BLOOD TRANSFUSION A SIN?

A simple answer to the above question from a Biblical point of view is No.
It is not sinful to donate blood, or to receive blood transfusion and or to transfuse blood to someone.
Of course, there is no Biblical scripture that directly promotes or condemns blood transfusion because
it didn’t exist in days of old. But, the bible spoke something about blood that can make us confident
in confirming that there is nothing wrong with transfusion or donation of blood.

Let’s look at the definition of blood according to the Bible.

Genesis 9:4
“The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid
this because the life is in the blood.”
Leviticus 17:11
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood”
Leviticus 17:14
“The life of every living thing is in the blood, and that is why the Lord
has told the people of Israel that they shall not eat any meat with
blood still in it and that anyone who does so will no longer be
considered one of his people.”
Deuteronomy 12:23
Only do not eat meat with blood still in it, for the life is in the blood, and you must not eat the life
with the meat.
From the above scriptures we can conclude that if life is in the blood, then it simply means blood is
life, and because blood is contained in the flesh/meat, therefore, if you eat blood or meat with blood
in it, then you eat life. This is the reason the Bible command us to pour it on the ground like water
and not eat any animal with blood in it.
Deuteronomy 12:24
Do not use the blood for food; instead pour it out on the ground like water.

But what is the meaning in all of these scriptures? Let us continue to explore…

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Genesis 9:5
“If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a
human life.”
The word “takes” in the text from the scripture above obviously refers to murder. To eat or drink
anything, also means to take or to eliminate something out of existence. Therefore, eating blood or
any flesh with blood in it would mean the same as to take blood, which in simple terms means to
eliminate life out of existence or simply, to commit murder.

2 Samuel 23:15-17
[15]David felt homesick and said, “How I wish someone would bring me a drink of water from the
well by the gate at Bethlehem!”
[16]The three famous soldiers forced their way through the Philistine camp, drew some water from
the well, and brought it back to David. But he would not drink it; instead he poured it out as an
offering to the Lord
[17]and said, “Lord, I could never drink this! It would be like drinking the blood of these men who
risked their lives!” So he refused to drink it. Those were the brave deeds of the three famous soldiers.

Here David compares drinking the water as drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives to
get it for him. This means drinking it, will be as if he murdered them according to him and that is why
he refused to drink it. So we see again, from a perspective of David, that his definition of murder was
the same as drinking blood.

Isiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own
blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer,
the mighty One of Jacob.

Here once again, the bible defines eating flesh and drinking blood as an act of murder. The text
literally means that the oppressors will murder each other.

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Revelation 16:6
They poured out the blood of God’s people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood
to drink. They are getting what they deserve!”

In this verse we note that the evil people are being punished with death (drinking blood) because
they also murdered God’s people just as we have noted from Isiah 49:26

Revelation 17:6 “And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s people and the blood
of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely
amazed.
This woman represents a satanic religious system (Church/Kingdom)that has murdered God’s people
during the dark ages and is still to murder them again when the mark of the beast is enforced. Being
drunk with blood means to have committed murder.

John 6:53 clarifies this, 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

But what did Jesus really mean with the above statement? Well, he had actually explained it in the
earlier verse;
John 6:51
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever.
The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

The crowd that Jesus taught these words didn’t understand what he really meant. When you read the
whole chapter you can understand that he meant he must be murdered as an atonement for our sins
so that we can live. Eating his flesh with blood in it (drinking it) simply refers to murdering him. His
blood/life was to be poured out of existence for us to have eternal life (Only if we believe in him of
course). This is why he had to be killed on the cross, an act that symbolizes the drinking of his blood
by those who believe. Had he not been killed, no one was to be saved.

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Revelation 5:5-6

[5]Then one of the elders said to me, “Don’t cry. Look! The Lion from Judah’s tribe, the great
descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.”
[6]Then I saw a Lamb standing in the centre of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures
and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which
are the seven spirits of God that have been sent throughout the whole earth.

In the verse above, John was crying because he thought that there was no one to open the scroll
which is the book of life or a will from God granting Jesus the authority over the eternal kingdom, and
also containing the names of all who are to inherit it and be saved from eternal destruction. An elder
comforted him by showing him Jesus (The Lamb) who was slain and thus fulfilling his words in John
6:51.“The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

Daniel 7:13-14

[13]During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me,
surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living for ever and was presented to
him. [14]He was given authority, honour, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races,
and languages would serve him. His authority would last for ever, and his kingdom would never end.

This book of Daniel is the same as the book of Revelations 5:7-12. They describe the moment when
Jesus was presented to God-the father after having fulfilled his mission of dying for our sins on earth.
He is given the will of God which is to be done on earth as it is in heaven. John when he cried, knew
that if no one was found to take and open the scroll (will of authority, honour, and royal power), then
eternal life was never to be obtained.

Revelation 5:9

[9]They sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For you
were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation,
and race.

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Brethren, Blood is Life, and that is why we are promised eternal life through the shedding of the blood
of Jesus.
John 3:3
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will
remain under God’s punishment.”

Therefore I think we can conclude that drinking blood or eating flesh with blood in it refers to murder.
The death of Jesus symbolically signified the eating of his flesh/blood for us to have eternal life
because blood is life.

When God commanded us not to eat blood, he was actually telling us not to murder because the life
of every creature is in its blood. Killing of animals for food is not considered as murder unless it’s
blood is not poured out on the ground as commanded in Deuteronomy 12:24. Isn’t it that God gave
us them to eat?

Genesis 9:2-4

[2]All the animals, birds, and fish will live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power. [3]Now
you can eat them, as well as green plants; I give them all to you for food. [4]The one thing you must
not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood.

In conclusion

Today when we say you have blood in your hands, we simply mean that you are a murder because
hands are used to eat and therefore the evidence of what you eat is reflected in your hands.

When blood is donated or received, no one is murdered, in fact, someone is saved and therefore I
don’t think it can be a sin for we are to love one another, and love means to save and or protect each
other unlike Cain who did the opposite to Abel. Actually by donating blood, we are following an
example set by Jesus who sacrificed his blood so that we can have eternal life.

One may perhaps ask this question; why didn’t God just said ‘Do not murder’ instead of saying do
not eat blood or flesh with blood in it?

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Well, he clearly wanted to define what is murder because it wouldn’t have made sense to say we
must not kill when he told us to eat animals which we have to kill before we eat them.
The ten commandments are his constitution and hence in them he simply said, “do not commit
murder” because he knew that we already know what that really meant. We note from Genesis 9:5
“If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. This is hence Cain was punished. Therefore a human
life cannot be compared to an animal life in justification of murder. Genesis 9:5 also speaks of
punishing any animal that takes a human life but not any human being who takes an animal life unless
they eat it with blood in it.

Acts 15:29

“Eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and
keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With
our best wishes.”

To Him who is above all that our human minds can never comprehend, be Honour, Power and Glory…
Amen!
Isaac T. Matlala, 2023/06

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