If life is in the blood, does God allow blood transfusions ?

[missmuffet]

It is the JW who forbids a blood transfusion.

Question: "Why do Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?"

Answer: Acts 15:19-21, 28 is the Scripture Jehovah's Witnesses typically point to as the reason they refuse to accept blood donations. Acts 15:20 says, "Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood." It is clear from the context that the instructions were against eating / drinking blood, not blood transfusions. Blood transfusions were not even possible in Bible times, so there is no possibility that this Scripture could be referring to blood transfusions. There were many pagan religious practices that involved eating and drinking blood and/or strangling an animal to keep more of its blood in its meat. This is what the Bible speaks against, not blood transfusions.

Is it acceptable for a Christian to receive or give a blood transfusion? Since the Bible does not explicitly say, a decision of this nature can only be made between a person and God. One consideration might be that God created billions of people over the centuries, but only four blood types, making it possible to transfuse blood from one person to another, regardless of race or nationality. Perhaps this is an argument for the legitimacy of blood transfusions. A person should carefully and prayerfully consider what God would have him do in regards to receiving/giving a blood transfusion. There is no command either way in Scripture. Blood transfusions are, therefore, a matter of conscience.

http://www.gotquestions.org/blood-transfusions.html

 

[simplejeff]

12 minutes ago, Reinitin said:

 

27 minutes ago, simplejeff said:

((They did not 'try' to.  They just obeyed their FATHER ABBA every day.))

No they didn't.

 

Really? All through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John , ACTS, Ephesians, etc etc etc Revelation

it is written they lived "in union" with Yahshua and much more 

all in obedience to the Father's Will.

And IF/WHEN they sinned, what happened when they disobeyed ? 

a few samples---from biblegateway >>

Hebrews 13:21 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2013%3A21

‎

 

I pray that God will make you ready to obey him and that you will always be ... do His will, while doing in us the pleasing thing in His sight through Jesus Christ, ...

Philippians 4:8 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Philippians%204%3A8

‎

 

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. ... whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is  ...

Colossians 1:10 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Colossians%201%3A10

‎

 

that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, in all pleasing Him, being fruitful in ... live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds.

1 Thessalonians 4 ESV - A Life Pleasing to God - Finally, then ...

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1...4&version...

‎

 

A Life Pleasing to God - Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ... us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. ... together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we willalways be with the Lord. ... Bible Gateway Plus.

[simplejeff]

Amen, but don't get drawn into the abomination :

remember Yahshua said "My Words are Spirit, and they ARE LIFE" concerning His body and blood.  The devil introduced defiled practices from cannibalistic pagan practices.....

16 minutes ago, post said:

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 
“Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
(Matthew 26:27-28) 

my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
(John 6:55) 
.

 

 

[Reinitin]

I am subjected to the law Jeff. I know to be honest, don't steal, don't covet, don't serve other gods, don't bow to graven images, don't cheat people, forgive, be a witness, keep Sabbath. I know Gods law is good and so I try to do what it requires But keeping His law in my mind does not fulfill righteousness in me. The Lord Jesus Christ is the promise to fulfill the righteousness of God and if I am not in Him and He is not in me there is no righteousness by the law and there is no eternal seed planted by the working of the law. David, Moses, Elijah, all had their hope in Christ not in their obedience to Abba. They did keep the law to the best of their ability. But, look what judgments came on the people when David took a sensis. Wasn't there a law about taking a sensis? look what happened when He didn't obey. Judgement came swiftly. David had to humble himself and count on the mercy of God. Judgment does come swiftly on this world and righteousness is fulfilled through Justice. But, We are saved by faith through grace and this is not of ourselves.

[post]

8 minutes ago, simplejeff said:

The devil introduced defiled practices from cannibalistic pagan practices.....

i think it's such pagan practices - directly associated with idolatrous worship - that the injunction against drinking blood from the Jerusalem council was addressing. 

certainly not blood transfusion - which is a medical procedure, not a ritual kind of worship. likewise in the Torah, the law was to distinguish Israel from the idolatrous people in the nations around her - and part of the worship of many of those pagan peoples involved drinking blood. i don't think even under Moses the law was given to prohibit some kinds of medical treatments. 

in other words, i'm pretty well convinced that the JW's are right well deceived, confused and vain on this issue, and my life having been redeemed by our Great Physician and His blood donation, i'm happy to donate blood 2 or more times a year, and would be grateful to receive it from another if i was in need. i'm an organ donor too, and would also be thankful beyond expression if my earthly life was one day preserved by another person's organs. i consider my own blood and organ donation as part of my sacrificial service to God -- my life & my body are not my own, but as God's servant, i should consider them to be used for the service of others in need. 

[Reinitin]

22 minutes ago, simplejeff said:

Really? All through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John , ACTS, Ephesians, etc etc etc Revelation

it is written they lived "in union" with Yahshua and much more 

all in obedience to the Father's Will.

And IF/WHEN they sinned, what happened when they disobeyed ? 

a few samples---from biblegateway >>

Hebrews 13:21 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2013%3A21

‎

 

I pray that God will make you ready to obey him and that you will always be ... do His will, while doing in us the pleasing thing in His sight through Jesus Christ, ...

Philippians 4:8 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Philippians%204%3A8

‎

 

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. ... whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is  ...

Colossians 1:10 - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Colossians%201%3A10

‎

 

that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, in all pleasing Him, being fruitful in ... live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds.

1 Thessalonians 4 ESV - A Life Pleasing to God - Finally, then ...

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1...4&version...

‎

 

A Life Pleasing to God - Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ... us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. ... together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we willalways be with the Lord. ... Bible Gateway Plus.

Yes they did. Because our Fathers will was for sons born of heavenly seed through Christ and they were witnesses of His promise of eternal life fulfilled and Gods sonship being offered to all men through Christ. The lived in the unity of grace and Gods love extended through them acting upon the new nature of the Spirit within them. Hebrews 13 is not telling them to keep the regulations of the law its telling them how to fulfill the nature of Christ with in them Jeff. 

1Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.”a

6So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?”b

7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

Benediction and Final Greetings

20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

22Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

[Reinitin]

None of the other scriptures are referring to living by the law of Mosses, either. The blood law is part of the law of Moses. We have a higher calling. We are called to live by the nature and develop attributes of the One who gave Moses the law. 

[simplejeff]

Who here in this thread all along  said anything at all about keeping His Law in your mind ? ((tangent question just to get it out of the way))

For instance, if you say "OFFICER,  I really really MEANT to obey the speed limit - I did not mean to go 110 mph" will he then say , okay then , as long as you didn't mean to break the law, go on then.... ? NO, he will give a ticket for breaking the law.  NOT for what you thought.

Remember on JUDGMENT DAY, multitudes THINK "lord, lord, did we not do so much for you "

but the JUDGMENT AGAINST THEM STAYS.   They SINNED and did not repent nor seek to do what is RIGHT - they did not call on Yahweh for help, NOR DID THEY SEEK HIM, nor did they ever do anything pleasing to HIM... ... ... ... ...

They were((will be)) JUDGED by THE JUDGE for what they did do.  NO ONE REDEEMED THEM.

----------------------------------------------------------

"I am subjected to the law Jeff. I know to be honest, don't steal, don't covet, don't serve other gods, don't bow to graven images, don't cheat people, forgive, be a witness, keep Sabbath. I know Gods law is good and so I try to do what it requires "

I am not sure you/we/believers are subjected to the law.  Not the point here also.

Do you be honest? Yes.  Steal? No.((not wittingly anyway; many many people steal without knowing it))

Covet? No. Serve other gods? No.  Bow to graven images? No. Cheat people? No. Forgive ? YES.

be a witness? ((Testimony of Yahshua; Testify/Tell of HIM)) YES   keep Sabbath?  Yes

 

WHICH ONE OF THOSE was it difficult to do ? Any of them? Which ones could you ONLY TRY TO DO ? Any of them? 

I think you keep the law, because it is right to do.  Not to earn your salvation.

Right ? ((Affirmative Positively Expected))

Yahshua Messiah humbled HIMSELF from heaven/eternity to be born a man.

He learned obedience through things He suffered.

He was tempted as we are, yet no sin was ever found in Him.

He was beaten, stoned, stripped naked before a crowd including His mother and brothers and disciples.

His flesh was torn from His body, His beard gruesomely plucked bleeding.

He was HUNG ON A TREE -----  "cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree"

for us . . . . . . . . .

 

 

25 minutes ago, Reinitin said:

....... We are saved by faith through grace and this is not of ourselves.

amen

[simplejeff]

Torah.

Know ? 

Guess, how many times in the New Testament ?

((not even one in one hundred people knows))

((possibly not even one in one thousand want to know the Truth))

20 minutes ago, Reinitin said:

None of the other scriptures are referring to living by the law of Mosses, either. The blood law is part of the law of Moses. We have a higher calling. We are called to live by the nature and develop attributes of the One who gave Moses the law. 

hint: ((from biblegateway dot com))

1. New Testament (2__)
2. Matthew (35)
3. Mark (24)
4. Luke (31)
5. John (13)
6. Acts (22)
7. Romans (46)
8. 1 Corinthians (8)
9. 2 Corinthians (1)
10. Galatians (20)
11. Ephesians (1)
12. Philippians (1)
13. 2 Thessalonians (4)
14. 1 Timothy (3)
15. Titus (3)
16. Hebrews (15)
17. James (8)
18. 1 John (1)

[*Deidre*]

I believe this passage points to a larger, and deeper spiritual truth...that is its intent. Not to prevent people from blood transfusions as a medical practice.