I know that history shows many of the elect have been killed for the faith.
Indeed it does - Martyrdom = Witnessing...
But this passage does not ONLY mean unto the shedding of one's own blood, although that is included I suppose...
What it says is that in one's RESISTENCE to SIN one must do so unto "unto blood"...
Your example shows only one's resistence to other people's sins at the expense of one's own life...
But it really is about YOUR resistence unto your OWN sin unto blood...
And that means laying down the gauntlet that the Marines laid down in their assault on Tarawa...
It is the inner resistence to one's own sin at whatever the cost might be...
Even if the cost of discipleship, which IS the striving against sin, is one's own life...
Heb 12:4
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
You're still here, which means you don't fit the bill for Hebrews 12.
That is not the test...
Blood equals red and white blood cells leaking out of the body.
No, it does not... It is the COST of Discipleship in the Body of Christ...
Do you regularly flagellate yourself, Arsenios?
I am beginning to think that YOU are the self-flagellator, Menno...
However, for the sake of the off-chance that you MIGHT NOT be merely taunting me...
That you MIGHT actually BELIEVE your own vomit here...
That you think I MIGHT BE what YOUR OBSESSION with self-flagellation accuses...
The answer is no...
But IF SOMEHOW...
IT became apparent that doing so was indicated in my striving against my own sin...
I would do so without hesitation...
Would you???
Or would you keep your sin instead...??
fwiw, self flagellation is a peculiar obsession with certain later medieval western monastics...
It is not a part of Eastern Monasticism...
I would hope that you and I can join in our not having that aberration as a passion...
God bless ya Bro!
Arsenios