Question:

The Jehovah’s Witness say God did not want us consuming blood in the O.T and that it continued in the N.T . In Acts 21:25 God does not let us use blood to help other people. Therefore it is wrong to give or receive a blood transfusion. I do not believe this, but where can I find scriptures to explain why this is not true?

Answer:

To tell you the truth, I am not particularly concerned what the JWs teach. This is not even a Christian group, as it does not accept that Jesus is deity. What matters to me is what the Bible teaches.  About Acts 21:25, one thing I can say absolutely for sure is that it does not teach that Christains cannot donate blood in order to help other people to live. It also does not say that Christians cannot accept a blood transfusion it it will save a life. If anyone can tell me how Acts 21:25 is a prohibition against the very Christian act of donating one’s blood to save a life, I would like to hear it. ,Now, about Acts 21:25. To understand this passage, one must go back to Acts 15. Paul is explaining to the apostles and the other leaders in Jerusalem his ministry to the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians have concerns that the Gentiles are not following Jewish laws. Paul, Barnabas, Peter and the others agree that it is not necessary for the Gentiles to follow the Law of Moses. However, out of sensitivity to the legalistic-minded Jewish Christians they ask the Gentiles to make three concessions. These are not concessions which are required by any New Testament teaching, but rather so that the Gentiles can show some respect and sensitivity to Jewish Christian feelings. Christians are not required to obey the Law of Moses, no matter what a Jehovah Witness follower may teach. The two concessions which are asked of the Gentile Christians is that they not eat food which has been sacrificed to idols (despite the fact that Paul later said that it is not unlawful to do so), the meat of strangled animals or blood. I am convinced (Mark 7:19) that a Christian can eat blood if they so choose without sinning but even today, if we are around Jewish people, perhaps we could refrain from this out of sensitivity to them. I suggest that if you have a Jewish or Muslim guest in your home you ought to consider not serving pork for the same reason. It is not wrong to eat blood. It CERTAINLY is not wrong to give or receive a life-giving blood transfusion. In any case, you ought to be extremely skeptical of doctrinal claims of Jehovah’s Witnesses, given that their mode of Bible study is very suspect.

John Oakes

Question;

What do youthink about blood transfusion?

Answer;

I think they are a great idea. God said to the Jews, "The life of every
creature is in its blood." Leviticus 17:14. The medical wisdom of this
statement is striking. Given that the life of humans is in their blood,
then if a Christian has to opportunity to give blood to save another?s
life, that sounds to me exactly what Jesus would have done. In a sense,
that is exactly what he did (although not literally).

Some people try to drag the Law of Moses into Christianity, but this is
not justified by New Testament teaching. The books of Galatians and
Colossians were written to oppose those who try to impose OT laws on
Christians. The issue then was circumcision. The issues today are
different, but the idea is the same. We are not saved by observing the
Law of Moses. If someone can show me a New Testament passage which
forbids the giving or receiving of a blood transfusion, or even which
suggests this doctrine, I will be glad to consider it. The fact is that
there is no such teaching in the New Testament. So, you will do well to
ignore your Jehovah?s Witness or other Christian who teaches you that it
is sinful to save someone?s life through the giving or receiving of a
blood transfusion. I say that doing so is about as much in the spirit of
what Jesus said and did as anything I can think of.

John Oakes.