Hey Tony, I'm about to drop a 50 megaton truth nuke on you, bro...ready?
All scholars agree that Paul's greatest challenge was the "Judaizers" - Jewish converts to Christianity who insisted Christians must keep all the Mosaic Law as well as Jesus' commandments to be saved. He fought them all through Scripture.
Romans 14 isn't there to allow eating whatever might crawl across your plate - it's there to make clear that the JEWISH FEAST DAYS are optional, not mandatory. Whatever we eat must be first sanctified by the word of God..and where does the Word of God "sanctify" or "set apart" as acceptable fare? Leviticus 11, which medical science absolutely confirms with the highest scientific affirmations possible...almost like God knew what He was doing when He said, "that is healthy but that will make you sick and kill you, so don't eat it"...right or wrong?
Proof?
Jesus tells you unequivocally in Isaiah 66 that when He returns in fiery glory, those who eat "swine's flesh" will be "consumed together" with idolatrous nature worshipers...understand? It's an undeniable Messianic prophecy of the Second Coming where those who continue eating pigs after learning the truth will be set ablaze, and we all know how hot and smelly burnt pig fat is.
Please bring up Acts 10 and also "forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats".
Well hate to drop a 100 megaton bomb on your 50 megaton bomb:
Matt. 15:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mark 7:
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
1 Corinthians 10:25
Whatsoever is sold in the
shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
So Jesus said nothing that enters us makes us unclean.
Paul declared that in the gentile markets we are free to eat anything without asking questions. Gentiles offered Jewish unclean animals to their gods as well as Jewish clean animals. They offerred everything.
The jewish dietary laws, which are part of the 613 Mosaic Laws (including the ten written in stone) are all done away with.