May Christians Lawfully Eat Blood?
by Harry Osborne
September 27, 2009

Some argue that eating blood is included in the food God has given for man to lawfully eat today. Yet, they miss the fundamental point that blood was never allowed as food for man from the beginning. Man was originally given the fruits of the trees and other plants for his "food" (Gen. 1:29; 2:9; etc.). When man's authorized "food" was expanded beyond that point, God set the authorized boundaries in these words:

Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man (Gen. 9:3-5).

Please note this was not a provision of the Mosaic law, but pre-dated that law. Man has never had the blood of animals or the "flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof" for authorized "food." God set some things in order from the beginning (the doctrine of creation, the definition of marriage, the need for clothing that covered nakedness, the nature of allowed "food" for mankind, etc.). Without positive, divine authority, man has no right to alter that order either temporarily or permanently. To eat blood or justify the eating of it as “food” is to disrespect God's unique place as the Giver of life.

The practice of eating blood is also condemned in the New Testament. The debate in Acts 15 over whether Gentiles must keep the Law of Moses concerned what God commands as necessary to salvation (vv. 1, 5). The "necessary things" given in Acts 15:19-20, 28-29; 21:25 made it clear the Law of Moses was not permanently binding but the moral principles stated in these "necessary things" were and are permanent – including the prohibition of eating blood. When the Gentiles were told to "abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication" (15:29), the apostles and elders said these were all "necessary things" for them to observe (15:28). Those "necessary things" are contrasted in context with matters they determined not to "trouble them that from among the Gentiles turn to God" (15:19). What were those things with which they would not "trouble" Gentile converts? The text shows that it was the old law, for the Jews had those who taught the regulations of the Mosaic law each Sabbath (15:21). Thus, the text contrasts the old law which was taught in the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath versus the four "necessary things" commanded by the apostles of Christ. This context shows a contrast between the regulations of Mosaic law and the commands of the apostles that were obligatory on the Gentiles – including the prohibition against eating blood. The same contrast is plainly seen in Acts 21:17-26 where these four commands are given for the Gentiles, though the Gentiles are said to have no obligation to keep the old law.

The apostles and elders who were determined not to bind the law of Moses on Gentiles did "write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood" (15:20). Why? Because those were "necessary things" for Gentiles to observe as binding upon all men, unlike the regulations of the Mosaic law that were given as binding only to the Jews. The very term "necessary things" should make that point clear. The term is from the Greek word epanagkes (epanaghV). It is defined by Arndt & Gingrich as meaning "by compulsion, necessarily." Vine comments on its meaning and use as follows:

"… an adjective akin to the preceding [anagkaios and anagke - HRO], with epi, used intensively, found only in the neuter form, is used as an adverb signifying 'of necessity' …"

The Greek preposition epi is commonly used to intensify the root word. It is like our addition of the word "very," often used in English to intensify. Hence, the apostles and elders used the most intensive form of necessity to show it was absolutely essential or compulsory to abstain from eating blood. Some claim abstaining from blood was merely a matter of "culture," "tradition" and "local customs." That is being neither fair nor accurate with the Bible teaching. The apostles and elders under guidance of the Holy Spirit had numerous words that could have been chosen to suggest something "unfitting" due to situation or custom. The fact is they chose the most intensive form to show it was absolutely essential and mandatory to abstain from all of the things listed.

The practices forbidden by the apostles and elders dealt with sins common among Gentiles: pollutions or sacrifices to idols, fornication, eating things strangled (flesh with the blood) and eating blood. Those sins were condoned and practiced in idolatrous worship. Offering a sacrifice to an idol or eating something sacrificed in honor to an idol was always wrong because it violated the timeless requirement of honoring only Jehovah God. Fornication was not made sinful by its incorporation in idolatrous worship. It was already sinful because God did not authorize it. Eating blood or flesh with the blood was not made sinful by idolatry. It was already sinful because God did not authorize it. That is why the Gentile converts were exhorted in the "necessary things" that included abstaining from all of those sinful practices.

Acts 16 emphasizes again the same points already shown:

And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem (16:4).

The apostles of Christ "ordained" their teaching as "decrees," as laws revealed by God to be kept or obeyed. "Decree" is from the Greek word dogma, meaning "doctrine" or "precept" (Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon). The expression "delivered…to keep" means something given by authority as in 1 Timothy 5:21 – to observe, guard, or keep (Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). A.T. Robertson correctly observed that "ordained" is a perfect passive participle, "emphasizing the permanence of the conclusions reached by the apostles," and "to keep" is a present active infinitive, accenting instructions "for continual living, not a temporary compromise" (Word Pictures in the New Testament, III:244-245).

Now, let us turn our attention to examining the eating of meat allowed in 1st Corinthians to see if it authorizes eating blood. The "things sacrificed to idols" in Acts 15:29 are paralleled in the context with the phrase "pollutions of idols" (15:20). To participate in an idol's feast is to honor the false gods by eating "things sacrificed to idols." That practice is and always has been sinful because it pollutes the soul of the worshipper and leads others into the same pollution of sin. 1st Corinthians 8-10 also teaches this practice is contrary to the commands of God and to the demands of love. In 1st Corinthians 10:23-33, Paul clarifies that we can eat meat left over after idol feasts and sold in the marketplace (ASV, "shambles”) for common food. The practice of eating leftover meat has nothing to do with the prohibition given in Acts 15. 1st Corinthians 8:10 and 10:14-22 specifically forbid Christians to join in eating "things sacrificed to idols" (eidolothutos) at an idol feast, the very sin of idolatry prohibited in Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25. 1st Corinthians 10:7-8 specifically forbids both participation in idol feasts and fornication. Both alike are inherently condemned as sinful. Acts 15 and 1st Corinthians 8-10 give permanent legislation binding upon all men. Nothing in these passages indicates the prohibition against eating blood was merely temporary or based upon Mosaic law!

The practice of eating blood is common in some parts of Europe, Asia and other places abroad. Yet, those are not the only places where this practice is encouraged. Some hunters and meat packers in this country also encourage the eating of blood as a ritual of passage. It is a part of some Native American cultures. However, the Bible teaching is plain. Eating blood does not make one a man. It makes one a violator of God’s will, showing disrespect to God’s unique place as the Giver of all life.

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