Why would Jesus reverse the dietary laws in Matthew 15, isn't Shrimp bad for you in Leviticus 11?

Question

Leviticus 11:9-12 says eating shrimp is an abomination,

so why in Matthew 15 does Jesus say that which you eat doesn't defile you,

did god make all the shrimp in the seas ok to eat?

Did they develope refridgeration or fryars?

Answer 1

Have you seen all the prohibitions in leviticus?

What's left to eat? Rocks?

Answer 2

Leviticus chapter 11 lists the dietary restrictions God gave to the nation of Israel. The dietary rules were never intended to apply to anyone other than Israel. Jesus later declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19). God gave the apostle Peter a vision in which He declares concerning formerly unclean animals, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15). When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:15). This includes the laws regarding clean and unclean foods.

Answer 3

Meats like shellfish and pork can get easily contaminated with bacteria and worms in tropical cliamates. That is probably why there were prohibitions on these meats for the Jews, especially when they were in their earlier nomadic phases, constantly on the go. They did not have good ways of storing them.
Salts and other spices were used to store and transport meat. If you go to Portuguese stores you can still buy dried salted cod called bacalhau and enjoy it though you have to soak it in water to get out the salt. Refridgeration as we know it today didn't come until the near turn of the 20th century.
Ultimately though, boiling or cooking any food past 212 F will kill any nasty bug or bacteria in the world.
Jesus did mention in his ministery off and on that there were excesses of law and was crtical of the authorities who harped too much on these many laws but cared little for their fellow man when their time might have been better spent there. Once he was gone and Christianity was growing, if I recall correctly there was that vision from heaven indicating all sorts of foods could be eaten from then on; part of the new covenant I suppose.

Regards,

Michael Kelly

Answer 4

After Jesus returned to Heaven, the Apostles were going to be dealing with many Gentiles, and though it was against Jewish law to eat certain foods it was more important to save Gentiles, and this meant eating with them some times.

Some times we are faced with a choice of two conflicting commands and we must follow the one that is at that time most important (as in this case, it was better for a Jew to eat any food a Gentile gave him than to alienate him by rejecting to eat with him).

Another example (from the Commentary of the Jewish New Testament) is this: it is commanded that a male must be circumcised on the 8th day. It is also commanded that no work should be done on the Sabbath. So what do you do if a child needs to be circumcised on the Sabbath? (Cutting is considered work). It is better to circumcise the child.

Answer 5

God tells us not to eat certain things in the OT. That law was, and IS still a health law; which means that God knows what is good for our bodies, to protect our health. ( I keep hearing about people becoming really sick, sometimes after having Shrimp or Lobster in restaurants) There are long term health risks, as well. Our bodies haven't changed from the way they were in the O.T. times, nor are we created differently than the Jews. Refrigeration has nothing to do with it.!!! Certain creatures were simply created to be scavengers, so why would we want the garbage they clean up, to be in our systems???
It's amazing what some people will tell you, by misinterpreting the Bible, to justify eating these unclean meats. I guess we can twist anything to conform to what we want to believe!
It's a HEALTH LAW, people! Given to us by the one who created us! It still protects us from degenerative illnesses!!!!

Answer 6

MHC: 15:10-20 Christ shows that the defilement they ought to fear, was not from what entered their mouths as food, but from what came out of their mouths, which showed the wickedness of their hearts. Nothing will last in the soul but the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit; and nothing should be admitted into the church but what is from above; therefore, whoever is offended by a plain, seasonable declaration of the truth, we should not be troubled at it. The disciples ask to be better taught as to this matter. Where a weak head doubts concerning any word of Christ, an upright heart and a willing mind seek for instruction. It is the heart that is desperately wicked, Jer 17:9, for there is no sin in word or deed, which was not first in the heart. They all come out of the man, and are fruits of that wickedness which is in the heart, and is wrought there. When Christ teaches, he will show men the deceitfulness and wickedness of their own hearts; he will teach them to humble themselves, and to seek to be cleansed in the Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness.

Answer 7

Suspicious Shrimp addresses the consumer health risks of eating industrially produced shrimp, which may include neurological
damage from ingesting pesticides, an allergic response to penicillin residues or an infection from antibioticresistant
pathogens, such as E. coli.

Maybe it had something to do with the sanitation conditions of the day.

Answer 8

Everything that glitters is not gold!
Everything that is edible is not food!

Think on this for a while and then decide what is good for a True Human Being to consume as a food!

I don't believe that Jesus stated anything to the fact that Gods laws had changed regarding mans diet. Deception is the key word regarding this question.

Answer 9

The answer to you question is no one probably knows for sure except he is one with God. The mind of God is suposed to be far superior to the minds of men and He dosn't always flood us with his thoughts for his reason for everything he does although there are times when people do have interaction with God and its quite exciting but a very personal thing most the time. There are exceptions. Such as prophecy and still happens today. I have had many of Gods prophecies happen in my life. However God may have had his reasons for what he did back then with his laws. Certain of those animals may have been endangered and in effect he was protecting them. In others such as swine and maybe vultures bacterial and parasites may have been a problems and God protected his people with out letting them understand exactly why. Maybe his people didn't ask God why or maybe he told them and they didn't under stand. It also could have been mans influence by injecting more laws but in that particular verse it was suposed to be God speaking so I doubt it. For example in the Bible there is a part where Jesus talks about divorce. "Mathew 19:7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? Mathew 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." and if you read the chapter you will get a feel for the context of those verses. So that suggests that many laws are because of mens stuborness to obey Gods natural laws making life just that much more complicated. Religion is an example of that. There are many religions centered around specific rules of What is taboo and what is not but only knowing God personaly and being filled with his spirit as in Acts can you know better than what is preached from the pulpit from a man. In all actuality God is not alligned with a praticular religion. Did Jesus join a particular religion. No. He just knew his father and had a relationship with him and he was our example. We as people have our limits of our wisdom but God is far superior. I suspect he is extra-dimensional hence all places in all times and prophecy and all knowing and full of love beyond what we can understand. Love being caring about us in a way that is more for our own good than just a feeling or having some agenda behind that love. anyways hope that helps. Basic concept is laws can change over time is their intention is no longer needed for its partiular purpose. Then again some laws will never change. Such as cold blooded murder, theft, and how hatered can destroy a persons thinking and even physical body. Hence God and Jesus emphasizing forgiveness. Some times however only God can help us forgive with his help.

Answer 10

Defilement is a spiritual condition. The food laws make sense, as we really shouldn't eat some things. But by eating them was disobedience to God, and rebellion, so defilement.

Answer 11

The ceremonial laws given by Moses in the Old Testament were fulfilled by Christ. Those laws were intended to be types or shadows of the holiness or moral purity of God. When Christ came as God in the flesh, he was the perfect embodiment of holiness. There was no longer any need for the types or shadows.