Moses as originating with demons - that would have been blasphemous! The Word
of God, in the Old Testament, defines which meats are to be consumed and which
not
by
Ralph Levy
Paul’s instructions to Timothy have been
interpreted to mean that God’s laws about clean and unclean animals are no
longer in force.
Is this correct?
1 Timothy 4:1-5: Does It Abolish the Law of
Clean and Unclean Meats?
The apostle Paul
wrote the following to the young evangelist Timothy: “Now the Spirit
expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving
heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy,
having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and
commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
“For every creature
of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with
thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Paul is here warning of a latter-day apostasy
from the true Christian faith. Notice what these heretics would advocate:
- Giving heed to demons.
- Enforced celibacy and abstention from
marriage.
- Enforced abstention from certain foods that
God gave and approved.
Could this refer to God’s law about clean and
unclean animals?
Now let us consider whether these warnings
could possibly refer to God’s ban on consuming meats labeled “unclean”
in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
First, Paul identifies the aberrant doctrines
as originating with demons.
The laws of clean and unclean animals
originated not with demons, but with God Himself, who gave them to Moses to
pass on to the Israelites (Leviticus
11:1-2).
And this knowledge goes back much further,
since Noah knew which animals were clean and unclean before the Flood (Genesis 7:2).
Also, there are many examples in the writings
of the apostle Paul where he quotes the law of Moses approvingly. (See, for example, 1
Corinthians 5:13, which quotes Deuteronomy, and 1 Corinthians 9:8-9, quoting
Deuteronomy 25:4. There are many more.)
Nowhere does the apostle Paul refer to laws
God gave through Moses as originating with demons! That would have been
blasphemous!
Second, the reference to abstention from
certain foods is mentioned in the same context as enforced celibacy and
forbidding marriage.
These truly are demonic doctrines, ones that
never originated in the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures, but which have been enjoined
by some religious authorities since the time of Christ.
Indeed, required celibacy for religious
leaders has been blamed for serious abuses and scandals in recent years.
Third, these heretics
would seek to ban the consumption of certain foods that God created to be
enjoyed. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if
it is received with thanksgiving” (verse 4).
Does this mean human beings should consume
just anything: Leeches? Rats? Poisonous frogs? Cockroaches? Flies?
Obviously no.
So, what does 1 Timothy 4:1-5 mean?
The meaning here is
not that we should go ahead and just eat anything; the reference is to the
heretical doctrine of abstaining from foods that God gave and approved. “For
it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (verse 5, emphasis
added).
The Word of God, in the Old Testament,
defines which meats are to be consumed and which not.
Through the last 2,000 years of history, some
religious leaders have sought to impose vegetarianism on their followers, while
others have taught abstention from certain foods, such as meat, on certain
days.
Such doctrines do not originate in the Bible
and are therefore heretical.
Paul was warning of those heretical
teachings, not of the biblical requirement to avoid pork and shellfish.
So, we see that 1 Timothy 4:1-5 does not
abolish God’s law about clean and unclean animals.
Ralph
Levy
is a native of London, England, and now a naturalized citizen of the United
States. He works primarily as a professor of theology at Foundation Institute,
Center for Biblical Education, in Texas. Foundation Institute is the
educational institution of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
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