Since the Bible says we shouldn’t eat blood, is it wrong to receive transfusions?

Many people are surprised to learn the simple fact that in the Old and New Testaments, God’s people—both Jew and Gentile—are commanded not to eat blood. The Lord’s instruction in Genesis is clear. In the New Testament, we read of guidelines made by the Jerusalem council in respect to some questions by new believers. Luke writes, “Abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well” (Acts 15:29). This still applies to Christians today.

Knowing this, how should Christians handle the issue of blood transfusions? Some churches teach that a blood transfusion is no different than eating blood. I respectfully disagree, because I believe the admonition in the Bible is not to eat animal blood for food. (Of course, you shouldn’t eat human blood for food either!) This restriction of diet has both a spiritual and physical principle. Spiritually, the Bible says that the life is in the blood. And physically, we know that disease can be transferred from animal to animal by virtue of the blood.

When a person takes a blood transfusion, the purpose is to sustain life. It’s not for pleasure or to relieve hunger, and it isn’t taken orally for nourishment. It’s a completely different process—the blood type even has to match. In Acts 17:26, the Bible says that God has made all nations one blood. So the entire human family is related in that special sense. Indeed, we are all saved by virtue of a blood transfusion from Jesus.

I like to remind people that the first miracle of Christ was turning water into pure grape juice, and He gave it to celebrate a wedding. One of the last things Jesus did before He died on the cross was to taste sour wine. He gave us pure grape juice, and He took our offering of sour wine. It’s symbolic of a lifesaving blood transfusion; that’s what the blood of Christ does for us.

Key Bible Texts

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. (Genesis 9:4 KJV)