What New Testament teachings connect with Leviticus 17:10's prohibition on blood consumption? Leviticus 17:10—God’s Command to Respect Blood “‘If anyone from the house of Israel or any foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.’” (Leviticus 17:10) Why Blood Matters in Scripture • Life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11) • Blood is God’s chosen means of atonement, foreshadowing Christ (Hebrews 9:22) • Treating blood as common denies its God-given sacredness The Jerusalem Council—A Direct New-Testament Echo • Acts 15:20: “Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, and from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.” • Acts 15:29; 21:25 repeat the same instruction • The apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, carried Leviticus 17 forward for Gentile believers, showing the command is not merely Jewish ceremonial law but a continuing moral concern Christ’s Blood—Fulfillment, Not Abolition • Hebrews 9:12-14: Christ entered the Most Holy Place “by His own blood” and secured eternal redemption • 1 Peter 1:18-19: We were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ” • Revelation 1:5: He “has freed us from our sins by His blood” • The prohibition protects the symbol: blood belongs on the altar, now fulfilled in Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice The Lord’s Supper—Symbolic Participation, Not Literal Consumption • 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?” • John 6:53-56 uses “drink My blood” metaphorically to call for faith, not cannibalism • Wine represents Christ’s blood; the ordinance honors the Levitical principle by pointing to its fulfillment rather than disregarding it Holiness at the Table—Paul’s Parallel Counsel • 1 Corinthians 10:18-21 warns against sharing pagan altars; respecting Christ’s blood keeps believers from mixing holy and unholy practices • Romans 14:14-15 urges sensitivity in eating; if blood eating offends a brother, love chooses restraint Practical Takeaways for Today • Reverence: Treat Christ’s atoning blood as holy, guarding against casual or superstitious attitudes • Obedience: Abstain from dishes prepared with animal blood (e.g., blood sausage) in deference to Acts 15 • Witness: Our restraint testifies that life belongs to God and salvation comes only through the blood of Jesus |
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