Do the Dietary Laws of the Hebrew Bible Still Apply to Christians?

A common question that arises in both church contexts and wider public discourse is whether Christians today are still bound by the dietary restrictions found in the Hebrew Bible—such as the prohibition against eating pork or shellfish outlined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Some argue that Christians should continue to observe these food laws as part of biblical obedience. But how has the Christian tradition historically addressed this issue? Does the New Testament offer a clear theological answer?

This controversy is not new. Already in the first century, early Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus debated whether elements of the Mosaic Law—especially circumcision and dietary laws—remained binding under the new covenant inaugurated by Christ. One of the most decisive moments in this debate was the Council of Jerusalem, dated around AD 50 (Acts 15). There, the apostles and elders, under the leadership of figures like Peter, Paul, and James, addressed whether Gentile converts to Christianity should be required to follow Jewish law. St. James, bishop of Jerusalem, concluded that Gentiles should not be burdened with the full yoke of Mosaic regulations, including circumcision and, by implication, dietary laws. This decision reflected an emerging consensus that the covenantal requirements given specifically to Israel did not apply to Gentiles in the same way under the New Covenant.

Yet questions persisted—especially for Jewish Christians who remained culturally tied to Torah observance. The Mosaic dietary laws listed in Leviticus 11 include prohibitions against eating animals such as camels, rabbits, pigs, and sea creatures without fins and scales (e.g., shrimp), as well as various birds and creeping animals. For Israelites, these laws were both a ritual expression of holiness and a means of distinguishing themselves from surrounding nations.

The theological rationale behind these food laws, as understood in later Christian interpretation, was both symbolic and protective. According to traditional Christian readings, the ceremonial and purity laws of the Hebrew Bible served to set Israel apart, preserving their distinctiveness as God’s covenant people and, ultimately, safeguarding the lineage from which Jesus would be born. Christian theological reflection, especially in light of salvation history, often frames the laws, wars, and covenantal restrictions of ancient Israel as part of God’s providential plan to bring about the Messiah.

The prophet Jeremiah, writing centuries before the birth of Jesus, anticipated a future moment when God would inaugurate a New Covenant: “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt… This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.’” (Jeremiah 31:31–33)

For Christians, the New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise. His death and resurrection inaugurated a new phase in God’s redemptive work, one in which the ceremonial aspects of the Law—including food laws—were no longer binding on his followers.

This theological shift becomes especially clear in the narrative of Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9–16. There, Peter experiences a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, filled with animals considered unclean under Levitical law. When instructed to "kill and eat," Peter initially protests, citing his adherence to the purity laws. Yet the divine response—"Do not call anything impure that God has made clean"—signals a radical reconfiguration of what constitutes holiness under the New Covenant. While the immediate application in Acts was to the inclusion of Gentiles in the church, the language and imagery also carried dietary implications. The point is reinforced in Mark 7:17–19, where Jesus explicitly declares all foods clean, making a direct statement about the end of dietary restrictions.

Paul’s letters further clarify the issue. Romans 14:20 states plainly: “All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.” In other words, while Christians are free from Mosaic dietary restrictions, Paul also encourages sensitivity toward fellow believers whose consciences may lead them to continue avoiding certain foods. The underlying principle is pastoral care and community unity, rather than ceremonial obligation.

This topic has even found its way into popular satire and cultural critique. The website GodHatesShrimp.org was created to mock Christians who cite Levitical laws against same-sex relationships while ignoring adjacent food laws in the same biblical chapters. The site uses rhetorical humor to highlight perceived inconsistency in how some Christians apply Old Testament laws today. However, both the God Hates Shrimp satire and more strident anti-LGBTQ movements like the "God Hates [Homosexuals]" campaign reflect a shared misunderstanding of Christian theological teaching about the Law and the Covenants.

Historically and doctrinally, mainstream Christian theology has maintained that the ceremonial and dietary laws of the Mosaic covenant were fulfilled and rendered non-binding for Christians under the New Covenant established by Christ. Ethical teachings, by contrast, are reaffirmed and often expanded upon in the New Testament. For this reason, modern Christian communities continue to clarify and explain how covenantal theology informs their understanding of Scripture and its application today.

Engaging with questions like "Do the dietary laws still apply?" is therefore more than a matter of academic curiosity. It represents an opportunity for Christian communities to articulate how they read Scripture within its full covenantal and historical context, especially in an age when both sincere seekers and cultural critics frequently challenge them to explain how they navigate the relationship between Old and New Testament teachings.

The overall conclusion remains: within the framework of New Testament theology, Christians are not bound by the dietary laws of the Hebrew Bible. All foods areconsidered clean, as affirmed by Jesus and reiterated by the apostles.