Scripture defines all of its own terms. An example is the word food. Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 mostly list items that are not food. Basically that is all scavengers. The scripture is very precise in this. In the Hebrew and Greek it never once uses the word food in regard to a non-food item often called an unclean thing. In 2 Corinthians 6:17 the unclean mentioned is people.
Romans 14:14 “I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is common of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be common, to him it is common.”
In Romans 14:14 the word unclean was incorrectly translated three times. The Greek actually says common which is what you see above. Common basically lets us know that the food may have been offered to an idol.
1 Timothy 4:3 “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats (food), which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
In 1 Timothy 4:3-5 the word food or meats is found which means that what was being discussed is scripturally considered food. Scripturally defined food is what one is to receive with thanksgiving. Verse 5 emphasizes the point by telling us that what is discussed is only scripturally approved. Churches distort the meaning of this verse to suggest one ignore God’s definitions.
I have dealt with Acts 10 in the past. There is not one mention during the entire event that suggest that God was telling Peter to ignore God’s Health Laws. That is after all what the Law is mostly all about. The Law is there to protect life and health.
Every instance that people use to try to justify eating non-food items is easily dealt with in scripture. You can eat what you want, but be prepared to suffer poor health. Scavengers were placed on the earth to help clean it up. You are what you eat, you know.
There is an interesting Hebrew word translated abominable in the following verse. If you look in the dictionary for the word pig it says that it is of unknown source. Well perhaps this is from whence it came? Here is the Hebrew for this instance of the word abominable from Strong’s.
pig-gool’, pig-gool’ From an unused root meaning to stink; properly fetid, that is, (figuratively) unclean (ceremonially).
Isaiah 65:4-5 “Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”
Proverbs 23:3 “Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.”
Interesting verse. The Hebrew word behind deceitful is falsehood. This verse always makes me think of sugary pastries or the dinner scene at the Temple of Doom in the second movie of Indiana Jones.
Christ did not die to make scavengers clean. Find the source quote and the context of the chapter in the old testament quote to fully understand 1 Peter 1:16. Can you be holy if you eat unclean things?
1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”