Does the Bible restrict what foods Christians should eat?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible does not impose strict dietary restrictions on Christians. In Acts 10:9–16, Peter's vision signifies the lifting of the Jewish dietary laws, indicating that all foods are permissible for believers. While the early church encouraged Gentiles to abstain from certain practices, such as eating meat sacrificed to idols (Acts 21:25), these guidelines were more about demonstrating faith than enforcing dietary laws. Therefore, Christians are free to eat a variety of foods, as long as their choices honor God. Ultimately, decisions about what to eat should be made with prayerful consideration and personal conviction.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Genesis 1:29 states what people could eat before the flood: “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.’”
• In Genesis 9:3, God told Noah—a God-follower—"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you."
• God told Noah not to drink the blood of any animal (Genesis 9:4). The restriction against consuming blood, which includes food from strangled animals, is debated among Christians; some believe Peter's vision releases this restriction, while others maintain it remains, due to its roots in both pre-Mosaic and church teachings. Ultimately, each Christian should seek guidance through prayer, but it is generally accepted that this restriction does not apply to steaks cooked rare if the animal was properly butchered.
• God gave the food laws to the Israelites to set them apart as a holy nation and remind them of their unique identity as His chosen people (Leviticus 11:44–45). The laws also symbolized the importance of purity and obedience, encouraging the Israelites to honor God in their daily lives (Deuteronomy 14:2–3).
• The law God gave the Israelites details what foods they were and were not allowed to eat. Leviticus 11 bans eating the following animals:
• Those that chew cud or have a split hoof but not both (like camels, rabbits, pigs)
• Sea creatures that do not have fins and scales (like crustaceans)
• Birds that eat flesh or carrion (like crows, raptors, sea gulls)
• Most winged insects, except those that swarm and jump
• The Israelites were forbidden from consuming blood because it represented life. They were to drain the blood from animals before eating the meat (Leviticus 17:10–14).
• The Israelites were not to eat animals that died on their own or were torn by other animals, as this could make them unclean (Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 14:21).
• Exodus 34:26 bans boiling a kid goat in its mother's milk.
• Yeast was banned during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15; Exodus 12:19; Leviticus 23:6).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Christians are not bound by the dietary restrictions in Leviticus 11.
• Acts 10:9–16 tells us of a change that happened in what God’s people were allowed to eat. Peter went to a rooftop to pray and became hungry. He fell into a trance. The sky opened, and a sheet, filled with all kinds of animals, was lowered in front of him. A voice said, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter, thinking it was a test, protested, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." This happened three times. The vision was two-sided. In the literal sense, Peter was released from the Jewish dietary law. Christ-followers did not have to keep Jewish ceremonial law because Jesus had fulfilled it. In the metaphorical sense, it was one more lesson on how Jesus was for everyone, and the Jewish Christians needed to witness to the Gentiles as well.
• As more and more Gentiles joined the church, church leaders (including the apostles and Jesus's brother James) needed to figure out which ceremonial laws Gentiles should be bound to and which they were freed from. In the midst of such a discussion (mostly regarding circumcision), church leaders dictated: "But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled…" (Acts 21:25).
• The ban on meat sacrificed to idols would have been a hardship for those who lived in cities. Most meat sold at market was already cooked and, in the process, had been dedicated to a pagan god. To reject meat that had been sacrificed might have meant to forgo meat altogether. Paul, adding grace and a touch of reality to the ban, explained in 1 Corinthians 10:27–28 that dedicated meat should only be banned if the believer knew it was dedicated. The purpose of the ban was to show publicly that they did not worship idols, not that dedicated meat was supernaturally harmful.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

In general, Christians are not bound by Jewish dietary restrictions. The New Testament says we should be known for our love (John 13:35), not our meals. Regarding food dedicated to idols, we need to understand the purpose of the ban—to clearly show those around us that we do not worship any god but the true God. As for drinking the blood of animals, since there is no clear guidance, it is a matter of personal conviction and prayer.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible does not impose strict dietary restrictions on Christians.
• Peter's vision in Acts 10 indicates all foods are permissible.
• Christians are free to eat a variety of foods, with dietary choices made through prayerful consideration and personal conviction.

REFLECT

• When deciding what foods to eat, what factors should be considered to both honor God and your body?
• How can you ensure your dietary choices honor God and reflect personal conviction?
• How do cultural dietary practices shape your view of God-honoring eating?

ENGAGE

• Christians today deal with this issue in certain ways. Meat in India may be offered to a Hindu god. Halal food is dedicated to the god of Islam. Should Christians partake? Like Paul said, if the provider of the meat makes it known that the meat has been dedicated, we should politely decline. If food at a grocery store bears the "halal" seal, we should pray about what God wants us to do. It is the endorsement of the religion that is the problem, not the food itself.
• How does the transition from Old Testament dietary laws to New Testament freedom impact your faith?
• How can Christians express their faith through food choices in diverse cultures?