The Doctrine Of Diet

The Doctrine Of Diet

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, June 16, 2026 (Donate)

Many people do not realize how much religious belief affects what people eat. Around the world, diets are often connected to a person's view of God, mankind, animals, and morality.

For example, Judaism has traditionally followed a clean "kosher" diet based on the Old Testament dietary laws. Islam follows a "halal" diet, which has its own religious restrictions and requirements (e.g., eating camel and drinking camel urine for medical reasons or as they command in the Hadith, “When one of you eats, let him not wipe his fingers until he has licked them or had someone else lick them.”[1]).

Many Hindus avoid eating beef because cows are viewed as sacred. Some modern secular religious philosophies also influence diet. Donald Watson (founder of modern veganism) and subsequent vegans tend(ed) to argue that humans and animals are essentially equals because both supposedly arose through evolution from common ancestry. As a result, vegans choose not only to avoid meat, but also products that come from animals, such as eggs, milk, or honey. These religious and philosophical convictions often shape dietary choices.

Christian Diet (Expanded Kosher)

Christians also have a doctrine of food, but it is based on the whole counsel of Scripture. In the beginning, God gave mankind plants for food (Genesis 1:29). After the Flood, God expanded man's diet and specifically permitted the eating of animals (Genesis 9:3).

Under the Mosaic Covenant, God distinguished between "clean" and "unclean" animals for cleanliness diets (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). These laws served various purposes within Israel's covenant relationship with God, including setting Israel apart from the surrounding nations but also for health reasons at the time.

All food meats are clean according to Christ; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

However, the New Testament teaches that Christ declared all foods clean (Mark 7:18-19). Later, God reinforced this truth through Peter's vision in Acts 10, where Peter was told not to call unclean what God had cleansed. The Apostle Paul likewise taught that believers are not to be judged concerning food regulations (Colossians 2:16-17) and that every creature of God is good when received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:3-5).

As a result, Christians are free to eat foods that were once prohibited under the Mosaic Covenant because they are now clean. Pork products such as bacon, ham, pepperoni, and pork chops may be eaten. Animals such as rabbits, catfish, shrimp, and lobsters may likewise be eaten with a clear conscience as they are now clean—a task all-too-easy for God to do. The Old Testament distinctions regarding clean and unclean meats no longer apply in the same way to those who are in Christ. Christians still eat a clean diet, but this clean diet is now expanded, which is why many call it an expanded kosher diet.

This does not mean Christians should eat recklessly (gorge yourself, gluttony, don’t eat food with dirt on it or rotting/expired meat, and be sure to cook it properly). The Bible still teaches principles of wisdom, self-control, moderation, thankfulness, and stewardship of the body. Gluttony is condemned (Proverbs 23:20-21), and believers are instructed to honor God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Food should be received with gratitude rather than abused.

Historically, the opening of the diet by Christ categorically changed cultures shaped by Christianity. Throughout much of Europe, the Americas, Australia, and other regions influenced by Christian teaching, foods such as bacon, ham, eggs, shrimp, pepperoni, lobster, and similar items became common parts of the diet. Restaurants in these regions typically serve such foods without concern for Old Testament restrictions.

Pepperoni (make from pork) is part of the expanded kosher or Christian diet; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Some people object to the idea that God would change dietary requirements. Yet this presents no difficulty for Christianity. The same God who established dietary restrictions for Israel also had the authority to modify those restrictions by making more things clean. Jesus Christ is not merely a teacher or prophet; He is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9). Therefore, He possesses full authority to declare foods clean (with the power to truly make them clean) and to establish the dietary practices of the New Covenant.

The "Doctrine of Demons" and Food Restrictions (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

In 1 Timothy 4:1-5, the Apostle Paul warns that some people would depart from the faith and follow "deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (v. 1). He then gives examples of such false teachings, including "forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth" (v. 3, NKJV).

Paul is not condemning voluntary fasting, temporary dietary choices, health-related restrictions, or personal preferences (I despise the taste of oysters!). Rather, he is clarifying and addressing religious systems that teach that certain foods are inherently spiritually defiling or that abstaining from them is necessary for righteousness, holiness, or salvation. Such teachings deny the freedom that Christ secured for believers and undermine God's declaration that these food items are good for one’s diet.

Paul explains that God created foods to be received with thanksgiving, and he concludes, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (vv. 4-5, NKJV). This reflects Christ's teaching that all foods are clean (Mark 7:19) and Peter's vision in Acts 10, where God declared formerly unclean animals to be clean.

Therefore, the "doctrine of demons" regarding food is not merely avoiding certain foods by personal choice, cultural custom, or medical necessity. It is the false religious teaching that God forbids foods He has declared clean, or that spiritual standing before God depends upon abstaining from particular foods. Such teachings replace God's Word with man-made regulations and obscure the liberty believers have in Christ.

Conclusion

Diet is never merely about food. It reflects deeper beliefs about God, creation, mankind, and authority. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, secular philosophies, and Christianity each have dietary implications flowing from their worldviews.

According to Scripture, Christians are free to eat all kinds of food because Christ has made all foods clean. Nevertheless, believers are called to receive God's provision with thanksgiving, wisdom, moderation, and a desire to glorify God in all things—even in what they eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Images generated by Chat GPT 

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[1] Bukhari, Etime 52; Muslim, Eshrabe 129.

Bacon—A Clean Meat According to the Bible

 Bacon—A Clean Meat According To The Bible

Bodie Hodge M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries April 7, 2025 (Donate)

Bacon cheeseburger, bacon pizza, and bacon with eggs! Throughout the Western world and many part of the globe, bacon—or its cousins—ham and Canadian bacon, are enjoyed in hosts of dishes. It almost seems like second nature when one smells that delicate and wonderful aroma and tastes the sweet smokey flavor of bacon.

Bacon Bits Cooking; Picture by Bodie Hodge

And yet, some don’t eat bacon and they appeal to religious reasons. For examples, practicing Jews and Muslims don’t eat bacon. They have a Kosher and Halal diets respectively. Whereas those who eat bacon, are eating an expanded Kosher diet.

Kosher and Halal

Let me briefly explain what I mean by these terms. A Kosher diet was based on Old Testament law where one only ate clean meats listed in Old Testament Law of Moses. Halal is similar to Kosher for Muslims but has slight deviations based on Islamic rules. Muslims can eat a Kosher diet but Jews would not eat a Halel diet when being consistent.

The idea of cleanliness is a biblical concept by the way. In Genesis 7:2, long before the Law of Moses, God told Noah to take seven clean animals and two of the unclean. This shows that the concept of clean vs. unclean animals existed before the Mosaic Law, though no detailed list is given.

The Law of Moses (especially Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) later defines and codifies which animals are clean (e.g., those that chew the cud and have split hooves) and unclean (e.g., pigs, shellfish). These laws governed diet, worship, and ritual purity.

So, the relationship is this: the idea of clean animals originated before the Law (Genesis), but the Law of Moses formalized those distinctions with specific regulations for Israel. The Law built upon an existing concept to establish cleanliness under the Old Covenant.

Christian Diet or Expanded Kosher

An expanded Kosher diet brings us to the New Testament. According to the 66 books of the Bible, the shift from Old Testament dietary laws to New Testament additions is built on by the power of God. Bacon, ham, rabbit, shrimp, and lobster are no longer considered unclean—and this centers on the teachings and power of Jesus Christ.

In Mark 7:18-19 (ESV), Jesus says,

And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

The context of this relates to the Pharisees and Scribes attacking Christ for not following the traditions (later written as the Talmud). The traditions are the man-made interpretations of the Old Testament. The problem was that they were neglecting what the Word of God was actually saying due to their traditions. So, they were, whether they realized it or not, elevating man’s ideas to supersede what God said!   

So, Christ showing His power of who He was (God incarnate), did an amazing thing here. So powerful in fact that it is often “glossed over”. Christ, who is God in the flesh, declared all foods clean. This is called an expanded Kosher diet or a Christian diet.

Thus, Christ made pork clean—which is where bacon comes from. But He also made clean lobster, shrimp, rabbit, catfish (non-scaly fish), and so much more. This is an incredible and powerful thing Christ did that affected the entire world.

This statement marks an expansion from Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, where pork, shellfish, and other animals were initially unclean. Since then, they are now clean.

Further Confirmations

Further confirmation comes from Acts 10, where Peter sees a vision of formerly unclean animals and hears God say, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15). Though the vision metaphorically refers to unclean Gentiles now being accepted by God, it also reaffirms the dietary change.

Peter’s reaction in Acts 10:14—“Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean”—reveals a moment of resistance to Christ’s authority. Though Peter had walked with Jesus, witnessed His resurrection, and heard His teaching that all foods are clean (Mark 7:19), he still clung to Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

By refusing what God had declared clean, Peter unintentionally placed tradition above Christ’s revealed will and power. His “No” to the risen Lord showed a hesitation to fully embrace the what Christ had done. It wasn't outright rebellion, but it reflected a struggle to let go of the old in light of the new—a momentary dishonor to Christ’s power to cleanse what was once unclean.

Paul writing by the power of Holy Spirit in the context of eating says in Romans 14:14a (ESV):

“I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself,”

In Colossians 2:16 (ESV), Paul also writes,

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

This reinforces that food is no longer unclean under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant (e.g., Leviticus 11), certain animals were declared unclean. But in the New Covenant, Jesus’ teachings (Mark 7), Peter’s vision (Acts 10), and Paul’s writings (Romans 14, Colossians 2) all affirm that Christ made these meats clean. Therefore, bacon, ham, rabbit, shrimp, and lobster are no longer unclean—because Christ has made all foods clean.

The next time you go to a restaurant or have a meal where ham or bacon are served, don’t forget to thank Christ for what He did and ask for His blessing. 

Wash Your Hands

Should You Wash Your Hands?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, August 12, 2020 (Donate)

If I were to ask most people in the world if they should wash their hands, most will instantly say “yes!” Some might even be a little snarky and say “duh.” Of course, the reason is to be clean and reduce disease.

With the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and flu viruses in full swing, most recognize the benefits of washing hands. But where did this idea of washing hands come from? Why brush your teeth? Again to be clean and stop the spread of disease. But why? Why stop disease? Why be clean?

Cleanliness Is A Biblical Concept

Ever hear the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness”? There is a reason for this phrase. God is the one who defines clean and unclean going back to His revealed Word from Genesis forward. The biblical doctrine of “cleanliness” or “cleanness” is where God defines clean as good and unclean as bad. Yes, there are spiritual aspects to this, but the spiritual concepts are based on the physical reality.

Ever since Genesis 3, with the advent of sin, man has had to deal with sin, disease, etc. Much of the book of Leviticus (one of the five books of Moses) discusses how cleanliness as well as isolation[ if you catch a disease (e.g., Numbers 5:1-3, etc.)] and quarantine procedures [where you or your property have a possible disease or exposed to it (e.g., Leviticus 13:1-6, 13:32-34; Leviticus 14:36-39, etc.)] help stop the spread of disease in this sin-cursed world.[1]

Even prior to Moses, Noah took certain animals that were deemed as “clean” and “unclean” on board the Ark. Jesus even made all foods clean (Mark 7:19)—showing His Godly power. The point is that Bible-believers obviously have a basis for cleanliness like washing hands and brushing teeth.

There are plenty of verses discussing washing hands (or the whole body) for physical cleanliness (e.g., Leviticus 14:9; Leviticus 15:5-27, Job 9:30, Jeremiah 2:22, etc.). So clearly, there is a biblical basis for being clean. But what about non-Christians?   

Non-Christians—Why Wash Your Hands?

There are four main groupings of religions which are not Christian:  

·         Atheistic/materialistic religions (atheism, agnosticism, humanism, naturalism, Epicureanism, etc.)

·         Eastern Mystical/spiritualistic religions (e.g., Hinduism, New Age, Taoism, etc.)

·         Arbitrary moralistic religions with a vague moral code—that is more like guidelines (paganism like witchcraft, Wicca, and mythologies but also Buddhism and Confucianism, etc.)

·         Finally, we have religions that borrow from God’s Word and then deviate from it called counterfeits of Christianity.

All false religions can be lumped into these four types. Let’s look at leading representatives of these groups and see if they have a basis for washing their hands.

1.       Atheism—the king of materialistic religions holds primarily to naturalistic and materialistic origins account (e.g., big bang) where there is no spiritual God and no spiritual realm since all things that exist are material (i.e., matter and energy within the physical realm). Life spontaneously arose from non-living chemicals and things evolved into what we have today via survival of the fittest. There is no absolute right or wrong or ultimate meaning of life, and in the end there is nothing but death and an ultimate loss of heat and energy to the universe.

So why wash your hands?  An atheist may respond, “So that I don’t catch disease and can live longer.” Why not just die? But if an atheist catches a disease, he will either be fit to survive or not. If not, then dying is consistent with getting out of the way of an evolutionary process.

In this way, the atheist inconsistently values life, another Christian concept by the way where man is made in the image of God. Perhaps catching a disease will lead to the next phase of evolution and washing hands inhibits this. The point is that there is no basis for washing your hands in their religion. Other religions of this type fall victim to the same conclusion.  

2.       Hinduism is the king of Eastern Mysticism (spiritualistic) religions. It is basically the opposite of materialistic and atheistic religions. It teaches that nothing material exists, but only the spiritual exists. And there is only one aspect of the spiritual that really exists—some ultimate reality or being called Brahman. All is one spirit ultimately, and there are many manifestations of this one Brahman into lesser gods in Hinduism.

In Hinduism, if you believe that material things exist, then you have been deceived (this is called the doctrine of maya). It is similar to the movie series Matrix, which is built on Eastern religious concepts. So all is “one”—in other words, you are me, I am you, and being clean is no different from being unclean since all is one and no one really exists in a material world anyway. Why wash your hands if your hands and viruses don’t really exist? Even if you die, you will come back in a reincarnated from. This becomes a problem for any consistent Eastern mystic.

3.       Any moralistic religion has arbitrary rules that are just that: arbitrary rules and opinions. If one moral code within a religion says to wash your hands, then the next person in the same religion can come along, exert their own authority, and say that you don’t have to wash your hands. So there is no ultimate basis to wash your hands. This devastating argument is the death knell to arbitrary religions since there is no absolute singular God who reveals the absolute truth.

4.       Counterfeits of Christianity like unitarian deviations such as Judaism, Islam, and Jehovah’s Witnesses and polytheistic deviations like Mormonism. All of these readily borrow from the Bible’s text to agree that cleanliness is good and get it from the Scriptures.

Of course, some go overboard. In Judaism for instance, there were Jewish leaders at the time of Christ—when Jesus became a man and stepped into history—where man’s traditions were elevated above God’s Word (Judaism is the rejection of God’s Word in the New Testament and replaced it with the oral traditions later written down as the Talmud).[2] They asserted that one must wash your hands—in certain ways no less—even when it wasn’t necessary.

Jewish leaders tried to take a good thing (clean hands) and add to it (e.g., Matthew 15:2, Mark 7:3) which made the Word of God of no affect because man’s word was elevated to supersede God in their opinion.

No Basis, Yet Washing Anyway—Why?

Even though they have no basis to wash their hands within their own professed religions, many non-Christians still wash their hands and see the benefits of it. As a Christian, I encourage that by the way.

So why do non-Christians deviate from their professed religions and follow biblical cleanliness? The reasons are simple. One, they may not realize that their religion cannot account for cleanliness. Next, they borrow from a biblical worldview, even on many mundane things like handwashing and unbeknownst to them, they may not even realize it.

Some godly handed-down principles left Babel to encompass the world many years ago—remember Noah understood the concepts of “clean” and “unclean” prior to Babel. Christian missionaries, Christian-influenced media, etc. have taken these reminders/concepts around the globe as well. Many Western and Middle Eastern nations have been heavily influenced by the Bible and have these ideas of cleanliness ingrained in their cultures. But as for a basis, it ultimately comes from God and His Word.  

Conclusion

As I see the cultures around the world embrace washing their hands, it is a testimony that God’s Word is true, whether they realize it or not. It’s not that people have to believe that the Bible is true, but that the Bible is true nonetheless.  Yes—wash your hands, but bear in mind that this is a Bible-based principle.

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[1] For example see: Leviticus 13:2-6, 26-28, 29-34, 45-58, Leviticus 14:36-48, Leviticus 15:3-13,  Deuteronomy 23:12-13.

[2] David Abrahams, What Are the Differences Between Judaism and Christianity?, Answers in Genesis, July 13, 2017, https://answersingenesis.org/world-religions/what-are-differences-between-judaism-and-christianity/.