Talking with a Christian co-worker last week I have come to the belief that for many Christians in North America, food and health are not moral issues. People use such texts as Acts 10:9-28 to prove that Christians can eat anything they want as new covenant Christians. They quote the following Bible passage for proof that there is no more distinction between clean and unclean meats.
But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. (Acts 10:14-15)
The same Christian co-worker clarified that he believes that the Bible interprets itself and that when studying scripture you must read the verse in context. For someone to say those words and then offer the verse in Acts as proof that there is no guideline for what a Christian should eat or not eat is unsettling. A few verses below the Bible does explain what the vision meant.
And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. (Acts 10:28)
The context is regarding people (Jew and Gentile) not food.
Gotquestions.org is a popular Bible question website and in similar fashion they use the same reasoning as my co-worker did.
God gave the apostle Peter a vision in which He declared that formerly unclean animals could be eaten: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” http://www.gotquestions.org/foods.html
For more information regarding Acts 10 and a Christians relation to food:
Basic Bible Study – Amazing Discoveries Health Lesson #20 (PDF 50kb)
Amazing Facts – What did Peter’s vision with the sheet of unclean animals mean? (Audio 4min)
Both Feet In – Issue #1 – Balance Peter’s vision with what Peter taught in 2 Peter 1:5-7 (PDF 308kb)