Apostles tell new converts to abstain from blood and alcohol
In the New Testament, the apostles do indeed instruct new converts to abstain from certain substances, including blood and alcohol.
In Acts 15:28-29, the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem write a letter to the Gentile (non-Jewish) believers, stating:
"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary rules and decrees: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
Here, the apostles are instructing Gentile believers to abstain from four specific things:
- What has been sacrificed to idols (likely referring to food offered to pagan deities)
- Blood (likely referring to the consumption of animal blood)
- What is strangled (likely referring to animals that have been killed by strangulation, rather than by a swift and humane method)
- Fornication (likely referring to sexual immorality)
In 1 Corinthians 8:8-13, the apostle Paul also writes about the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. While he acknowledges that idols are nothing in reality, he cautions believers not to cause others to stumble by eating such meat, as it may be a source of temptation or offense to weaker brothers.
Regarding alcohol, there is no explicit instruction in the New Testament for believers to abstain from it. In fact, wine is mentioned several times in the New Testament as a part of everyday life and even as a symbol of joy and celebration (e.g., John 2:1-11, 1 Timothy 5:23). However, it's worth noting that the apostles did caution against drunkenness and excess (e.g., Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 4:3).
It's important to remember that the early Christian church was comprised of Jewish and Gentile believers, and the apostles were seeking to establish a set of guidelines that would be applicable to both groups. The instructions to abstain from certain substances were likely intended to promote unity and avoid offense, rather than to impose a strict moral code.