The Bible is SILENT on this subject for the simple reason that “there was no such thing as blood transfusions in Bible times.” Having said that, there are those, namely the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who teach that blood transfusions are wrong and they especially use Acts 15:19-20 to support their teachings. Those verses read, “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” This is a classic case of taking a passage out of context and forcing it to mean something altogether different than what the inspired writer had in mind, for these are clearly instructions AGAINST EATING OR DRINKING BLOOD, and NOT blood transfusions.  This prohibition was first commanded to Noah in Genesis 9:4, “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (NKJV). Later, God commanded the nation of Israel to refrain from eating blood in Leviticus 17:10-12, “And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood” (NKJV).

Because Scripture is silent on this issue, we believe there is nothing wrong with either receiving or giving a blood transfusion. One has said that “it is amazing that God has created billions of people and yet there are only FOUR BLOOD TYPES, which makes it possible to transfuse blood from one person to another, regardless of race or nationality.” This would be a good argument for blood transfusions.

Did you notice what Leviticus 17:11 said about the blood? I will repeat it for you, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Mr. William MacDonald had this to say on that verse: “The blood was for atonement, not for nourishment. The principle behind atonement is life for life. Since the wages of sin is death, symbolized by the shedding of blood, so ‘without the shedding of blood is no remission.’ Forgiveness does not come because the penalty of sin is excused, but because it is transferred to a sacrifice whose lifeblood is poured out.” How we can praise God that He was willing to send His Son into this world to be the Lamb of God, and that the Lord Jesus was willing to have our sins transferred to Himself so that He could atone for our sins by shedding His precious blood at Calvary! Have you accepted, by faith, the Lord Jesus and the sacrifice He made to atone for your sins? If so, God has this promise for you in 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  (186.4)  (DO)