In the Old Testament, God laid out specific dietary rules for His people, and this included a prohibition of consuming pork. Leviticus 11:7 says, “And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you.” Isaiah 66:17 explains that “those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.” 
From these passages, it is clear that the Hebrews in the ancient world could not eat pork. But what does this mean for Christians today? In order to find the answer to this question, we need to look at three important themes. First, we will address the purpose behind the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Second, we will look at how Jesus’ coming erased the need for the dietary laws. Finally, we will conclude with the New Testament evidence of whether or not pork is permitted in Christianity.
The Purpose of the Dietary Laws in the Old Testament
Not all Old Testament laws are equal. Various categories of laws had different functions and purposes. Most scholars divide the Old Testament laws into the categories of moral law, ceremonial law, and civil law. The purpose of the moral law was to point God’s people to holiness and help them see that they had fallen short of God’s standard. These laws still apply today. The purpose of the civil law was to outline the punishment for breaking the moral law. It was specifically for the culture and time of the Israelites.
But the dietary laws were included in the ceremonial laws. And the purpose of the ceremonial laws was to focus the attention of the Israelites on their Maker. These laws were a tangible reminder to the people of God that they were supposed to be set apart from the rest of the world. This category of laws included laws about sacrifice, festivals, distinguished lifestyle, and the anticipation of the coming Messiah.
Thus, the primary function of the dietary laws was to remind Israel that they were different than their pagan neighbors. It also served to show the pagans that Israel was distinct and served a distinct God. Israel wasn’t to mix themselves with idol worshippers, and they weren’t to combine their religious beliefs with the religious beliefs of their pagan neighbors. Many of the dietary and ceremonial laws were put in place in order to symbolize this purity.
The ceremonial laws often symbolized the message of salvation. Israel was not supposed to mix their beliefs with the unclean beliefs of the surrounding nations. For example, Israelites couldn’t wear clothing that was made of two different types of material. It would have symbolized having mixed loyalties instead of being devoted to the One True God.
In regard to food, God determined certain standards for cleanliness that corresponded to the idea of Israel not mixing itself with other nations. Water animals needed to have scales and fins in order to be clean. Land animals needed to have split hoofs and chew cud, and air animals needed to have wings and not inhabit both the water and the sky. Pigs were unclean because they were mixed creatures. They had split hoofs but didn’t chew cud. So, they symbolized the mixing of religion and were deemed unclean.
How Did Jesus Erase the Need for Those Dietary Laws?
These laws remained in place for many centuries. But when Jesus came, He transitioned His people from the Old to the New Covenant. He Himself became the fulfillment of the Law according to Matthew 5:17-20. And He broke the barrier between Jew and Gentile. With Jesus’ work on the cross, the gospel was made available to Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews. Galatians 3:28 explains that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:23-25 expands on this to say that “before faith came, we were held captive under the Law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” The Law that once served to separate Israel from the nations was no longer needed because Jesus came to invite the nations to the gospel!
New Testament Evidence Regarding the Permissibility of Pork
Acts 10:9-16 describes a scene of Peter praying on a rooftop and falling into a trance. Suddenly, he sees a sheet full of all kinds of unclean animals descending from heaven. And a voice calls out to him and says, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter refuses at first, claiming that he had never before eaten anything unclean. But the voice spoke again, saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15). God Himself has made the unclean animals clean. This includes making pork permissible for Christians.
Romans 14:14 says, “I [Paul] know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.” Jesus has reversed the notion of having clean and unclean animals because He has brought salvation to the nations. Christians are permitted to eat pork, but they must never do so if it costs them an opportunity to win someone for Christ or causes another brother or sister in Christ to stumble.
So, Christians are free in Jesus to eat pork. And eating pork even serves as an opportunity to point unbelievers to Christ. Jesus came to break down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. He came to bring salvation to everyone. As Christians, we no longer avoid mixing with the nations because God Himself has declared that His kingdom will be comprised of believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Revelation 7:9). Praise the Lord for that!