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THE POWER OF GOD TOWARDS PEACE


Leviticus 3:1-11

3:1 “‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings; if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before Yahweh.
2 He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.
3 He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
5 Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
6 “‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without defect.
7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before Yahweh;
8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
9 Of the sacrifice of peace offerings he shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh: its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
11 The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Romans 1:16-17

1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

The four mentions of “sacrifice of peace offerings” in this section echo Paul’s four main observations about the Gospel.
Translations
update new database-driven translations to match (see old for reference)
Hebrew:

LXX:

Greek:
Commentary
The Good News of the Gospel is that both individuals and communities can have peace with God. The peace offering is unique in that it divides the animal three ways: the kidneys and fat are offered to God as an offering by fire, the priests receive the breast and thigh, and the one who brings the offering shares the remainder in a communal meal, celebrating peace with God (echo 1).
Translations
update new database-driven translations to match (see old for reference)
Hebrew:

LXX:

Greek:
Commentary
Offerings made by fire are considered in Traditional Jewish Commentaries (TJCs) to be more elevated to God, symbolizing the ascent from the physical world to the Divine, which is the power of salvation (echo 2).
Translations
update new database-driven translations to match (see old for reference)
Hebrew:

LXX:

Greek:
Commentary
The breast and thigh are separated from the animal and given to the priests before the rest of the meat is returned to the offeror to share with his family. TJCs differ on whether non-Jews may bring peace offerings, but Paul’s echoes imply they were, or at least should have been, permitted to do so (echo 3).
Translations
update new database-driven translations to match (see old for reference)
Hebrew:

LXX:

Greek:
Commentary
Because one purpose of the peace offering is to celebrate unity before God and to demonstrate the faith of the offeror, “faith to faith” may be understood as “from the faith of the Jews to the faith of the Gentiles,” expressing the unity of the faith (echo 4).