If some foods are unclean, why does the Bible say every creature made by God is good?

Sometimes in an effort to prove a point, we are tempted to take a single Bible verse as a “proof text” to support our claim. That’s not necessarily bad if the text truly proves a point. However, a good Bible student will not only look at every Scripture on a given subject, but he or she will also study the context around each passage. By doing this, we see exactly which creatures God is speaking about.

Verse three states that some people were telling Christians they should not marry and were “commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” The question we need to ask is, “Which foods did God create for us to receive?” We know from Genesis 1:29 that the Lord’s first diet for humans was a vegetarian menu. There was no animal flesh on the ideal menu.

Then we discover that, after the worldwide flood wiped out all trees and plants, God permitted people to eat meat. The context of Genesis 9:3, 4, stipulates that blood was not to be eaten. Since Noah was given careful instructions about clean and unclean animals (Genesis 7:2; 8:20), we can assume he did not eat unclean meats. Much greater detail about clean and unclean meats is outlined in Leviticus 11. Never in the Bible is this ban lifted.

The apostle Paul is warning his friend Timothy about people who depart from the faith and give heed to “deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). In contrast, true followers of God live their lives by teachings that are “sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (v. 5). When the Lord’s people prayerfully study the Word, they will “know the truth” about “foods which God created to be received” (v. 3). Rather than following “lies” from people with a “conscience seared with a hot iron” (v. 2), they live by the clear doctrines found in the Bible.

Key Bible Texts

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: (1 Timothy 4:4 KJV)