Can Christians eat pork? Well, there is a commandment in Leviticus 11 that says not to eat pork and it starts with “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron …” Since the Lord said it, it must be obeyed, right?
According to the writer of Acts 10:13, God commands Peter to eat unclean meat. Did God change his mind?
Well, Jesus said that he had not come to abolish the law of Moses. He came to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).
A modern interpretation does not consider the Bible to literally be the word of God. Leviticus is probably written by someone from the priestly class, a position of power, for the purpose of controlling the Jews and not for the worship of God.
Jesus’ new interpretation of the ancient Scriptures does not involve a God who issues commandments for the sake of controlling people, but because he loves his people. God’s heart is to free the Jews and to keep them safe, not to enslave them. That is why the Exodus story is so important. It is about freedom from oppression. God gave the law to Moses to protect his people, but some misused it to oppress others.
The word commandment is problematic for Christians because it implies a master ruling over subjects and that is not the kind of God Jesus said he knew. The Jews interpreted the Torah literally. Jesus simply used the language they had been taught so they would understand. The God Jesus knew was a God who is a loving father, not a ruler. Peter’s rooftop vision was simply a reminder that all people, even gentiles, who are free to eat all kinds of meat, are also God’s people.
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