The Seven Laws of Noah are: 1. Belief in a Supreme Being and the prohibition of worshipping any other beings. 2. Respect G-d and Do Not Blaspheme His Name. 3. Respect Human Life and Do Not Murder 4. Respect the Family and Do Not Commit Immoral Sexual Acts such as adultery, homosexuality, and incest 5. Respect Others' Rights and Do Not Steal 6. Create a Judicial System which will uphold the other six Laws and Pursue Justice. 7. Respect all Creatures and Do Not Eat the Flesh of a Living Animal. ( meaning the removal of flesh from a live animal)
The Jews considered all mankind to have come from Noah and his family.
Jews considered themselves under a special relationship to God by reason of special laws given through Moses.
The Moses laws were only binding on Jews while the Noah Laws were binding on Gentiles
Jesus came along and demonstrated that the Laws (all laws) which came from God were for the BENEFIT of humans. Humans were not to serve the LAW, but, the LAW was to serve humanity.
How?
The LAWS from God (whether the Noah Laws for Gentiles or the Moses Laws for Jews only) were practical and commonsense and reflected a better way of living. Godly laws allowed favor from God himself and prevented unnecessary conflict between humans.
Are you with me so far? If so, let us proceed.
At a certain point in time, in the 1st Century C.E., the two groups of humanity stood face to face: the covenant JEWS and the Noahide GENTILES.
They were about to join hands for the first time by being grafted together under a belief in Jesus as the redeemer of BOTH groups.
This raised a conflict which needed to be settled.
The conflict was this: Jews have special laws which the Gentiles do not. SHOULD THE GENTILES PRACTICE JEWISH LAW ? Or, was the alternative permissable from Jehovah's viewpoint: WERE THE GENTILES acceptable inside the JEWISH system without adopting JEWISH LAW too?
This argument continued with many opinions back and forth.
Some Christian writers[2], particularly those affiliated with Primitive Apostolic Christianity see the verses in Acts 15:19-21 as a directive from the first Council of Jerusalem to observe the basic understanding of the Noahide Laws in order to be considered righteous Gentiles, and not be required to live completely as Jews. According to Acts 15, the Council of Jerusalem determined that circumcision was not required of new converts, only avoidance of "pollution of idols, fornication, things strangled, and blood" (KJV, Acts 15:20). The basis for these prohibitions as found in Acts 15:21 states only: "For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day". The evidence of these Noachian inclusions to primitive Christian observance were in addition to the moral Ten Commandments given to Moses at Sinai, which covers the most essential requirements of the Noachian covenant. The additions of the four cited above were to complete the requirements of the new Gentile converts to primitive Christianity.
Stop!
What did the COUNCIL of JERUSALEM admonish?
1.Avoidance of "pollution of idols". See Noahide Law above #1
2.Avoidance of "things strangled". See Noahide Law above #7
3.Avoidance of "blood". See Noahide Law above #3 (Note: BLOOD=bloodshed=Murder)
No cirucmcision required, no keeping of the Sabbath, etc.
The Watchtower Society has ripped away the context of the Jerusalme Council's edict and made a misrepresentation of it as pertains to BLOOD.
As we see above, the "blood" pertains to the Noahide injunction against bloodshed or murder.
The Watchtower Society hijacks the context from bloodshed and astonishingly turns it into bloodshed by creating a false policy.
Avoiding blood becomes something entirely artificial under the Watchtower's twisted reasoning. How? BLOOD ITSELF becomes the issue and not the shedding of man's blood in murder!
A weird twist turns people into thinking they have to allow their loved ones to DIE rather than use blood TO SAVE their lives!!
This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the intention of the Noahide Laws or the pronouncement from the Council in Jerusalem!
Saving Life vs destroying life intentionally is a serious dichotomy.
The Watchtower Society demonstrates no understanding of God's laws or their intended benefit to mankind with their blood policy and FALSE REPRESENTATION of the issue of blood.
This clearly identifies their "faithful and discreet slave" as bloodguilty by intention. Twisting God's word to their own destruction and the deliberate hijacking of scripture is an abominable blasphemy.
Make a copy of the above Nohide Laws and have it handy by your door next time the Witnesses call.
Ask them to explain why the Jerusalem Council used the words it did if it DID NOT intend to prohibit murder (bloodshed).
Watch them squirm.