How does Romans 14 fit with biblical direction to avoid unclean meat?

Scripture: Romans 14:1-13
How does Romans 14 fit with biblical direction to avoid unclean meat? The issue of clean and unclean animals comes before the time of Moses. Noah brought different numbers of animals onto the ark. Romans 14 focuses on food offered to idols, not on clean or unclean foods.
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Caller:  In Romans chapter 14,

Pastor Doug:  Ok

Caller:  I was talking to one of my friends, and I was telling him that God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals and he always tries to use this chapter as, you know, as telling not to judge people – that we can eat whatever we want.  Can you like expand, or clarify this up?

Pastor Doug:  Well, you know, this is a free world, and people can eat whatever they want but if you want to go by what God says….  In other words, the church is not to be a police organization.  But if you want to go by what God says, the Lord did make a distinction between clean and unclean animals.

Some people say this was a Jewish law, but the first record of a distinction is made for Noah.  The clean animals were brought on the Ark by sevens.  The clean animals were also saved for eating and for sacrifice.  It was considered an insult to use an unclean animal for a sacrifice.  And He said the unclean animals were brought two by two.

Then in Romans 14, He’s not talking at all about clean and unclean animals.  He’s talking about animals that had been sacrificed to idols.  Some of the Jewish believers who had come to believe in Jesus thought that it was idolatry to eat an animal that had been offered to an idol in the pagan temples.

You know, now we’ve got these butcher slaughterhouses where they take care of that business, but back then, they would butcher the animals before the idols of their deities in the Greek and the Roman empires.  And they said, ‘We can’t eat these things!’ and Paul said Look, if you buy something in the marketplace that has been offered to an idol, don’t ask any questions about it for conscious’ sake and he talks about that in, I believe it’s 2nd Corinthians.

So, that’s the issue.  You don’t find the words “clean” and “unclean” in this passage in Romans 14.  Ok?

Caller:  Ok.

Pastor Doug:  And so, if a person is going to be honest and read it contextually, then they’ll come to that conclusion.  I hope that helps you.  Is there anything else on that subject?

Caller:  That’s it.

Pastor Doug:  I covered it.  Ok, well God bless Dan.  Incidentally, we do have a lesson that deals with the subject of health that has more information on this and other Scriptures.  And I believe, Pastor Dick, if I’m not mistaken, it’s called You Wouldn’t Do This Would You?

Co-Host:  That’s right.

Pastor Doug:  And you can send for that, or you can call for it for free, and we’ll send that to you ok Dan?

Caller:  Ok.

Co-Host:  Call our Resource Operator Dan at 1-800-835-6747.

Caller:  Ok thank you.

Co-Host:  Ok.  Thanks for the call.  God bless.

Amazing Facts’ Resource Number:  1-800-835-6747

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