Today I want to take on one of the most classic verses the modern church has incorrectly used to show that the Kosher food laws have been abolished.
I’m talking about Acts 10 where we are told Peter had a vision of a sheet full of animals lowered down from heaven containing every manner of unclean animals.
So let’s read it.
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.”
So in most Gentile churches when this portion of Scripture is read out loud, afterwards the pastor with a smug smile of satisfaction on his face closes his Bible, looks out to the audience and declares…
“Could it not be more plain?”
“The Lord had sent to Peter in a vision unclean forbidden animals and told him to kill and EAT them!”
“Therefore, the Lord has ceased from calling them unclean, and that’s why it’s okay to enjoy your ham sandwiches.”
Well, not so fast there Mr. Gentile Pastor.
The first thing we should take note of is that Peter was quite confused about the vision he had just had and didn’t immediately jump to any conclusions regarding its meaning.
And then a few verses later in verse 34, we’re told the conclusion Peter came to:
“Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”
Peter interpreted this vision to mean that God accepted men from all nations who trusted in Him.
Peter did NOT interpret this to mean that he could now go hog wild (pun intended) and eat whatsoever pleased him.
Let me say that again.
Peter did NOT interpret this to mean that the Kosher food laws were now abolished.
He interpreted it to mean that God would accept all men, in other words Gentiles, who trusted in Him.
According to this Apostle, the one who wrote the actual Scripture of the Book of Acts, this portion of the New Testament is NOT to be taken as an instruction that the laws concerning clean and unclean animals had been done away with.
When Peter had finally figured out the meaning of the baffling vision God had given to him, the conclusion he reached was that it had nothing to do with food.
It had to do with men.
In other words, FOOD was being used as a metaphor representing MEN.
Here’s what you need to understand.
Unclean animals were a well-understood and very familiar Jewish symbol that represented the uncleanness of the Gentiles.
This whole story was all about Jews shunning gentiles because Jews considered all gentiles unclean.
In those days, to a Jew, entering a gentile home was like entering a hospital packed with patients carrying all kinds of highly contagious diseases.
If God was going to get His Gospel out to the nations, this mindset had to be broken.
God declared in the Book of Acts “do not call unclean that which I tell you is clean”.
And how did God make this truth clear to Peter?
By showing a vision of creatures inside a sheet being lowered down from Heaven.
Most people will assume I’m promoting this viewpoint simply because I’m a Hebrew roots messianic believer.
Well, I’d like to share a quote about this portion of Acts from a revered early church father who was anything but a messianic.
The following is from the Venerable Bede, an English monk who wrote a whole commentary on the Book of Acts in around 700ad.
“I am amazed at how some people interpret this as having to do with certain foods that were prohibited by the old law but that are now to be consumed, since neither serpents nor reptiles can be eaten. Nor did Peter himself understand it in this way. Rather he understood it as meaning that all PEOPLE are equally called to the gospel of Christ and that nothing is naturally defiled. For when he was reproached, he explained the SYMBOLISM of this vision, not as giving the reason why he ate beasts but why he associated with gentiles”.
I believe this I struggled with this question since a teenager. when asked my parents they both said “God made them ckean”. for some resin I didn’t accept their answer . I did although just go through life earing pork and the second things I always had in question was covering our head .eh wearing a vail… I didn’t do it though I’ve struggled my while life with this … I will stop eating pork now though… thank you for your article. .
Thank you for sharing Carol. To eat as God commanded us to eat is one way we reflect the Holiness of our Father in heaven. Be blessed. Shalom!
Now that you said that remember this, Jesus said “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved”.
All you’ve done is proven the case for “NO” food laws (except for one and I definitely agree with that one).
Peter clearly refused to let go of his Jewish identity, which is fine, but the gist of the dream was the spiritual meaning of “rejection of unclean religious and paganistic people and societies. But later Peter realized that “ALL” who except Jesus are acceptable. When you try to enforce food law for any reason other than Jewish Identity (it’s NOT an exclusionary sign anymore) then you “FALSE” teach. You are putting “New wine into “Old” wineskins. It destroys both The “wine” (Gospel of Salvation) and Law.(Not allowing Jesus to take His place in the Law HE is completing). There’s no room in the Law for Jesus and ANY teaching of the exclusion of anyone who Jesus will accept; symbolic or not.
The ONLY food law now is the physical refusal of any food dedicated to Paganism. Moslem “Halal meat” is the most relevant example today of that. Halal Meat is slaughtered/ prepared in the name of “allah”. We can’t accept it. John the Apostle made that crystal clear in Revelation. Stop trying to make “Jews out of Gentiles”. We ONLY have to identify as Messianic/Christian. Yes, both terms are the same, only the Jews wish to retain their Jewishness, but gentiles are still your brothers and that is to be respected or else, you can’t respect your Savior.
I am not a jew and can see gross error in hour comment.
Peter summed up everything saying he finally understood the dream was not about food but WAS and IS about people.
In your bias you are seeing through filtered glasses and show a severe lack of understanding about Torah…especially food instructions, guidelines, aka laws. You insterted new patch on old skins as you put it saying there is only one law now when every hikan since adam is not allowed to eat blood either, and you ignore verses in the nt by Paul when he fought to get gentiles admitted into synagogues to learn Torah…starting them out with noahs food restrictions about eating anything strangled or diseased. It is a topical chapter and like many, we can not cherry pick a single part of a verse to support your error.
Paul says not tonlet others judge us for eating according to God’s menu, or observing ordained oermanent feast…which as Israelites we should all do if we are ingrafted, adopted an not be rebellious children after salvation.
Peace
The foods laws ARE NOT JEWISH! Noah knew of the clean / unclean animals Long before the tribe of Judah or even the Nation of Israel was founded or established. All the laws stated in Torah are God’s laws, instructions and teachings NOT Judah’s, Moses, or Israel’s instructions and teachings. IF, I say again IF Christ did away with the food laws THAN why was Peter still obeying them some 5 years plus after Christ ascended? Was Peter on vacation when Christ taught that the food laws were abolished? As you can see Peter concluded God was saying Gentiles were not to be scorned anymore by Jews. Look at what Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10:28 “And he [Peter] said to them, You know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come to one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Just as the article explains. Great article by the way.
Thanks for sharing!
In mark 7:19 it says all foods are purified by Jesus himself