Blood
Blood is ascribed in the Bible as the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself; when allowing man the dominion over the lower animals for food. As a food, the consumption of blood was prohibited by God. God further refined the ordinance under the Mosaic Law prohibiting the consumption of blood along with, intestines, kidneys, tails and certain parts of the stomach which he reserved for himself. ,
Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Det.12:23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
Lev. 3:1 7 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
Lev. 7: 26. Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
Lev 17:10. And whatsoever man there be of the house of
Lev17:11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Lev 17:12. Therefore I said unto the children of
Lev 17:13. And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
Lev17:14. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is
for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of
God laid great stress upon his law concerning blood. It was made binding not only to the Israelites but also to any stranger that dwelled among them. The penalty that came with this law was severe. God wrath will be upon the sinner. God would set his face against the sinner and cut them off. The reason for the law was because it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul, so God appointed blood to be used to make atonement with. The sinner deserved to die; therefore the sacrifice would die in place of the sinner.
The sprinkling or pouring of the blood of the sacrifice upon the altar conveyed that the life of the sacrifice was given to God in place of the sinner’s life as a ransom. God would bestow and preserve the honor to the way of atonement, which he instituted. Being intended to preserve their reverence for the Messiah, who was to shed His blood and stand in our place, paying the penalty of death for our sins.
THE FULLFILLMENT
The sacrificial system under the law of Moses simply offered a shadow of the things to come. Because the law was not the final plan, it could not provide perfect cleansing. This was fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
Matt 5:17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Matt 5:18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The sacrifice of Christ, offered upon the cross, and the shedding of his blood, which atones for sin once and for all, fulfilled the Levitical sacrifices. The blood that was poured upon the altar was a type of foretelling of what God was going to pour out for us once and for all on the cross, and as such was not to be taken lightly or dishonored. Be diligent not to oversee the reason why Jehovah held blood in high regard.
Heb. 9:28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Heb. 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
THE COUCIL AT JERUSALEM
As many Gentile believers came into the church, legalistic Jews taught their opinion that Gentiles could not be saved unless they kept the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision taught by Moses.
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Paul and Barnabas disagreed with this prerequisite for salvation. The Greek word for disagree conveys the idea of great strife, discord, and disunion. This disagreement over circumcision and keeping the law was causing a theological crisis that could have spit the church. So Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem accompanied with some local believers to have a meeting with the apostles and elders about this issue.
Acts 15:2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
This meeting was attended by a group of converted Pharisees. They had compatible views with Christianity but were reluctant to accept anyone who did not adhere to the oral traditions of the law.
Act 15:5. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
The Gentile issue prompted a long discussion. After a long debate Peter rose and spoke his peace. Peter warned that by making the Gentiles adhere strictly to the law as a prerequisite for salvation, the church was guilty of questioning God’s way for salvation. Also the Jewish believers were putting an unbearable yoke on the Gentiles, the same burden that the Jewish believers and their fathers were unable to meet.
Acts15:10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Acts15:11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Afterward James, who was the leader of the Jerusalem church, and had final authority on this subject, echoed Peter’s argument by ruling that they should not trouble the Gentile believers. This was in effect a rejection of the circumcision and law requirement. But the decision did contain certain stipulations that the Gentiles were advised to adhere to.
Acts15:19. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Acts15:20. But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
The apostles wrote a letter summarizing the decision of the Jerusalem council. In the letter the Jerusalem church disassociated itself from those men that troubled the Gentile converts regarding circumcision and following the law. The Jewish radicals were acting on their own without authority from the apostles. They were not to be regarded as representatives for the church.
Acts15:23. And they wrote letters by them after this manner;
The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting
unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and
Acts15:24. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
This letter implies a clear leading of God in the decision rendered. One of the requirements involved an issue of sexual immorality and three involved dietary restrictions.
Acts15:28. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Acts 15:29. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
The dietary restrictions were in place because the early church often shared common meals. These meals were held in conjunction with the Lords supper and would bring Jew and Gentile together. At these meals the Gentiles would horrify the Jews by consuming meat that was not kosher. {1 Cor. 11 17-34}
These decisions should not be regarded a divine ordinance but as necessary stipulations for fellowship between two different parties that come together under a common belief. This was not a theological concern a much as a practical one.
The WTS states that abstaining from blood is a God given law and quotes Acts 15 as a basis for their doctrine. The problem with this doctrine is as follows: First, James disassociated himself with the Jewish converts who stipulated that following the Jewish law was necessary for salvation. Second, it was deemed good to James and the Holy Spirit that the Gentiles would bear no greater burden than the four requirements. The Greek translation for burden is bavroß which means heaviness, weight, burden or trouble. It does not mean law. These requirements were given to the Gentiles as good council, instead of law.
Below are the matches found for burden.
The New Testament Greek Lexicon
Found 9 entries matching: burden
English Translation Original Word Transliterated Word
burden govmoß gums
burdened qli'yiß thlipsis
burden katabarevw katabareo
be burdensome katanarkavw katanarkao
not burdensome ajbarhvß abares
burden fortivon phortion
be burdened barevw bareo
burden bavroß baros
burdensome bavroß baros
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Below is Acts 15:28 as it appears in Greek
Acts 15:28 Edoxen gar to Pneumati to Hagio kaihemin meden pleon epitithesthai humin baros plentouton ton epanangkes:
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Below are the matches found for law. Note that none of these words are used in Acts 15:28
The New Testament Greek Lexicon
Found 26 entries matching: law
English Translation Original Word Transliterated Word
unlawful thing ajqevmitoß athemitos
lawful e[nnomoß ennomos
under law e[nnomoß ennomos
be lawful e[xesti exesti
go to law krivma krima
go to law krivnw krino
lawyer nomikovß nomikos
about the law nomikovß nomikos
lawfully nomivmwß nomimos
doctor of the law nomodidavskaloß nomodidaskalos
teacher of the law nomodidavskaloß nomodidaskalos
giving of the law nomoqesiva nomothesia
receive the law nomoqetevw nomotheteo
lawgiver nomoqevthß nomothetes
law novmoß nomos
daughter in law nuvmfh numphe
contrary to the law paranomevw paranomeo
mother in law penqerav penthera
father in law penqerovß pentheros
transgress the law ajnomiva anomia
transgression of the law ajnomiva anomia
without law a[nomoß anomos
lawless a[nomoß anomos
unlawful a[nomoß anomos
without law ajnovmwß anomos
law ajgorai'oß agoraios
The Debate
If the blood issue is not law but a burden, than how do we who are loyal to Jehovah address this subject? Now I personally disagree with the oral consumption of blood, but where do we stand on the issue of receiving and giving of blood {transfusion}. We should look at the advice Paul gives us in Romans 14. Followers of Christ should steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture of course, but sometimes Scripture is silent. Then we should follow our conscience. When God shows us that something is wrong for us we should follow our conscience and not look down upon other Christians who exercise their freedom in this area.
Romans14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing.which he alloweth.
Romans 14:23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Now it is clear that it is up to us whether we will allow ourselves a blood transfusion or not. Let’s explore the following scenario.
I am a loyal follower of Jesus Christ, and in being so keep my body pure, find myself with blood free of diseases. Now my blood is a rare type not common among the population. I am asked to donate blood to save another persons life. I am guaranteed that if this person does not receive my donation of blood he will surely die. What should I do? Should I let him die, so I can keep a requirement that was given as advice to keep the peace between opposing parties in the early church? Should I break one of the two greatest Commandments {Love your neighbor as thyself} to keep lower level requirement? What should I do? Or what would Jesus do?
W.W.J.D.
Matt.8:2. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Matt.8:3. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Here Jesus reveals his heart of compassion. All people shunned lepers but Jesus touched this man covered with a contagious and deadly disease. He did not need to touch him; he could have just uttered the cure. Jesus showed his love and compassion for this man that no one would dare come close to by touching him. In touching the leper Jesus broke tradition and became ritually unclean. Jesus did not care about being unclean when there was a genuine need.
Lev 5:3. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
Num 5:2
Command the children of
In Matt. 9:20-22 we find a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years. This bleeding may have been a menstrual or uterine disorder. The condition caused the woman to be in constant state of ceremonial uncleanness. She could not have a normal life and anyone who came into contact with her became unclean, and by so she was treated almost as severely as a leper. Jesus knew who touched him and what condition the woman had. He did not reject the woman for touching him and making him unclean. Instead he turned to her and spoke words of comfort.
Lev 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.
Lev. 15:26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.
Lev. 15:27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
Matt. 9:20. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Matt 9:21. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Matt 9:22. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Also in Matthew 9 Jesus breaks tradition and takes the dead girls hand. Touching the girl would have amazed the synagogue leader and the disciples. Touching a dead body meant being unclean. Touching the dead girl confirmed that to Jesus compassion was more important than the letter of the law.
Num. 19:13. Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth
the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be
cut off from
Matt 9:24. He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Matt 9:25. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
These are three of many examples where Jesus broke the law to meet a need. Jesus’ compassion and love for the needy overweighed the need to adhere to tradition.
The Health Issue
Moral insanity, sexual perversions, repression,
inferiority complexes, petty crimes...often follow in the wake of blood transfusion."
{Watchtower, September 1, 1961,
Page 564}
Do not forget that, immediately after telling Christians to ‘keep themselves from blood,’ the Scripture says: “If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!” {Acts 15:29} God had that recorded in the Bible for a purpose. He knows what he is talking about! He knows more about blood than do doctors whose efforts, though they may be well meaning, do not always produce the desired results. {Mark 5:25-29} The fact is that while most patients survive blood transfusions, many become diseased as a result of them and thousands die every year as a direct result of them. {The Truth that leads to Eternal Life. Pg. 168}
For that matter, we must not treat life as something cheap by using tobacco, abusing our body with drubs or alcohol, or taking needless risks. Neither should we engage in any life-threatening pursuits nor should we ignore safety precautions, which might result in bloodguilt. –Deuteronomy 22:8 {Knowledge That Leads To Everlasting Life pg.128}
The WTS repeatedly overestimates the negative side of blood transfusions. They try to associate their claims with Biblical writings. “If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!” {Acts 15:29}. In this vs. James is instructing the Gentiles that if they followed his recommendations their fellowship, church, and growth as Christians will prosper. “Good health to you”, is the closing of the letter. The WTS should not associate James’ closing to the issues he touched on in the letter.
The WTS states that Christians should not take unnecessary risk including blood transfusions. Below is a comparison of transfusion risk to the risk of death from other common causes.
Serious disease or death from transfusion: 1 chance in 200,000 / year .
Death from electrocution: 1 chance in 200,000 / year
Death from drowning: 1 chance in 35,000 / year
Death from a car accident: 1 chance in 7,000 / year
Death from pneumonia or influenza: 1 chance in 3,000 / year
Death from cancer: 1 chance in 500 / year
Death from stroke or heart disease: 1 chance
in 300 / year
{Source: Canadian Hemophilia Society}
If the Jehovah’s Witnesses are to stay true to the interpretation and advice given by the WTS then they should abstain from more dangerous issues. Should they terminate their electrical service, never swim in a pool or at the beach, not drive or operate a car, never journey outside on cold days, and abstain from untold number of contributing factors that can cause cancer?
God is a God of the people not of rules. The best time to reach out to someone is when he or she needs help. The decision about receiving a blood transfusion is a matter of conscience. Whether we live or die, it will be us who will answer to God for our own action. But when the life of another matters I feel we should follow Jesus example, compassion and love for others is more important that following traditional law or a dietary requirement.
Sources for the Greek translation: Elis Ultra Bible, Crosswalk.com, Thayer’s
and Smith’s Bible dictionary, and Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
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