By David Kowalski
People occasionally ask whether or not Christians can eat blood (usually as more of a curiosity), and it is not effortlessly simple to answer since the first prohibition against eating blood comes before the Mosaic Law, and the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) handed down an admonition against it. To be brief, there are four main passages that relate to this topic:
“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Genesis 9:4 ESV) “But should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.” (Acts 15:20 ESV)
“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” (Romans 14:19-21 ESV)
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)-according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. “(Colossians 2:16-23 ESV)
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The passage from Acts comes from the Jerusalem Council and scholars almost universally see this as a word of wisdom relating to table fellowship. For the Gospel to be spread effectively in a cross-cultural setting believers should do nothing that would be a stumbling block to others (see Romans 14).
We are certain from the larger context of the New Testament that we are not bound by the law’s dietary regulations. It is true that the injunction against consuming blood was first given before the Mosaic law. Still, the Colossians Passage teaches that the morally neutral, outward regulations of the Old Testament, including Sabbath keeping (which has roots in pre-Law Genesis 2:2) are not binding on Christians.
The bottom line for all of us is to never violate our conscience. “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). If we have doubts about an activity we should not do it. The conclusion of the matter for me is that I do not think it would be a sin to eat blood but I am not in the least tempted to do so!
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First published (or major update) on Sunday, May 19, 2013 Original content is © Copyright Apologetics Index. All Rights Reserved. For usage guidelines see link at the bottom.
“The Jewish concern for rightly handling blood originates in Genesis 9:4–6. There God first allowed Noah and his descendants to eat animal flesh, while still forbidding them to eat blood, highlighting the fact that the animal’s blood is its life. This same teaching was later codified for Israel in Leviticus 17:10–16, where God explicitly prohibited the eating of blood. The reason for this command is given in Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
The Jewish concern for rightly handling blood originates in Genesis 9:4–6. There God first allowed Noah and his descendants to eat animal flesh, while still forbidding them to eat blood, highlighting the fact that:
the animal’s blood is its life.
This same teaching was later codified for Israel in Leviticus 17:10–16, where God explicitly prohibited the eating of blood. The reason for this command is given in Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it for you on the altar to
make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
I believe the 4 prohibitions of the Jerusalem Council still apply today, but the rest of the ceremonial law does not.
The Jews held blood in very high regard – as nearly sacred. It represented life and its absence represented death. It also is what atones for sins. So to casually partake of blood would have been and even today would be offensive to them. Especially after the death of Christ blood would have held even more significance. I abstain from blood because it offends my Jewish brothers and I too don’t want to eat blood because I associate blood with the death of Christ, his life was in His blood. He gave up His blood and therefore died. His blood atoned for my sins. It is a symbol of my salvation and the greatest act of love the world has ever known. For those reasons I could never eat blood.
Thanks for taking the time to read this brief article. I would never suggest that you do anything against your conscience. As far as the topic under consideration, I repeat, “The passage from Acts comes from the Jerusalem Council, and scholars almost universally see this as a word of wisdom relating to table fellowship. For the Gospel to be spread effectively in a cross-cultural setting believers should do nothing that would be a stumbling block to others (see Romans 14).
We are certain from the larger context of the New Testament that we are not bound by the law’s dietary regulations.”