What Is Bloodshed In The Bible?
This mini study on bloodshed refers to our bible study on Ezekiel 18. None of the acts in Ezekiel 18:10 to 13 are acts of violence causing blood shed in the literal sense.
In this instance, God is referring to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, as spiritual bloodshed and spiritual violence.
Check Out The Bible Study On Violence
The Holy Spirit is the life blood of the soul. A “shedder of blood” (as mentioned in verse 10) means a blasphemer of the Holy Spirit. This is someone who loses the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Leviticus 17:11 & 14 says 11 “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life….14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
It is the receiving of the Holy Spirit, which is the blood of Jesus, that makes atonement for our sins and gives us eternal life.
John 6:63 says “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
2 Corinthians 3:6 says “who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
To ‘Shed Blood’ Is To Blaspheme The Holy Spirit
Acts 18:6 says “But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Ezekiel 3:18 says “When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.”
God will hold a person accountable for not warning a wicked person of their sin and for that person’s blasphemy (losing of the Holy Spirit) in their life causing their death, meaning spiritual death.
Acts 20:24 says “however, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
Paul is not speaking of murdering anyone. But rather causing someone to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit by potentially misleading someone through his teachings; which he is declaring his innocence of.
The bible refers to literal blood shed as murder in some instances. In others such as in Ezekiel 18, blood shed is referred to as spiritual bloodshed. This means to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
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