Eating blood

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In the Philippines, it is part of the culture to eat blood of animal, like blood of pork or beef. It is called dinugoan, wherein pure animal blood is cooked and seasoned with salt and spices. But in the Old Testament it says in Deuteronomy 12:23
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. While in the New Testament it says in Matthew 15:11
it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Any idea about this?

@ReeseT said in Eating blood:

However, it does seem that abstaining from blood hasn’t actually changed in the NT.

Hi, Reese. Your reply to Mildred’s question reminded me that I arced Acts 15:13-21 in answer to her question, and posted it in Theological Discussions, but never actually posted anything here. Here’s my original post, including my arc. So I’ll do that now!

To summarize (and I’m interested in your interaction on my thoughts here), the four practices in Acts 15:21 (and in verse 29, which you quoted) cannot be something necessary for obedient Christians at all times simply because they are listed here, because the whole point for James is that the church not prescribe such things as necessary for salvation for non-Jews. That is important to note.

(The exception is “sexual immorality” (v. 20 and 29), since it is condemned elsewhere in the NT. But the other members of this Series are not; in fact, several other places in the NT show that Christians are free to practice them (with the possible exception of “things polluted by idols,” depending on its exact meaning here - see 1 Corinthians 10:27-30).)

There are several passages that show that Christians are not bound by any of the food restrictions in the OT. For example, Acts 10:9-16 shows that we are not bound by Jewish food laws, since all foods are now clean to us. That means that a regulation like Deut 12:23 isn’t binding for us. Also, Colossians 2:16-17 and 20-23 says that we should not let ourselves be judged by anyone regarding “food and drink” (v. 16). There are other passages in the NT as well that are clear that believers are not under the Law as a covenant—a covenant that prescribed what not to eat and so on.

So why did this church council ask Gentile believers to abstain from these things? The likely reason was to promote peace within the church; thus the motive behind it was love.

Paul wrote about this motive elsewhere, so this idea fits in the overall context of the New Testaments and food laws. For example, in Romans 15, Paul addressed a controversy within the Roman church about this, and urged seeking the good of one’s neighbors, so that they could glorify God together in unity, in spite of their difference conclusions (v. 1-6). In 1 Corinthians 8:13, Paul stated that if eating meat offered to an idol would cause his brother to sin, he would “never eat meat” in that case! He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9 that he “became as a Jew, in order to win Jews,” doing that "
for the sake of the gospel" (see verses 19-23).

So I would say that believers are not bound today by the food regulations in verse 20; however, we are bound not to do anything that would lead a brother or sister into soul-destroying sin, which would include eating food with blood in certain circumstances, determined by wisdom.

Thoughts?

@Mildred-Codilla said in Eating blood:

Matthew 15:11

Hello, @Mildred-Codilla,

Obviously, Matthew 15:11 is true; what goes inside of you does not make you filthy before God.

However, it does seem that abstaining from blood hasn’t actually changed in the NT.

See Acts 15:24-29 NKJV
24  Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—
25  it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26  men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27  We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.
28  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29  that you 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. Farewell.

A lot more could be said, but this is a simpler answer.

This is not the most popular idea where I am located in the US, either.