Council of Jerusalem Still Binding on Orthodox Christians?

[AMM]

Title says it all. Specifically I'm wondering about the restrictions of food. Doesn't Paul say that we can eat food offered to idols so long as it doesn't cause us or our brothers to stumble? And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean? It seems like this is following still a lesser form of kosher. In short: can Orthodox Christians eat blood, etc?


It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)

 

[Hank77]

Title says it all. Specifically I'm wondering about the restrictions of food. Doesn't Paul say that we can eat food offered to idols so long as it doesn't cause us or our brothers to stumble? And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean? It seems like this is following still a lesser form of kosher. In short: can Orthodox Christians eat blood, etc?


It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)

May I ask how long you have been Eastern Orthodox?

 

[HTacianas]

Title says it all. Specifically I'm wondering about the restrictions of food. Doesn't Paul say that we can eat food offered to idols so long as it doesn't cause us or our brothers to stumble? And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean? It seems like this is following still a lesser form of kosher. In short: can Orthodox Christians eat blood, etc?


It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)

Yes it is. But at least in the USA it is illegal to sell meat with blood in it so it's not really an issue.

 

[buzuxi02]

Yes of course. And it has been reiterated in subsequent canons through the centuries. I'm not aware in the west of foods being offered to idols anymore but I do avoid halal.
The whole reason you are not to eat blood is because the soul of the animal is in its blood. You cannot consume its life force, it is to be slaughtered and the blood poured out (hence why animals strangled or killed by blunt force trauma are avoided) the earth must receive the blood. (Deuteronomy 12:23-24, Genesis 9:4-6, Leviticus 17:11, Genesis 4:10 ).

 

[Monk Brendan]

Title says it all. Specifically I'm wondering about the restrictions of food. Doesn't Paul say that we can eat food offered to idols so long as it doesn't cause us or our brothers to stumble? And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean? It seems like this is following still a lesser form of kosher. In short: can Orthodox Christians eat blood, etc?


It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)

Our restrictions are merely for times of abstinence and fasting, not permanent ones, like the Jewish kashuroth.

Furthermore, they can be relaxed by the spiritual father in case of medical conditions.

For example, I'm diabetic. My confessor told me that my asceticism shall be simply trying to keep my blood sugar under control.

I think the abstinence from blood in Acts 15 is talking about physical violence.

 

[AMM]

May I ask how long you have been Eastern Orthodox?

I'm only a catechumen

 

[AMM]

Yes it is. But at least in the USA it is illegal to sell meat with blood in it so it's not really an issue.

Some south-east asian restaurants serve congealed blood in their dishes, there's also blood sausage which can be found in the US.

 

[AMM]

Our restrictions are merely for times of abstinence and fasting, not permanent ones, like the Jewish kashuroth.

Furthermore, they can be relaxed by the spiritual father in case of medical conditions.

For example, I'm diabetic. My confessor told me that my asceticism shall be simply trying to keep my blood sugar under control.

I think the abstinence from blood in Acts 15 is talking about physical violence.

Interesting -- I hadn't heard that interpretation before that it was talking about violence. So would you say that the council is forbidding idolatry, sexual immorality, inhumane treatment of animals, and violence?

 

[HTacianas]

Some south-east asian restaurants serve congealed blood in their dishes, there's also blood sausage which can be found in the US.

Well stay away from that.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I was told that the instruction not to eat blood was still in effect, though there aren't many dishes that contain it (and I don't eat any of those anyway.)

 

[AMM]

Well stay away from that.

My priest was telling all of us at coffee hour the other week how he loves blood sausage, blood tongue, head cheese, etc and emphasizing Acts 10:15, 11:9, and Mark 7:19... thoughts?

And I ate a dish with congealed blood last night at a vietnamese restaurant with my girlfriend (who is vietnamese and loves the congealed blood) - do I need to confess this?

 

[HTacianas]

My priest was telling all of us at coffee hour the other week how he loves blood sausage, blood tongue, head cheese, etc and emphasizing Acts 10:15, 11:9, and Mark 7:19... thoughts?

And I ate a dish with congealed blood last night at a vietnamese restaurant with my girlfriend (who is vietnamese and loves the congealed blood) - do I need to confess this?

I'm not going to argue with your priest. He knows better than I do.

But if we can, your references make all animals clean, so we have no restrictions on what type animal we can eat, but we still can't eat the blood.

Now to go completely off topic, I personally doubt the authenticity of the parenthetical of Mark 7:19. That is only my personal opinion.

 

[buzuxi02]

I was told that the instruction not to eat blood was still in effect, though there aren't many dishes that contain it (and I don't eat any of those anyway.)

It was done away with in the Roman Empire precisely because it was against the canons. You really have to search some fringe areas of Italy, Greece. Turkey, Syria, Lebanon. Egypt to find such dishes

 

[~Anastasia~]

It was done away with in the Roman Empire precisely because it was against the canons. You really have to search some fringe areas of Italy, Greece. Turkey, Syria, Lebanon. Egypt to find such dishes

Or Louisiana ...

So you're saying it's ok according to the Church to eat blood? Not that I care either way. I just couldn't.

 

[All4Christ]

Title says it all. Specifically I'm wondering about the restrictions of food. Doesn't Paul say that we can eat food offered to idols so long as it doesn't cause us or our brothers to stumble? And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean? It seems like this is following still a lesser form of kosher. In short: can Orthodox Christians eat blood, etc?


It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)

The Jerusalem council says no blood for anyone....and that is a canon of the Church as well. That’s different than the juices of a steak though. I don’t plan on ever having blood pudding...and I think that would fall under the restrictions.

 

[All4Christ]

Interesting -- I hadn't heard that interpretation before that it was talking about violence. So would you say that the council is forbidding idolatry, sexual immorality, inhumane treatment of animals, and violence?

According to the canons of Eastern Orthodoxy (I don’t know about Melkite Catholicism), blood is still forbidden. It isn’t just referencing a period of abstinence.

 

[ArmyMatt]

to the OP, yes.

 

[AMM]

I'm not going to argue with your priest. He knows better than I do.

But if we can, your references make all animals clean, so we have no restrictions on what type animal we can eat, but we still can't eat the blood.

Now to go completely off topic, I personally doubt the authenticity of the parenthetical of Mark 7:19. That is only my personal opinion.

I'll ask him about it sometime

Can I ask why you doubt its authenticity?

 

[buzuxi02]

Or Louisiana ...

So you're saying it's ok according to the Church to eat blood? Not that I care either way. I just couldn't.

No. What I meant was foods prepared requiring blood were done away with when Christianity became established in the Empire. The only blood we are allowed to have is the holy Communion. The bloodless sacrifice that gives everlasting life.
As time went on and christianity spread the enforcement was less strict. This was especially true amongst the Latins but reinforced in the Byzantine Church in 692 ad canon 67 of Trullo:

Canon 67
The divine Scripture commands us to abstain from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. Those therefore who on account of a dainty stomach prepare by any art for food the blood of any animal, and so eat it, we punish suitably. If anyone henceforth venture to eat in any way the blood of an animal, if he be a clergyman, let him be deposed; if a layman, let him be cut off.

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

And doesn't Peter later have a vision that declares all foods clean?

Peter has a vision but it has nothing to do with unclean foods becoming clean. It was about the gentiles.