W
womanatwell
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Thank you for your well-wishes. My painting went well but I will have more tomorrow! 
Yes, in the excerpt of Pope Benedict XVI’s (now Pope Emeritus) book which I referenced above, he says he is not sure whether Christ celebrated the Passover supper with his disciples or ate the Last Supper with them the night before, when the lambs were being slaughtered. The question was discussed by various scholars because of differences between the Gospels, John saying something different than the other three.
The 3 celebrations at that time of the 8-day Passover Feast were Passover, Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits.
In his book, Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict said he believes the reference to Jesus as a Nazarene is to tie in his home town with prophesies of the Old Testament. The references are: 1) because He is completely consecrated to God, as Samson the “Nazarite” was (cf. Judges 13:5-7); 2) the prophecy of Is. 11-1 “There shall come forth a shoot (nezer) from the stump of Jesse.”
It is true that James wrote among the rules for new Christians not to drink blood or eat the meat of strangled animals, or of those offered to idols (Acts 15:29). This was after an argument among disciples of whether Christians needed to follow Jewish laws such as circumcision. It is interesting that Peter said earlier in this same meeting (Acts 15:10-11 NIV),
But these rules, along with avoiding sexual immorality, were asked of the new Christians to follow. The difference since Christ is that we are supposed to consider the Spirit of the Law balanced with the Letter of the Law. Of course, we still are to avoid sexual immorality. However, as shown in 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about eating meat to idols as a possibility:
Blood used to be considered the source of life, and of course if we don’t have blood we won’t physically live. We have different ideas of what life is now, since we also need livers, kidneys, lungs, etc. Even so, when animals are killed for commercial use in food, they are not strangled and their blood is drained.
Our focus is on the literal blood of Jesus Christ sustaining us.

Yes, in the excerpt of Pope Benedict XVI’s (now Pope Emeritus) book which I referenced above, he says he is not sure whether Christ celebrated the Passover supper with his disciples or ate the Last Supper with them the night before, when the lambs were being slaughtered. The question was discussed by various scholars because of differences between the Gospels, John saying something different than the other three.
The 3 celebrations at that time of the 8-day Passover Feast were Passover, Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits.
In his book, Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict said he believes the reference to Jesus as a Nazarene is to tie in his home town with prophesies of the Old Testament. The references are: 1) because He is completely consecrated to God, as Samson the “Nazarite” was (cf. Judges 13:5-7); 2) the prophecy of Is. 11-1 “There shall come forth a shoot (nezer) from the stump of Jesse.”
It is true that James wrote among the rules for new Christians not to drink blood or eat the meat of strangled animals, or of those offered to idols (Acts 15:29). This was after an argument among disciples of whether Christians needed to follow Jewish laws such as circumcision. It is interesting that Peter said earlier in this same meeting (Acts 15:10-11 NIV),
The Law was impossible for people to follow. Paul said in Romans 3:10 that “there is no one righteous, not even one.”“10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
But these rules, along with avoiding sexual immorality, were asked of the new Christians to follow. The difference since Christ is that we are supposed to consider the Spirit of the Law balanced with the Letter of the Law. Of course, we still are to avoid sexual immorality. However, as shown in 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about eating meat to idols as a possibility:
He follows this by saying we should not do it if it weakens anyone in their faith.4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Blood used to be considered the source of life, and of course if we don’t have blood we won’t physically live. We have different ideas of what life is now, since we also need livers, kidneys, lungs, etc. Even so, when animals are killed for commercial use in food, they are not strangled and their blood is drained.
Our focus is on the literal blood of Jesus Christ sustaining us.
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