The Pharisees said much the same thing. They viewed their traditions as the "law of the Lord". They could not believe how everyone did not see things their way.
For 2000 years now, the Church has correctly taught that the food laws given to Israel were a temporary expression of typological significance. They were shadows that served to point us to Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. They were used temporarily to make a sharp distinction between one physical nation, Israel, and all the other physical nations.
But that old Israel no longer exists. We no longer distinguish between physical peoples in the household of God. There are all nations tribes, tongues, and people found in the new royal priesthood and holy nation.
Fittingly, we have a new set of “food laws” under the new covenant. It’s called the Lord’s Supper and it is simply the universal expression of fellowship by the community of faith for those who have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.
Those who rely on the food laws of old Israel to express their spirituality are denying the very coming into the world of Jesus Christ to make one new man, both Jew and gentile.
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” (Eph. 2:14-16)
Paul and the other apostles deny this very cultic expression of the old covenant as being decayed and passed away.
The big difference, as you said, is that they viewed THEIR traditions as the law of the Lord. The Lord himself was the one who designated which animals to eat and which ones not to eat.
For 2000 years now, the Church has correctly taught that the food laws given to Israel were a temporary expression of typological significance.
They were shadows that served to point us to Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. They were used temporarily to make a sharp distinction between one physical nation, Israel, and all the other physical nations.
I don't think it's been 2000 years, but certainly that seems to be the tradition of traditional Christianity. Kind of like they're elevated their tradition to the the law of the Lord. Sounds familiar.
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” (Eph. 2:14-16)
There you go again, mixing up the traditions of men with the word of God. The Lord's laws don't cause division or strife. The Lord's laws cause peace, harmony and love.