Why don't Christians have to follow a kosher diet?

Question

If Christians follow Christ's examples, and Christ was Jewish, and Jewish people have to follow a kosher diet, then Christ must have also followed a kosher diet. Yet somehow, Christians don't follow that particular aspect of Christ's life. Why? When was it decided that Christians can eat non-kosher food even though Jesus wouldn't have?

Answer 1

Matthew 15:11
What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "

Matthew 15:16-18 (NLT)
“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.


Colossians 2:15-17 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Acts 10:9-16
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.

God changed things once we were made new in Jesus Christ

Answer 2

Most Christians do not follow these things because it was decided for them that way in the New Testament. First of all, these laws were given only to Jews in the Old Testament. Nowhere does it say that God expects everyone to keep them. In New Testament times, there was a problem. The first Christians were all Jews who came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But soon, they came to believe that this new message about Jesus that they had should be shared with people from all nations. Remember Peter and his vision? The New Testament specifically states that it was God who told them to share their belief with gentiles. Now the problem for them was that they didn't exactly know what to do with those people who were not Jews and came to believe in Jesus. Should they convert to Judaism (remember, at that time, the Jewish Christians still worshipped at synagogues)? Some said yes, some said no. So there was an official council set up, the first church council that ever happend. All the Apostles were present to decide about that question, whether Christians should keep the Jewish laws, like kosher etc. and become Jewish. The answer to this question was "no". You can read the whole argument in Acts 15. That is why Christians today believe that they don't need to keep Jewish laws like kosher, simply because they are not Jewish and because the Apostles gave them just three laws that were not related to morals (read at the end of the chapter) to follow. One more thing ... one of these threee things Christians should keep according to Acts 15 is to abstain from blood. It is because of that verse that Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions. However, what is meant here is to not eat blood, and not the transfusion thing. As you can imagine, blood transfusion didn't exist at that time ... just so you wouldn't get confused with it. .... Read Acts 15 ... It's really essential. Edit: It is not that those laws don't apply ANYMORE but that they never applied to any other people than the Jews. And if you look at the 10 commandments, you will find much of it repeated in the New Testament, the moral parts of it, such as honoring your parents, not stealing ... well you know them. So those things definitely apply. Acts 15 is only talking about the things not related to morals.

Answer 3

This is answered in the book of Acts, Chapter 10 starting with Verse 9. Essentially, God told Peter in a vision that the animals that were unclean under the old covenant are now clean. Christians do not live under the old covenant that God made with Israel - ie, the Law (Torah). Through Jesus' death and resurrection God made a new agreement. This passage in Acts has significance beyond food - God is telling Jewish Christians that He has opened this covenant to the non-Jews (Gentiles) who the Jews considered to be unclean people.

The topic of whether Christians need to follow Jewish customs, such as Kosher and circumcision, was a big topic of debate and that debate is recorded in the Bible. The answer that carried the day (God's answer, we believe) is that faith in Jesus makes a Christian, and nothing else is necessary for salvation. We do not have to follow the customs of the Law to be Christians.

Answer 4

Acts Chapter 11 declares that all food is made clean


4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 5 “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. 6 When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. 7 And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

8 “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.[d]’

9 “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ 10 This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

Romans 14:3
Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.

Romans 14:20
Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

1 Corinthians 10:30
If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?

1 Timothy 4:3
They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.

Hebrews 9
This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.

Acts 10:15
But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

and this is why Christians dont worry about eating Unclean Food, its because we are already made clean once and for all by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, his blood washes All and no further sacrifice is needed.


Hebrews 10:22
let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

(-:

Answer 5

Most christians do not follow Christs example in a strict way the way most other religions do. But then this WWJD thing came out after I converted, but I don't see Christians acting any more like Jesus than when I was Christian.

As it was explained to me Christ died for them so all there sins are forgiven. Therefore as long as they Accept Jesus as there savior they go to heaven. A moral life is preached but as they are forgiven it is not considered manditory. Some Churches old school(sometimes called fire and brimestone churches) say you can not fully accept Christ if you do not live by his teachings but they are becomeing fewer and fewer as people seem to prefer the more "progressive chruches" Repentance is preached but at least at the 5 churches I tried none of them tied repentence with forgiveness because forgiveness came with the sacrafice .

Personaly I don't agree with it (that is why I converted)but that is how it was explained to me when I was Christian. I hope someone can explain it better. But I wish Christians would start following the Bibles rules and the kosher diet and live more like Jesus. Because in the end they would realize they were a lot more like Muslims than different from them.

Answer 6

Following a Kosher Diet was not a doctrine taught by Jesus. It was part of the Mosaic Law in which Christ Jesus fulfilled so we wouldn't have to.

Answer 7

Jesus was Jewish, and most Christians are Gentiles. There are several laws in the Torah (Law) that were never intended for anyone but Israelites. The Jewish people are to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." If you will, Gentiles are the "lay people." And priests have purity laws they follow which lay people do not have to. To this day, Jewish people do not expect non-Jews to obey all of the laws of the Torah. Instead, there are 7 laws for Gentiles, and these are all that Gentiles need to follow in order to be considered moral and righteous. There is a reference in fact to a similar set of 7 laws in the book of Acts.

Some of the laws of the Torah are of a nature that is meant to separate Jews from non-Jews. Circumcision, kosher laws, festivals, etc, are such laws. They are not followed by Christians from a Gentile background.

In my opinion, if you desire to follow the Jewish laws, and you feel that they enhance your relationship with God or Jesus, then by all means, follow them. But I honestly don't think Jesus would have expected non-Jews to have to keep all the commandments that were meant specifically for Jews.

Answer 8

Not only Christians, but Jews can eat unclean food-


9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
Acts 10:9-15 (NIV)

Answer 9

Jews for one thing are of a very different belief about Jesus than the rest of us. When Jesus called people to join him it seemed to change things quite a bit...mostly because the people around Jesus did not do the things the Jewish counterparts did do. That is the best I can offer.

Answer 10

Jesus did, but non-Jewish Christians don't have to. Read Acts 15. Also Jesus said that the diet is secondary, when he stated that what gets out of our mouth may be sinful, not what we put in.