An Argument For Eating Pork

Many Christians today point to a handful of New Testament passages to claim that God has declared all animals good for food. But if God’s word stands forever, as He says, then those claims must be tested carefully; otherwise, we run the risk of accusing God of contradicting Himself. 

The answer to this question is actually quite grave, because as we saw in this post, God says He will harshly judge those who eat pork, and the answer can't be both things. So if God's word does not stand forever, then we have some major problems with our faith. 

God is the one constant in a world of continual quaking and shifting, and if we can't trust what He said to be true, where does that leave us?

Let's take a look at the main passages that are used to say that all animals are now good for food. The first passage we'll examine is Peter's vision, where Peter states, years after the crucifixion, that he has never eaten anything unclean, which shows he didn't believe Jesus made all animals clean with His death on the cross.

Acts 10:12 NKJV - In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

Acts 10:13 NKJV - And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

Acts 10:14 NKJV - But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

Acts 10:15 NKJV - And a voice [spoke] to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

Acts 10:16 NKJV - This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Clearly, God just said all animals are clean and good for food, right?

Well, yes, if you don't read the context around this section. The context explains this vision pretty completely, which is quite handy because otherwise it's left up to our own interpretation.

What is this context I speak of?

The context is Peter actually explaining the meaning of this vision. He interprets his vision for us so we don't have to speculate.

Acts 10:28 NKJV - Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Later, Peter explains exactly what he meant when he said God had shown him this.

Acts 11:5 NKJV - "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.

Acts 11:6 NKJV - "When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

Acts 11:7 NKJV - "And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'

Acts 11:8 NKJV - "But I said, 'Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.'

Acts 11:9 NKJV - "But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.'

Acts 11:10 NKJV - "Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Acts 11:11 NKJV - "At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.

Acts 11:12 NKJV - "Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.

Acts 11:17 NKJV - "If therefore God gave them the same gift as [He gave] us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

Acts 11:18 NKJV - When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

The vision was about people, not animals, since, as we know, there are plenty of animals that would kill us if we tried to eat them. Therefore, not all animals have been made clean and good for food. 

Next, we have Hebrews, which seems to tell us the Earthly services concerned only with food have been done away with, but the whole context of the chapter and book is the temple and priesthood changing over. The priesthood and temple service have changed, and we are no longer supposed to bring physical food and drink offerings because the temple is now spiritual.

Hebrews 9:9 NKJV - It [was] symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience--

Hebrews 9:10 NKJV - [concerned] only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

This section is about food and drink offerings, sacrifices, in other words, not the animals on your menu. 

Next, we have Paul's statement in 1st Timothy.

Paul seems to be declaring that all meats are clean if you pray for them and receive them with thanksgiving.

1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV — Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Timothy 4:2 NKJV — speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
1 Timothy 4:3 NKJV — 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.
1 Timothy 4:4 NKJV — For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
1 Timothy 4:5 NKJV — for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Now, we could talk about how this is a nod to aestheticism, or saying that all physical things are evil, but we're going to look at exactly what is in this verse to see if what people claim Paul is saying is true. 

First, Paul includes a whole list of things and distinguishes them by saying they are set apart by the Word of God. The Old Testament, in other words, is what sets these things apart. What are these things? 

Not creatures, but created things. The Greek word here means created things, not creatures.

Paul does not say, ‘every animal is good for food.’ He says every created thing of God is good, and then qualifies it: ‘sanctified by the word of God and prayer.’ The Word of God tells us which animals He sanctified (Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14).

1 Timothy 4:4 NKJV — For every created thing of God [is] good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

1 Timothy 4:5 NKJV — for it is set apart/made holy by the word of God and prayer.

What are the created things listed?

Marriage is one of the things that God created, which is also made holy in His word. In addition to this, every animal He created for food, which is listed in the Law, is holy and good for food, nothing to be refused, like some were doing. 

We'll come across this theme of people saying meat in general is not good for food next in Romans as well. Here, Paul is confronting vegetarianism vs non-vegetarians and saying there's nothing wrong with eating meat. People were abstaining from eating meat altogether, in other words.

What is meat, exactly? 

Those animals which God has created and declared for our food. 

Romans 14:2 NKJV - For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats [only] vegetables.

Romans 14:3 NKJV - Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

Romans 14:14 NKJV - I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that [there is] nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

Romans 14:20 NKJV - Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed [are] pure, but [it is] evil for the man who eats with offense.

Romans 14:21 NKJV - [It is] good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor [do anything] by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

In a similar passage, discussing whether or not it is okay to eat meat offered to idols, Paul basically says, "Yes, as long as you don't know it was offered to idols." He's not talking about abominable animals vs clean animals. 

1 Corinthians 10:25 NKJV - Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake;

1 Corinthians 10:26 NKJV - for "the earth [is] the LORD's, and all its fullness."

1 Corinthians 10:27 NKJV - If any of those who do not believe invites you [to dinner], and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake.

1 Corinthians 10:28 NKJV - But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth [is] the LORD's, and all its fullness."

Finally, we have some of Jesus's own words, which are used to declare that all animals are good for food. 

Mark 7:18 NKJV - So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,

Mark 7:19 NKJV - "because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, [thus] purifying all foods?"

The Greek word isn't strictly meat; it includes food and drink or victuals, as some translators render it. The topic here is ritual hand washing, not whether or not it was okay to eat pork. 

Mark 7:2 NASB95 - and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

Matthew 15:20 NASB95 - "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

You can eat with unwashed hands, and your body will usually be fine because of the way God designed your digestive system. 

I wouldn't recommend it, though. 

The last section we'll take a look at is used to destroy all sorts of things having to do with commands from God. This one passage apparently does away with Holy days, Sabbaths, and clean and unclean animals. However, if you start back in verse 8, things become crystal clear. 

Paul opens with a warning about the vain traditions of men and principles of the world, which are clearly not God's principles.

Colossians 2:8 NKJV - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

We finally get down to verse 16, where Paul tells them not to let anyone judge them for, if we take the classic interpretation, for rejecting God's law, but based on verse 8, is that really the likely scenario?

Colossians 2:16 NKJV - So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

Colossians 2:17 NKJV - which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

 

Or is it far more likely that they WERE keeping these things, were being made fun of by pagans and Jews alike (for not keeping them according to the traditions of men), and Paul was encouraging them to continue keeping them even though they were being persecuted?

It seems pretty clear that this was encouragement to continue in obedience to God rather than men, and not at all encouraging them to reject the law of God in favor of man-made traditions and turning back to the empty principles of the world. He makes this abundantly clear in verse 22.

Colossians 2:20 NKJV - Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as [though] living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--

Colossians 2:21 NKJV - "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,"

Colossians 2:22 NKJV - which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments and doctrines of men?

Paul is getting on them for turning from God's law to the commandments and doctrines of men!

God's law is not optional, folks. 

The warnings God gave through the entire Old Testament didn't just suddenly become invalid because Jesus died on the cross. Eighty percent of scripture didn't just become some nice history with no real implications for our own lives because of the crucifixion. 

In every case, the supposed ‘proof texts’ collapse under context. Clean and unclean meats are not about salvation; it's about sinning and whether or not we are going to make a habit of practicing what God says not to do. Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever gave us permission to eat what God calls an abomination.

Instead, they urged us to obey God rather than men, and to see through the false philosophies of the world. God’s word does stand forever, and so do His food laws.

© Kyle Bacher 2025