I came across this meme in one of my social media feeds recently. I considered leaving a respectful comment to discuss the issue with this meme but reconsidered. It’s probably more helpful to write about it here than getting into a fruitless comment war on Facetagram.

You may have come across challenges like this before. The challenge usually cites a verse from the Bible (typically the Old Testament) having to do with dietary laws (like this one does) or clothing restrictions or other cultural practices that Christians clearly do not follow today. This line of reasoning is usually brought up when Christians make the case against certain cultural practices – most popularly same-sex relationships. Chick-Fil-A came out on the side of traditional marriage and caught a lot of heat for it. The person posting this meme is saying “Look, you tell us to follow the rules in the Bible but you clearly don’t follow all the rules. So why should we listen to you on the topic of homosexuality, hypocrite?”

Is this true? Are Christians hypocrites for not following these laws? Are we supposed to not eat pork or not mix two different fabrics? Or should we let go of some of the traditional values Christianity has had for 2000 years just like we have let go of many others?

The question at the root of this is how do Christians determine which rules apply to them now and which do not. Let’s go over a few guidelines you can use to figure this out.

Where Is The Passage From?

First, keep in mind that there are two major parts to the Bible – the Old Testament and the New Testament. Testament means “covenant, agreement, contract”. Most of the verses used in this type of argument come from the Old Testament. The Old Testament was the covenant that God had with the nation of Israel. God’s plan for the nation of Israel included setting them apart from the pagan practices of the nations that surrounded them. He put laws in place that would keep them pure and holy. When you read through the Old Testament laws, and you come across some weird requirement about food, the restriction was often given because God didn’t want them to adopt practices of the pagan nations around them. For example, the Caananites would keep large herds of swine specifically for the practice of sacrificing to idols. God did not want the Israelites to go anywhere near that practice. So, he told them to stay away from hogs altogether.

There would have also been health considerations. Undercooking certain meats can make people sick. And pork needs to be cooked more thoroughly than things like beef or chicken. When Israel was being formed, there was no knowledge of microbial pathogens. Also, eating uncooked meat was a common thing in many cultures. And, this was God’s way of saying “Don’t eat that. It will make you sick”.

What Does The New Testament Say About This?

The second thing to do when evaluating Old Testament laws is to look for any commentary about it in the New Testament. The New Testament (or covenant or agreement) is God’s promises to the entire world should they choose to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. So, if Jesus or one of the apostles wrote something about a specific issue (in this case dietary requirements) then it takes precedence over the Old Testament.

For this specific issue, Jesus had this to say:

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 7:14–23 (ESV)

In verse 19, Jesus declares all food as clean. So, to answer our question, the dietary restrictions placed on the Israelites do not apply to Christians. Also, notice why that is. Jesus says that eating the food in and of itself wasn’t the issue; the issue was the external activity associated with the food. Jesus said, “You can eat whatever you want. It’s your heart and your actions I’m focused on”.

Another place this declaration gets made is in Acts 10:9-16. Peter is staying at a house and he goes up on the roof to pray. He has a vision of animals coming down on a sheet. God tells Peter to kill and eat the food. But, many of these animals had been declared unclean by the Law. When Peter tells God he can’t eat unclean food, God tells him “What God has made clean, do not call common”. In other words, it’s OK now.

This Meme Is Self-Defeating

The number one reason that this type of argument is used against Christians has to do with sexual ethics. Ironically, when someone makes this move, they are unknowingly agreeing with the Christian that the Bible forbids (or at least has something to say against) same-sex activity. Because the argument here is “the Bible has this rule against same-sex relationships. It also has this rule against eating pork. You don’t follow the rule about eating pork, so why should you follow the rule about same-sex relationships?” Notice that embedded in the argument is the admission that the Bible does forbid this activity. Otherwise, the person making the argument wouldn’t have anything else within the Bible to make the comparison to.

No Hypocracy Here

Are Christians hypocrites for not following every single law in the Bible? No. As we’ve demonstrated, where the passage is located makes a difference. If it’s in the Old Testament then ask yourself if Jesus had anything to say about this issue in the Gospels. The burden of the Law of the Old Testament does not apply to Christians. We have been freed from the Law by the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross.