Genesis 9:1-4 Is It Wrong to Eat Meat?

Have you removed meat, poultry and fish from your diet? If so, you are a vegetarian or you know a vegetarian.

According to a National Zogby poll approximately 2.5% of the statistical population is vegetarian. A Vegetarian Resource Group Zogby poll concluded that there are about 4.8 million non-institutionalized vegetarian adults in the United States.

Just last evening my wife was watching a video clip about a woman who had experienced dramatic weight-loss success. She attributed this success to her vegetarian diet and spoke about the dangers of eating meat and consuming dairy products.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claims to be the largest animal rights organization in the world. PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat.

What does the Bible have to say about this issue?

Genesis 9:2 says, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you as I gave the green plant.”

This passage makes it clear that man is allowed to eat animals as well as plants. There is nothing wrong with eating meat, poultry or fish.

Several hundred years later, God told the Israelites that they could not eat certain foods. Deuteronomy 14 contains a list of these unclean foods.

The first century AD Peter continued to follow these dietary guidelines until he had a most unusual dream. As people were preparing a meal, Peter fell into a trance:

And he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,

And there were in it all {kinds of} four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"
But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."

Again a voice {came} to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no {longer} consider unholy."

This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

The Apostle Paul addressed also addressed this issue. People were confused about whether or not they should eat meat sacrificed to idols.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.

If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.

For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,

yet for us there is {but} one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we {exist} for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we {exist} through Him.

However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat {food} as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.

But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

This passage indicates that we have liberty to eat whatever we wish to eat. We are not constrained by the dietary laws of the Old Testament. In addition, we are even able to eat meat that someone may have sacrificed to idols.

In the 21st century in America we don’t usually face the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. But if we do, the Bible does not automatically prohibit us from eating it. In any case, the Bible certainly does not mandate that we can never eat meat.

Finally, Paul speaks of this issue in Romans 14:

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, {but} not for {the purpose of} passing judgment on his opinions.

One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables {only.}

The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person regards one day above another, another regards every day {alike.} Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;

For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

For he who in this {way} serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.

It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or {to do anything} by which your brother stumbles.

The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because {his eating is} not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14 again indicates that it is acceptable to eat meat. However, the passage also sets forth some very helpful guidelines.

First, some people may think it is acceptable to eat meat; others may think it is not acceptable. In either case, we should not judge each other or put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way (14:13).

A person may choose to eat only vegetables. Another person may eat all things. These choices may be a matter of individual conscience. As a result, we should not try to cause one another to stumble by quibbling over these matters.

Second, the real issue is not about what we eat, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking” (14:17). The more important matter is that we have peace and joy (14:17).

Finally, if we choose to eat meat, we should do it with joy. If we choose to refrain from eating meat, we should do so with joy. We have liberty to make either choice.

Do you eat meat? If so, you are not wrong to enjoy a steak cooked on the barbecue. Do you refrain from eating meat? If so, you can enjoy all of the crunchy, colorful vegetables the Lord has created for us to enjoy.

In either case, let’s seek to cultivate lifestyles that reflect peace and joy that only comes from the Lord.