Abstaining from Blood

[Ben W]

I noticed a verse of scripture that has me thinking about Kosher Meats.

Acts 15:19-20 "It is my judgement therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polloted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood".

Meat offered to idols is becoming an issue in that many butchers now sell Halaal meat which is meat butchered by muslim butchers, the animal is killed in a certain way, turned towards mecca and blessed, its my line of thinking that this is meat that has been offered to idols.

Anyway what concerns me here is the reference to Blood.

No doubt we have all had the Jehovahs Witnesses use this as a reason for not accepting a blood transfusion. I dont agree, on the basis that it is clear to me that this is eating blood, Blood transfusions would not have even been concieved when this was written.

So are we to abstain from eating blood? Should we be eating meats that have been bled? It appears that Paul has nominated these Jewish traditions that the Gentiles are to follow, are they for todays modern church?

 

[Dr. Bob]

There were many Eastern European peoples who realized that blood contains a great amount of protein. Have a local German/Polish butcher who makes "blood sausage". Some farmers will actually "drink" (seriously) warm blood from slaughtered sheep.

Legalists will squabble over the amount of blood in a rare filet mignon, but we should err on following the Apostolic prohibition.

Man, I have trouble enough with "idolatry" and "pornea", now no brats?

 

[KenH]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
Legalists will squabble over the amount of blood in a rare filet mignon

Just cook it until the cow stops mooing.

 

[Paul of Eugene]

Here's the deal. The church at Jerusalem declined to require that gentile converts become Jews subject to the full dietary and religous laws of Jews. Instead, they recalled the scriptural injunction to Noah and his sons:

Gen 9:1-4
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

2 "The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.

3 "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.

4 "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
NASU

So the injunction against drinking and eating blood they considered to apply to all the human race, since Noah and his sons were the founders of all races now living. Hence the requirement for this much of the law, even for gentiles.

It is a further question as to the accuracy of the determination for churches today. Does this rule, in fact, still apply?

 

[dianetavegia]

Just cook it until the cow stops mooing.

LOL Ken! That's my kind of steak!

Diane

 

[ScottEmerson]

Originally posted by Ben W:
I noticed a verse of scripture that has me thinking about Kosher Meats.

Acts 15:19-20 "It is my judgement therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polloted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood".

First thing we note is that Paul says this is his judgement. We see elsewhere, such sa I Corinthians 7, that Paul is careful to not claim inspiration when it is his opinion.

Let us examine what Christ said: "It's not what goes into a man that defiles him" (Matthew 15:11)

 

[Dr. Bob]

Be careful with that one, Scott. Will start a new thread to discuss "uninspired" parts of the Epistles (which I do not believe exist - Paul gave it ALL under inspiration, even where he said "here I speak, not the Lord")

Let's keep this thread on subject.

 

[superdave]

I guess if by eating non-kosher food you are causing a weaker brother to sin, than Paul's position based on a cultural more, and the issues facing the early gentile believers might be applicable to your life, otherwise, I guess there's no problem, exercise your freedom. Cheese filled Brats boiled in Beer, the food of the gods! I might even cause a brother to sin once in a while rather than give that up! Grace is a wonderful thing

 

[Dr. Bob]

Paul: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

SuperDave the Cheesehead: "Ya, sure, youbetcha!"

Love them brats!

 

[Paul of Eugene]

What about food "polluted by idols"? Doesn't Paul explicitely say its ok to eat food purchased in the marketplace even if it has a temple history? That is contrary to this advice here, isn't it?

 

[Johnv]

If love of bratwurst or rare steak is a curse, may God smite me with it, and may I never recover.

 

[Graceforever]

Originally posted by Ben W:
I noticed a verse of scripture that has me thinking about Kosher Meats.

Acts 15:19-20 "It is my judgement therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polloted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood".

Meat offered to idols is becoming an issue in that many butchers now sell Halaal meat which is meat butchered by muslim butchers, the animal is killed in a certain way, turned towards mecca and blessed, its my line of thinking that this is meat that has been offered to idols.

Anyway what concerns me here is the reference to Blood.

No doubt we have all had the Jehovahs Witnesses use this as a reason for not accepting a blood transfusion. I dont agree, on the basis that it is clear to me that this is eating blood, Blood transfusions would not have even been concieved when this was written.

So are we to abstain from eating blood? Should we be eating meats that have been bled? It appears that Paul has nominated these Jewish traditions that the Gentiles are to follow, are they for todays modern church?

At the time that this commandment was given, the Jews were still making blood sacrifices unto God….. The blood of bulls, and goats were shed in every Jewish synagogue…

To abstain from blood, it simply meant for us not to participate in any of these Jewish rituals…. Since Jesus tore down that middle wall of petition for us, and shed his own blood once and for all time…

I don’t think eating a rare steak will place you in any danger…. In the Lord, Gary

 

[Graceforever]

Anyway,I whole heartily agree that we should abstain from literally drinking blood…. That should go without saying, but we know there’s some crazy people out there…. Drinking Blood, isn’t that a requirement for a devil worshiper? Vampire movies and other blood drinking movies are really condemned in our family….

The life is in the blood and I think that God would absolutely want us to abstain from drinking it….

 

[timothy 1769]

reminds me of my kosher days - meat was salted to remove the blood, but even after this there was ALWAYS a little blood left. the rabbis cleverly solved this difficult problem by defining any remaining blood to be merely "juice" and therefore permitted...

in any event, as the bible teaches that gentile believers should not eat blood, and seeing how it's our authority for faith and practice, we simply shouldn't eat blood - if for no other reason than out of our respect of apostolic authority.

btw, carefully following the bible's commands is not legalism.

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

notice it doesn't say the easy commandments, or the commandments i like, or the commandments i personally think are important, or the commandments my family or church happen to follow.

and while i'm up on my soap box: where there is some doubt about a certain practice, we shouldn't automatically default to the pleasant or easy decision but instead to the one most likely to please god or to displease him the least. if that causes us some troubles or inconveniences, so what?

and finally: who in his right mind would want to eat something called a "blood sausage" anyway?

[ July 16, 2003, 02:52 AM: Message edited by: timothy 1769 ]

 

[timothy 1769]

Originally posted by timothy 1769:
and finally: who in his right mind would want to eat something called a "blood sausage" anyway?

what's next? dung cakes?

 

[Graceforever]

Just to add a verse to my previous post, I tried to edit, but too late…. …..

At the time that this commandment was given, the Jews were still making blood sacrifices unto God….. The blood of bulls, and goats were shed in every Jewish synagogue…

10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

To abstain from blood, it simply meant for us not to participate in any of these Jewish rituals…. Since Jesus tore down that middle wall of petition for us, and shed his own blood once and for all time…

Once again, In the Lord, Gary

 

[Hardsheller]

Originally posted by timothy 1769:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by timothy 1769:
and finally: who in his right mind would want to eat something called a "blood sausage" anyway?

what's next? dung cakes? </font>[/QUOTE]Nope - Just some Southern Fried Chittlins.

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Graceforever:
...Drinking Blood, isn't that a requirement for a devil worshiper?

Technically, from the Bible standpoint, no. That's a somewhat contemporary invention from myth and folklore, kind of like witches and riding around on broomsticks. Some alleged Satan worshippers are reported to have adopted it, but moreso because that's what is prescribed in the folklore, not to mention the fact that Christian culture generally frowns upon the practice.

 

[Karen]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
Be careful with that one, Scott. Will start a new thread to discuss "uninspired" parts of the Epistles (which I do not believe exist - Paul gave it ALL under inspiration, even where he said "here I speak, not the Lord")......

timothy1969 makes some interesting points. And since all is given under inspiration, I'm surprised when what I hear you saying, Dr. Bob and others, is that the ruling of the Jerusalem council does not mean what it seems to say on the
surface. And anyway, it is not binding on us, whatever it does mean.

I eat a lot of meat and it is not kosher.
But I have always avoided, because of that passage, overtly eating anything specifically
using blood, such as blood pudding and blood sausages. And I do drain excess blood from venison and other things I cook.
(And no, I'm not implying you're not a Christian if you do it differently.)

So was the Jerusalem council one of those things only specific to the culture then? An odd approach, it seems, for many here who don't take that view with "let women be silent".

Karen

 

[Dr. Bob]

Not sure what you're reading from me, but it is NOT "pick and choose" with Scripture! ALL of it, 100%, is the Word of God.

I believe the Bible from Genesis to Maps, from cover to cover, and I even believe the cover because it says HOLY BIBLE!