Many Pastors and Christians do not know how to study the Bible ‘dispensationally’ and why it is so critical for Bible understanding. Recognizing the particular ‘dispensation’ being studied is first basis of studying any segment of the Bible ‘in context.’

Though the title for this study mentions Dietary Laws, it’s focus has nothing to do with being vegan or not. The Bible’s various Dietary Laws are being used as an example of the dispensational changes that have occurred throughout the Biblical ages. This study is to educate believers as to how we as Christians today, are to properly look at, discern, “rightly divide,” and then apply Bible Scripture during today’s Post-Acts “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). We will see how God has changed His program and relationship with mankind throughout the Biblical ages.

Let’s consider from the Scripture the 4 recorded ‘dietary laws’ of God. The fact is that God’s dietary laws changed over the Biblical ages, reflecting the changing dispensational nature of the Bible truth in each subsequent age for the individuals it pertained to. We will note the four diets that God authorized for men to eat as food as the changes occurred over the course of time up to today’s age of the Gentile “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:1-2).

These are the four (4) different Scriptural instructions of God in the matter of what foods men were instructed to eat during different ages.

1. Upon his creation, Adam was told he could freely eat of herbs, fruits, and nuts for food, except not of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” lest he die. No mention of animal flesh.

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (i.e., food).

Should we deduce from this that Christians today, should be vegetarians? As we shall see, NO!

2. Then that after the flood, Noah was instructed to eat “every moving thing that moveth that liveth as meat [animal, fish, and bird]” in addition to the fruits and veggies. So, God had changed the dietary program.

Gen. 9:3 Every Moving Thing that liveth shall be meat [food] for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Here the Lord told Noah they can eat every living, moving, thing - animal flesh in addition to the vegetation. If you could catch it, you could eat it with your veggies. Now they could have meat and potatoes, bacon, eggs, and toast, etc.

3. But later at Mt. Sinai God changed the program again, LIMITING ISRAEL’s diet to only eat certain clean animals, birds, and fish. God again changed the program limiting the sort of animal flesh Israelites could eat.

Leviticus 11:1-47, excerpt “And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, ² Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. ³Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

⁴Nevertheless these shall ye NOT Eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is Unclean Unto You ….”

Unhappily, with this change an Israelite might have told Moses, “You know Mo, I prefer to eat according to the instruction of God that was given to Noah in Gen. 9:3 when we could eat every kind of flesh. After all Mo, you said it and I want to do what God said, Eat Any Meat I Want.” Well yes, in that case that Israelite surely would have been ‘Scriptural’ but … he would NOT be ‘Dispensational,’ ignoring the change in God’s dietary instructions for the Israelites from the time of the giving of the Law at Mt Sinai.

Should we deduce from this that Christians, should keep such a ‘kosher diet’? No, as you shall see. The program of God has changed multiple times!

4. Today, during the present Post-Acts Gentile “dispensation of the grace of God,” God via Paul, our “Apostle to the Gentiles,” changed the program again, saying this about what we may eat;

1 Tim 4:4-5 “Every Creature of God Is Good, and Nothing Is To Be Refused (as food), if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God [through Paul] and prayer.”

So, in this example of the four (4) dietary laws, only Point #4, Paul’s 1Tim 4:4-5 instruction is written TO US and FOR US in today’s Gentile church that Paul calls the spiritual “body of Christ.” These Paul’s Post-Acts 28:28 instructions apply specifically to those of today’s “church, which is His body,” (Eph 1:22b-23a), during this day of the Gentile “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:1-2)

Considering the foregoing matter of God’s changing the dietary laws over the ages, though many Christians erroneously believe that the entire Bible applies to us today, that cannot be true. Could we really follow ALL the differing dietary listed above, simultaneously? Obviously, that is Impossible! It should be obvious that nobody can obey God’s instruction to Adam to eat only herbs, fruits, and nuts, and then at the very same time obey the Lord’s words to Noah to eat the meat of every moving thing in addition to veggies ... and then also follow also the kosher dietary laws. This is obviously impossible. You cannot Eat Everything and NOT eat some things at the same time. That is clear. This means we can’t shop for what we want to apply from the Bible. We must stick with the instruction we have from Paul for us during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.”

It is evident that while all four (4) dietary instructions listed above may be for our historical learning of Scripture as we read the Bible, they obviously are Not ALL given for our obedience today since Not All These Instructions Can Be Kept Simultaneously.

How then can we claim, as most Christians do, that we are called to obey the entire Bible as if it were all just one giant dispensational age? The fact is that nobody can keep the laws and instructions of the entire Bible. That is why Paul tells us how to study the Bible, by “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2Tim 2:15) according to its various dispensations, for differing people groups throughout the Biblical ages from Adam up to us today.

You see, God interrupted Israel’s program when Paul proclaimed God’s judicial decision to turn from the Nation Israel to the Gentiles in Acts 28:28 (below). Paul here quotes Isaiah to make this judicial declaration.

“Saying, Go unto this people [Israel], and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷ For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear [heed] it.” Acts 28:26-28 (KJV)

So yes, we can say that ALL four dietary law instructions (above) are ‘Scriptural’ ... BUT only Paul’s Instruction Is For Us Today. Paul’s is “Dispensationally” applicable. Each ‘dispensational age’ has its God-prescribed relationship whereby God chooses to deal with mankind differently at the different times of each dispensational age. Just compare God’s dietary instruction Before The Fall of Adam, and After Acts 28:28 as seen in Paul’s Post-Acts epistle to Timothy in 1Tim 4:4-5.

Thus, we can conclude that it is Better Be “Dispensational” in our Bible study, than to be purely Scriptural, if we are going to properly interpret the Scripture. One Can Be Scriptural and Be Out Of The Will Of God.

In that case we might ask; What else changed and is different with Paul’s God inspired Post-Acts 28:28 judicial decree. It is obvious that;

• God’s focus is no longer on the Nation Israel during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God”
• Today, the “ordinances” that had applied to Israel are out; such as John’s water baptism of repentance, just as ‘the Lord’s table’ that Jesus ate with the Apostles to Israel, and much more as we will see in Part 2.