Restrictions on Meat Consumption

In Eden (Gen 2:8), God intended humans to be free (1:26–27). However, post-fall (3:6), God later permitted slavery (Lev 25:44–46) because of humanity’s hardness of heart (Exod 7:13–14). Therefore, slavery was permitted but restricted (21:26). When something is biblically regulated, it tends not to be intrinsically good. Fittingly, Reverend Mathew Anderson stated this: “In giving laws to regulate slavery, God is not saying it is a good thing. In fact, by giving laws about it at all, He is plainly stating it is a bad thing. We don’t make laws to limit or regulate good things. After all, you won’t find laws that tell us it is wrong to be too healthy or that if water is too clean we have to add pollution to it. Therefore, the fact slavery is included in the regulations of the Old Testament at all assumes that it is a bad thing which needs regulation to prevent the damage from being too great.” 

Meat consumption is similarly regulated within the Bible. In Eden (Gen 2:15), God designed humans (and animals) only to eat plants, which was called “very good” (1:20–31). However, post-fall (3:6), meat-eating was first permitted by God because of humanity’s evil-intended heart, but was similarly restricted (8:20–9:4). There are two types of meat in the Bible, “consecrated” and “secular,” which are both regulated for consumption. These regulations show that meat-eating is not intrinsically good. One writer applicably stated, “This startling warning underlines the fact that eating flesh is not part of God’s original intentions for creation. Indeed, it is one of a number of regretful activities (e.g. the keeping of slaves, permission for the Israelites to take women in war, capital punishment, etc.) which Jesus referred to as ‘not so in the beginning’ (Matthew 19:8), that is to say, permitted but only because of ‘our hardness of heart.’”

Secular Meat Consumption Regulations

In the Bible, there are two different types of animal flesh. “Consecrated meat” was obtained through animal sacrifice and was first permitted to be consumed after God said that humanity has an evil-intended heart (Gen 8:20–9:4). Consecrated meat was eaten after it was obtained from the Passover lamb sacrifice (Exod 12:1–28), as well as the burnt (Gen 8:20–9:4), sin (Lev 6:24–30), guilt (6:1–7, 7:1–7), and peace (7:11–36) offerings. Like slavery, the eating of all forms of consecrated meat (and animal sacrifice) had several biblical regulations, which indicates that it is a bad thing which requires restriction to inhibit excessive damage. Importantly, consecrated meat consumption no longer applies to Christians today because animal sacrifices, depending on the purpose, are either eternally ended (Luke 22:15–20; Hebrews 10:10–18) or now and forever to be spiritual (13:10–16; 1 Peter 2:4–5). Additionally, consuming the “consecrated meat” obtained from spiritual sacrifices is now and forever symbolic (John 6:27–58). All of this helps Christians align with the new covenant (Luke 22:20), a component of which encourages a vegan diet (Hos 2:18). However, the other type of animal flesh in the Bible, which is known as “secular meat,” is still on the menu.

You can read more about consecrated meat-eating restrictions here.

Secular meat is obtained by slaughtering animals outside of the sacrificial system. One writer noted about this type of meat, “In its original Hebrew, the language of Deuteronomy 12 associates the permission to kill and eat animals outside the sacrificial system, with lust, wickedness, law-breaking, rebellion against God and the Fall.” Therefore, like slavery, secular meat-eating has several biblical restrictions, which indicates that it is bad and needs regulation to mitigate excessive damage. All of these parameters are intended to make meat-eating difficult and help Christians align with the new covenant (Luke 22:20), a facet of which encourages a vegan diet (Hos 2:18).

These are the secular meat consumption regulations with a description of the application and (possible) purpose:

1. The Kosher Laws (Lev 11:1–47; Deut 14:1–21) primarily restrict eating meat from many animal species. They also prohibit eating from animals that have died naturally and boiling young goat flesh in their mother’s milk. Based on scholarly opinion, the kosher (kashrut) restrictions are intended to curb meat consumption. Fittingly, “Rabbi Kook believed that the reprimand implied by these regulations is an elaborate apparatus designed to keep alive a sense of reverence for life, with the aim of eventually leading people away from their meat-eating habit.” Furthermore, “Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, a highly respected Orthodox Torah commentator, has stated that ‘the laws of kashrut are designed to teach us compassion and to lead us gently to vegetarianism.’”

2. The Jerusalem Quadrilateral (Acts 15:19–20, 15:28–29, 21:25) restricts consuming meat that contains blood (Lev 19:26; Deut 12:15–16, 12:20–25, 15:21–23) and/or came from an animal that had been strangled (Lev 17:13–16). Finally, the Jerusalem Quadrilateral (Acts 15:19–20, 15:28–29, 21:25) restricts eating idol-offered meat (Exod 34:13–16; Num 25:1–5; Ps 106:28–31; Ezek 33:25–26; Rev 2:14, 2:20), but only while attending a worship ceremony. However, if the flesh came from an animal that was sacrificed to an idol at an earlier time and then sold at the market later, it is permissible to be consumed. However, Christians should refrain from eating leftover idol-offered meat if it is offensive to others (Romans 14:1–23; 1 Cor 8:1–13; 10:19–33). Blood (from meat) is most likely restricted from being eaten for sanitation because it is known to spread disease. Similarly, strangled animal flesh is not permissible for consumption because the perished animal’s blood was not drained, which would cause the Christian to eat (coagulated) blood. Additionally, ingesting garroted animal flesh is not permitted because strangling is animal cruelty (Prov 12:10). Eating strangled animal flesh would make the Christian an accomplice in the cruelty (1 Tim 5:22). Finally, restriction from eating idol-offered meat at a worship event prevents the Christian from worshipping an idol.

3. The Animal Cruelty Restriction (Prov 12:10) condemns the infliction of cruelty upon animals, protecting them from excessive pain and suffering. Consuming meat produced from cruelty makes one an accomplice in the cruelty (1 Tim 5:22).

4. The Gluttony Restriction (Num 11:4–34; Pss 78:17–31, 106:13–15; Prov 23:20–21; 1 Cor 10:3–6) condemns eating meat when one has no survival need. Reverend Andrew Linzey summarizes this restriction well, stating, “The biblical case for vegetarianism does not rest on the view that killing may never be allowable in the eyes of God, rather on the view that killing is always a grave matter. When we have to kill to live we may do so, but when we do not, we should live otherwise.” In other words, meat should only be eaten as a last resort for survival needs - not gluttony, taste pleasure, or habit. This restriction prevents unnecessary animal harm (Rom 12:16–18) and protects human health (3 John 1:2), as meat consumption is linked to various acute and chronic diseases.