That gentiles did not have to be circumcised and they sent a group to the gentile nations to tell them. It is unlikely that everyone thinks or says the same thing. Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. That ye abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from lewdness. Oct 17, 2008 i would think he meant using the blood from animal sacrifices for rituals. Its best to read the entire chapter to get a clear understanding of what was happening in the early christian congregation.
I would think he meant using the blood from animal sacrifices for rituals. How is abstain from things strangled not contradictory to not that. The decision of the council resulted in a ruling of four specific things that christians were to abstain from. The whole strain of these prohibitions, and of acts 15. Those who believe the contrary are condemned with the strongest terms in the book of revelation. We mentioned that commentators struggle with acts 15. Considering that the greek scriptures or new testament doesnt expressly state this, and that in the only place eating blood is mentioned the context shows the purpose was not to offend the jews, the claim. However christians should keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body.
What does the bible say about eatingdrinking blood. That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. So one might, along with the apostles, abstain from eating blood out of prudence. When these two verses from deuteronomy are put together, we see. Abstaining from blood cant mean draining all the blood out of your body. And who gets transfusions from animal blood acts 15. Hence my decision is not to trouble those from the nations who are turning to god, 20 but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. In all likelihood, these were four common customs of the gentile world and considered to be pagan by the jews.
From a thing strangled and from blood may be considered together since both alike involve blood. So as not to be a stumbling block to the jewish believers and those jews interested in the gospel the gentile believers are asked to do four things as in acts 15. For the holy spirit and we ourselves 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 and from fornication. For it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials.
Bruxy looks into one of the more bizarre passages in the book of acts and discusses whether it. The watchtower society hereafter wts claims that christians must abstain from certain types of blood transfusions and that the early christian church understood this as a universal rule. All the prohibitions in the acts 15 letter, are related to the participation in the temple worship ceremonies of idolseating sacrificial meat, drinking sacrificial blood, strangling your sacrifice to the idol, sex with temple prostitutes. The last installment discussed why the admonition to abstain from strangled meat was not merely meant to placate the jews. Abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, blood, things strangled, and sexual immorality what does the council of jerusalem decide in acts 15.
The four things in the list appear to be very arbitrary. While praying on a rooftop, waiting for lunch, he had a vision. Dec 17, 2016 there were, however, three things they did insist the gentile believers should observe. Apologetics press must christians today abstain from blood. 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. In acts 15, a question arose in the early church concerning what was necessary for salvation. When everyone agreed with james judgment, the church chose two leading men to return with paul and barnabas to relate verbally to. 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. Therefore when the bible says, abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, acts 15. The book of acts chapter 15 verses 5 bible study youtube. Blood that has been shed from an animal is not to be eaten. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Jan 02, 2020 so, eating a rare steak, blood sausage, blood pancakes, blood soup, or blood tofu may not be palatable to all christians, but it is allowable. Why are we to abstain from drinking the blood of strangled animals. I thought it was interesting that sexual immorality was thrown into the mix with things that were optional to obey. Paul compares true communion to the false communion of idolatry. Blood transfusion alternative treatments instead of blood transfusions. Gods injunction to noah explicitly stated that blood was not to be eaten, as did the mosaic instructions. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. Then, out of concession, he enumerated four things that the gentiles should abstain from so as not to offend the jews 15. Weymouth new testament you must abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication.
The book of acts centers around 2 great men of god, name who and where there ministries were, and what chapters they cover. To abstain from things offered to idols simply meant not to eat them. Why are we to abstain from drinking the blood of strangled. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Oct 18, 2015 why are we to abstain from drinking the blood of strangled animals.
Was the decree to abstain from blood only a temporary. In acts 10, the apostle peter began to realize just how different this new christianity was from judaism. Peter, in verse 8, who speaks for both and preaches boldly of christ and the name of jesus. The decree told gentile christians to abstain from four things. A bit of context is key to understanding how this works. 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. Mar 21, 2005 for it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials. A sheet was lowered from heaven, containing many different types of animals. Aug 31, 2009 the governing body of the firstcentury christian congregation, under the direction of the holy spirit, ruled on the matter of blood. The rules laid out for gentile believers in acts 15. But that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Dec 14, 2016 we have been looking closer at 3 overlooked dietary laws in the new testament. Its best to read the entire chapter to get a clear understanding of what was.
For from ancient generations moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues. The letter to the gentile believers 28 it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements. Bruxy looks into one of the more bizarre passages in the book of acts and discusses whether it has any relevance in our. And in acts 15 the issue of pagan sacrifices are raised. For whose sake did the jerusalem council of acts 15 ask the gentiles to abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. We have been looking closer at 3 overlooked dietary laws in the new testament. John are arrested and called before the sanhedrin, it is st. Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by moses, you cannot be saved. However, in verse 29, the leaders compose a letter with these instructions for the gentiles in antioch. Blood that is still inside an animal after slaughter is not to be eaten. You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. The acts of the apostles is a book in the new testament which describes the founding of the christian church after the death of jesus. Acts 15 new american standard bible nasb the council at jerusalem.
Peter who is in charge of the church in collecting funds for world evangelism and pronounces gods judgment on ananias and. Abstain from eating animals that had been strangled and still contained its blood. Acts 15 nasb the council at jerusalem some men bible. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. The council specifically dealt with the effort of jewish christians from the sect of the pharisees demanding that gentile christians needing not only.
James made the requests for the sake of promoting fellowship with the jewish believers. It is one of our best sources for the early church, and it contains passages that make it seem as if early christians followed a variety of communism. Acts 15 niv the council at jerusalem certain bible gateway. They must abstain from idolatry, from partaking of blood in any form and from sexual immorality.
1201 50 1340 549 1669 1629 1240 273 823 1431 394 132 1333 39 83 1440 631 283 571 1512 1056 1611 1490 232 456 735 792 1066 194 1164 956 106 485 909 970 1144 1459