Blood Transfusions

Reformed Baptists affirm that blood transfusions are morally permissible and may be received for medical treatment. This position is grounded in the abrogation of Old Testament dietary and purification laws in the New Covenant. The prohibition against consuming blood (Leviticus 17:10-14) was part of the Mosaic law and the Old Testament ceremonial system, which has been fulfilled and set aside in Christ.

Peter's vision in Acts 10:9-16 — the sheet lowered from heaven containing unclean animals — symbolizes the removal of the distinction between clean and unclean foods and practices. The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 addressed the eating of blood and other matters, concluding that Gentile believers were not obligated to keep the Jewish dietary laws. Blood transfusion is a matter of medical necessity and wise stewardship of the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Reformed Baptists value the sanctity of life and believe that receiving a blood transfusion to preserve life or health is not only permissible but may be a responsibility of Christian stewardship. Unlike certain groups (Jehovah's Witnesses, some others) that forbid blood transfusions, Reformed Baptists see no biblical prohibition. The principle of love — saving a neighbor's life — takes precedence over symbolic taboos from the Old Testament.