What is the significance of the four laws given to early Christians who were not ethnically Jews?
score:7
The prohibition from eating the meat of strangled animals is essentially the same thing as the prohibition from eating blood. If an animal was strangled, that means its blood was not drained from its body. Therefore, eating the meat of strangled animals was another method of consuming their blood. The Mosaic Law outlawed the consumption of blood.
Lev. 17:10-11 (NASB)
And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.Deut. 12:16 (NASB)
Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.Deut. 12:23 (NASB)
Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.
Since eating blood was so detestable to the Jews, and presumably associated with pagan rituals, the Apostles felt that it was important for the gentile Christians to abstain from eating blood, even though they were not following the rest of the Mosaic Law. By doing so, they would not cause offense to Jews and weaker brethren.
1 Cor. 10:23-33 (NASB)
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks? Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
Some people take this command further and believe that, even today, it is a sin for Christians to eat blood. They believe that, since God outlawed the consumption of blood prior to the Mosaic Law, it is a general moral law which applies to all people for all time, not just those subject to the Mosaic Covenant.
Gen. 9:4-5 (NASB)
Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
Upvote:1
What is the significance of the four laws given to early Christians who were not ethnically Jews?
These were a summary of how the law was to be applied to “sojourners” in Israel
Leviticus 17:7-11 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The reference in Acts 15 to the restrictions on gentile believers was to be in accordance with the binding a loosing referred to in Matthew 16 and exercised by James.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
A more accurate translation would be
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall have been already been bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall have already been loosed in heaven.
Instead of reading the passage in Matthew as giving new power to Peter, it is more accurately read as giving new responsibility to the disciples.
Upvote:2
The good 'ol Matthew Henry has quite a good explanation to your question here. Do a search on the page for "From things strangled, and from blood," (without the quotes).
In summary, Matthew Henry says that the last two items are about not giving unnecessary offence to the Jews, who, being steeped in the Law, would find people doing these things to be repulsive.
The first two items in the list we hold, as it were, with a clenched fist and will not give ground on (idols, adultery). The latter two items we hold with an open hand, since we do not wish to give unnecessary offense to others, but wish to win them to Christ. HTH
Upvote:7
Idolatry: This law was necessary because the gentile new comers were mostly idol worshipers. They did not know the law of Moses on idolatry. It was necessary to inform them that idolatry is a sin, otherwise they might start making idols of Jesus and bow down before it.
Adultery: This law also was required because the gentiles did not come from a stricter society like the Jews who maintained good moral practices. They need to be informed that sexual immorality is a sin.
Dietary law: A strangled animal or which died on it's own has blood still in it. It seems like this law was given in favor of the Jews so that Jews and gentiles could worship together. Jews abhorred people who eat strangled things and blood. This Mosaic law became their custom. This problem is common among people with very different eating habits. This problem is still going on to this present day. For example, some newly converted members from religions which forbid eating meat (Hindus, Jains etc.) find it difficult to adjust with Christians who are mostly meat eaters. They never eat meat since childhood and participating in Christian festivals like Christmas where meat is usually served become troublesome to them. Paul addressed this issue very well.
1 Corinthians 8:13 (NKJV) Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
More post
- 📝 Question on "The Forged Origins of the New Testament" and Josephus
- 📝 How many Christians have actually read the whole Bible?
- 📝 How can we trust the Bible after it has been translated to another language?
- 📝 Which denomination(s) believe(s) there are many heavens?
- 📝 In the Binitarian view is the Holy Spirit a person?
- 📝 Sex outside of marriage is a sin. But what about "less than sex"?
- 📝 Is it true that anyone who prays the rosary cannot be touched by Satan?
- 📝 Why did Pope Francis say, "When we encounter the Cross, do we turn to Mary," rather than to Christ?
- 📝 Are sins sinful because they are inherently acts of badness or because they are acts of disobedience against god?
- 📝 What is dispensationalism?
- 📝 Why did Jesus wear the crown of thorns?
- 📝 If you are a cardinal, does that mean that you are an immediate successor to a dead or resigned pope?
- 📝 What version of the Bible is closest to the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek manuscripts?
- 📝 According to those who hold that the Word at John 1:1 is a person, how do they explain 1 John 1:1 using 'that' instead of 'who' for the Word?
- 📝 Altars in today's Christian Churches
- 📝 Did Christ open the Door of Hell after he preached the Gospel in the realm of the dead?
- 📝 How can you serve God when you can't see him?
- 📝 Why Jeremiah 10:5 was changed from palm trees to scarecrows
- 📝 What status does the Roman Cathechism have nowadays?
- 📝 What is the Catholic belief concerning Deuteronomy 24:16
- 📝 Who can move Easter celebrations in the Orthodox Churches?
- 📝 Keeping the Sabbath and Colossians 2:16
- 📝 When and why did the ancient church no longer care about offending a brother?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis that the Devil or Satan understood God's salvation plan?
- 📝 If God cannot change, then why does His wrath need to be appeased?
- 📝 Why are there no longer large-scale miracles from God?
- 📝 John 1:18 - "No one has ever seen God" - How do Trinitarians reconcile this scripture with the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is God?
- 📝 Do Christians typically switch denominations?
- 📝 Is Christ androgynous?
- 📝 When we forgive our offenders, does it mean we do not want God to punish them anymore?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the significance of the four laws given to early Christians who were not ethnically Jews?
- 📝 According to Evangelicals, before the Reformation, who were Christians if “Catholics are not Christians”?
- 📝 What were the early Christians officially persecuted for?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis that people who are attracted to the same sex were not created by God that way?
- 📝 What is the significance of Noah, after the flood, getting drunk and cursing his son who saw him Naked?
- 📝 What evidence do we have today about Christian groups not represented at the first four ecumenical councils?
- 📝 God created male and female.... What about those who do not fit in the box?
- 📝 What is the significance of the three different gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) given to Jesus by the Magi after his birth?
- 📝 Besides Paul, were there any other enemies of the early church who converted to Christianity?
- 📝 Were there implicit laws not referenced in the Acts 15 letter to gentile believers?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Christians NOT to quit their jobs, sell all their possessions, and preach the gospel?
- 📝 For people who believe in Jesus and not the devil, what happened in the desert?
- 📝 What does the Bible say Christians should or should not do on the Sabbath?
- 📝 What is the origin of the Orthodox belief that Sts. Joseph and Mary were betrothed but not married?
- 📝 What do Protestants think about canon laws given by the Church Fathers?
- 📝 Why did Ezekiel say that God gave laws to the people that were not good?
- 📝 When were the early Christians no longer considered a sect of Judaism?
- 📝 What hymns about death were common in the early 1400s?
- 📝 What made Jesus question at Mt 21:25 a good example for Christians or was it a bad question because the Jews could not answer?
- 📝 On what basis was Jesus’ death sufficient for redemption according Non-Trinitarians who maintain that Jesus was not eternal God as God the Father is?
- 📝 How do Christians who adhere to the maxim “in essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; and in all things charity” determine what is essential?
- 📝 Other than non-Trinitarian, what terms are there for Christians who don't believe in the trinity?
- 📝 Why are we given details about what the descendants of Cain did? Is there special significance to these details?
- 📝 For Christians who are skeptical of the writings of the Apostolic & Ante-Nicene Fathers, what is their epistemological basis for trusting a canon?
- 📝 Were the early Christians known by any other name?
- 📝 According to Catholic teaching, what is the status of a priest who does not agree with the Church's stated teachings on h*m*sexuality and gender?
- 📝 What Biblical support for praying to the saints is usually cited by those Christians who practice that?
- 📝 Were the early Christians an apocalyptic sect?
- 📝 What are the arguments of those who believe that the prerequisite stated here by John is yet not sufficient for being born of God?
- 📝 What are the major views on Adam's motivation to sin given that he was not deceived?
