Some people believe the Bible teaches that Christians can eat all meats, that is eat what the Bible terms unclean animals.

One of the scriptures that make people think this is Mark 7:18-19.

Mark 7:18 Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?

Before delving into it, let’s look at some other Scriptures dealing with clean and unclean animals.

Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 list: 

• those animals which are clean – that is, good for human consumption, and
• those animals which are unclean – that is, not good for human consumption.

Some people believe that these food laws are part of the law of Moses and were abolished at the cross.  This is not correct.  Here is the proof.

The first point to note is that the notion of clean and unclean animals preceded Moses.

Remember God told Noah to take 7 pairs of clean animals and 1 pair of unclean animals into the ark.  So, Moses was telling the Israelites something that Noah knew about years before.  It wasn’t something new that was going to be abolished on the cross.  So, the first point is that the idea of clean and unclean animals existed before Moses.

The second point to note is that these laws also will exist in the future,   Isa 66:15-17.

Isa 66:15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

This is clearly a future event.

Isa 66:17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.

This is clearly a future event of God’s punishment on those who eat swine and mouse.

So, the laws of clean and unclean animals:

• existed before they were given to Moses and
• will exist in the future.

Clearly, these laws have never been abolished, but exist right now.

Going back to Mark 7:18-19 where it says “thus purifying all foods” we see that obviously Jesus was not telling us we can eat unclean animals such as pork.

So, what did Jesus mean? 

The context of the passage holds the answer.  The context deals with the Pharisees notion of defilement.  The Pharisees believed a person could become defiled by “eating with unwashed hands”, or by not strictly following their rituals.

Mark 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
Mark 7:2  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

The Pharisees found fault with Jesus because his disciples did not wash their hands.  The passage goes on to explain – as an aside to the reader – what the Pharisees’ tradition was in this matter.

Mark 7:3  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mark 7:4  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

The Pharisees taught that if a person ate some food with unwashed hands – and ate a speck of dirt – he became defiled.

Mark 7:5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

The Pharisees found fault with Jesus, but now Jesus found fault with the Pharisees.

Mark 7:6  He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Mark 7:7  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Mark 7:8  “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men; the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

Jesus Christ said the Pharisees were teaching their own rules and ideas about what defiles a person – not God’s.  He goes on to explain what does defile a person.

Mark 7:14  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:
Mark 7:15  “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
Mark 7:16  “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 7:17  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
Mark 7:18  So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19  “because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
Mark 7:20  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mark 7:21  “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mark 7:22  “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Mark 7:23  “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Christ was teaching a spiritual lesson.  The Pharisees taught that eating with unwashed hands defiles us.  Christ said – that’s rubbish! – eating with unwashed hands does not defile us because any dirt we eat passes through our bodies.  It is our evil thoughts that defile us. 

When Jesus said, “Whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods”, He was not talking about unclean meats such as pork.  He was saying: You can eat food with unwashed hands, or eat food from an unwashed pot, and it won’t defile you.  That’s what He meant by, “Thus purifying all foods”.

Jesus Christ’s main point in this whole passage is:  We need to keep our thoughts pure, because evil thoughts will defile us in God’s sight.

“Thus purifying all foods” means that if we eat food with unwashed hands or from an unwashed pot it doesn’t defile us.  Jesus was teaching a spiritual lesson.  It is evil thoughts that defile us in God’s sight.

Mark 7:15  “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
 Mark 7:16  “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”