The ability of modern medicine to sustain life by blood transfusion is a common practice that has no doubt been used by christians. The book of acts, perfect or progressive revelation of grace. The book of acts clearly shows that many years after the jerusalem council issued that decree, christians continued to comply with the decision that they should keep themselves from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood and what is strangled and from fornication. For moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every. Abstain from eating animals that had been strangled and still contained its blood. Acts 15 abstain from eating blood bible numbers for. You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. However, in verse 29, the leaders compose a letter with these instructions for the gentiles in antioch. The bible give strict command about blood and blood transfusions in genesis 9. History shows that early christians refused to consume whole blood or even to use it for medical reasons. But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. In acts 15 the considered opinion of all the elders and apostles was there. Now we will begin to look at the prohibition of eating blood.
The book of acts, according to tradition, was written by the apostle luke from his personal experiences and those of people he knew. The holy spirit and we ourselves the governing body of the christian congregation have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled or, killed without draining their blood and from fornication. Was the decree to abstain from blood only a temporary. Does the bible also mean to keep abstaining from blood. Today we take a look at the law given to the gentiles by the apostles in acts 15. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. In acts 10 peter had already been told by god, what god hath cleansed, that call not thou common, and he had already retold these words to all the apostles in acts 11. This may be the greatest threat to the work of the gospel yet seen in the book of acts. What does the bible say about eatingdrinking blood. While praying on a rooftop, waiting for lunch, he had a vision. If a person would not eat blood and dont drink it, but would accept a blood transfusion, would he really obey the bible commands to keep abstaining from blood. Abstain from sexual immorality the bloodbought church of jesus christ is a betrothed bride.
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of. However, in acts 15 they still write to the gentiles to abstain from offered meats. For moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues. In all likelihood, these were four common customs of the gentile world and considered to be pagan by the jews. To abstain from blood means bloodguilt, like murder or manslaughter, plus not drinking blood or eating meat. We mentioned that commentators struggle with acts 15. First we explored why the early christians were commanded to abstain from food sacrificed to idols. For it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
We are now waiting for him to return to consummate the marriage. That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. The book of acts, king james version dramatized sponsor. Gods injunction to noah explicitly stated that blood was not to be eaten, as did the mosaic instructions.
Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. In what context did the apostles and older men in jerusalem use the expression to abstain from blood. Acts 1 new international version niv jesus taken up into heaven. We have been looking closer at 3 overlooked dietary laws in the new testament. There are, however, academics that believe another source of authorship should be considered, but that is not our focus at this time. I would think he meant using the blood from animal sacrifices for rituals. Acts 1 niv jesus taken up into heaven bible gateway. Blood transfusion alternative treatments instead of blood transfusions. The decision of the council resulted in a ruling of four specific things that christians were to abstain from. What does the bible mean when it commands christians to abstain from blood. Of course, fornication is an outright sin, but the others could possibly stumble their jewish brethren and for the sake of their consciences, should not.
Acts 15 amplified bible 20but we should send word to them in writing to abstain from and avoid anything that has been polluted by being offered to idols, and all sexual impurity, and eating meat of animals that have been strangled, and tasting of blood. Our study will concern chapter 16 of acts, which includes a journey of paul, silas. Or we can read the scriptures from the bible about blood and blood transfusion also on this page. But that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. The rules laid out for gentile believers in acts 15. The last installment discussed why the admonition to abstain from strangled meat was not merely meant to placate the jews. In acts 10, the apostle peter began to realize just how different this new christianity was from judaism. The book of acts centers around 2 great men of god, name who and where there ministries were, and what chapters they cover. We have already made the commitment to marry jesus. Many jehovahs witnesses sincerely believe that it is a gross sin to accept a blood transfusion, since the bible states that we must abstain from blood.
Therefore when the bible says, abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, acts 15. A sheet was lowered from heaven, containing many different types of animals. God gave christians the same command that he had given to noah. And who gets transfusions from animal blood acts 15. Jehovahs witnesses, for example, do not accept blood transfusions because of the bibles instruction to abstain from blood. Although this law was given only to the nation of israel, it shows how seriously god viewed the law against eating blood. Next we looked at the biblical prohibition against eating food that had been strangled. Dennis gaertner, in his commentary on acts, noted that the pagan worship practices were most likely in view in the prohibition against sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols, and were possibly in view in the command to abstain from blood, since in some pagan practices blood was drunk apart from the meat 1993, p. God viewed the soul, or life, as being in the blood and belonging to him. Acts 15 was addressing gentiles who already were christians.
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