About Leviticus 1:9,10

[flower_lady]

In Leviticus11:9,10 it states, These are the things that breed in waters and which is lawful to eat, all that hath fins, and scales, as well in the sea, as in the rivers, and the pools, you shall eat. Then it goes on to say that if you eat of any other fish, it shall be an abomination to you, and etc., etc. The reason why I am bringing this up is because I offered someone some shrimp that I was cooking and they stated that it is against the word to eat these fish. I never recalled reading it and so I looked it up and sure enough that is what it said. I am Catholic and have never heard of this before. I told her it isn’t a sin to eat shrimp, crabs or shell fish that I knew of but had nothing to back up what I was saying after I read that. Could you help me with a reason or where it says in the bible that it is not a sin to eat these fish. Thank you, Brenda

 

[zz912]

That passage is detailing one of the dietary laws that were in place under the Old Covenant for the Israelites. The dietary/ritual/civil laws of the Old Covenant were ended when Jesus enacted the New Covenant.

In the Book of Acts, it details where St. Peter had a vision where all foods were declared clean, and to allow in Gentiles into the New Covenant. There was also a Church council described in Acts where they specifically said the dietary laws and ritual laws were not binding on Gentiles. Even in the Gospels, it has a passage where Jesus declared that it was what came out of someone’s mouth that defiled them, not what went in the mouth that defiled them. It says that He declared all foods clean.

This question was a pretty big issue that the early Church handled.