2026 Governing Body Update #2

[Friend of Peace]

Honestly, I don’t get it.
 

How can it be said that the Bible doesn’t speak on use of your own blood during medical and surgical situations, and yet say it does speak about the use of someone else’s blood during medical and surgical situations? I’ve never seen that in the Bible, unless I can be enlightened. 

[Dages]

1 minute ago, Friend of Peace said:

Honestly, I don’t get it.
 

How can it be said that the Bible doesn’t speak on use of your own blood during medical and surgical situations, and yet say it does speak about the use of someone else’s blood during medical and surgical situations? I’ve never seen that in the Bible, unless I can be enlightened. 

The point is the pouring of blood in the Law of Moses. We aren't under the law and the pouring thing wasn't repeated in Acts.

 

So we were ok with extra corporal blood circulation, but not being under the Law would mean it's ok to consider our blood "outside" our body in medical appliance as not to be poured.

[Barbllm]

Okay, so as I understand it: autologous blood transfusions are dependent on one's conscience.

Homologous and heterologous transfusions violate what is stated at Acts 15:28,29.

 

https://www.usada.org/spirit-of-sport/whats-the-difference-between-autologous-homologous-allogenic-and-heterologous-blood-transfusions/

 

The National Institutes of Health define "autologous transfusions" in one of three ways:

 

Methods of Autologous Blood Transfusion

Intraoperative/Postoperative Cell Salvage: Blood lost during or after surgery is collected, filtered, washed, and returned to the patient. 

Preoperative Autologous Donation (PAD): Patients donate their own blood, usually 6 weeks to 5 days before surgery, which is stored for their use.

Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH): Blood is collected immediately before surgery, and the volume is restored with fluids. This blood is reinfused after surgery.

 

Prior to the GB update, Jehovah's Witnesses would not accept PAD, but now they can, if their conscience allows.

[Friend of Peace]

4 minutes ago, Dages said:

not being under the Law would mean it's ok to consider our blood "outside" our body in medical appliance as not to be poured.

So what scriptural precedent shows that other people’s blood “outside” their bodies is unacceptable for us in medical and surgical treatment?

[Dages]

4 minutes ago, Friend of Peace said:

So what scriptural precedent shows that other people’s blood “outside” their bodies is unacceptable for us in medical and surgical treatment?

The answer would be in the question: "other people". I would refuse other people DNA in my bloodstream anyway.

My blood is mine.

 

I mean, if you hurt your finger and there is blood coming out, would you lick the little wound or not?

My conscience would not prevent me from doing that. 

Edited 4 hours ago by Dages

[Barbllm]

An elder I know is on the HLC and I am sure people are going to be asking a lot of questions, myself included.

[johnnyjw01]

16 minutes ago, Friend of Peace said:

Honestly, I don’t get it.
 

How can it be said that the Bible doesn’t speak on use of your own blood during medical and surgical situations, and yet say it does speak about the use of someone else’s blood during medical and surgical situations? I’ve never seen that in the Bible, unless I can be enlightened. 

Check jwhess post, that’s how I understand it, too. Even though I hope there will be a more detailed explanation…

[LeolaRootStew]

4 minutes ago, Friend of Peace said:

So what scriptural precedent shows that other people’s blood “outside” their bodies is unacceptable for us in medical and surgical treatment?

 

I'm having the same question. This feels like the toasting update all over again where people wondered if we could celebrate birthdays.

[Friend of Peace]

1 minute ago, Dages said:

I would refuse other people DNA in my bloodstream anyway.

My blood is mine.

But we can’t just base things on how we feel. That’s a dangerous guide. What’s revealed in His word that show that other people’s blood cannot be used in surgical and medical care?
 

In the past, I would have been able to explain this position as “abstain” takes on an absolute sense of under no circumstances could blood and it’s four main components legally be used by Christians. But now “abstain” is now considered circumstantial with your own blood.

[Dages]

47 minutes ago, jwhess said:

There may have been some warrior nations who drank the blood of humans in battle situations but that was not the focus of the GB comments.

During the second century there were writing about Christians refusing to use blood even though it was considered a cure against epilepsy.

Edited 4 hours ago by Dages

[Dustparticle]

57 minutes ago, Dolce vita said:

If I may ask, Brother Glenn, what do you think that reason might be?

 

53 minutes ago, blanchard said:

And what is the reason ? What do you mean ?

 

 It may take time to digest this, we are not under the mosaic law, so how would Leviticus  17:13 apply to Christian living regarding how we view blood?

[Sofia]

14 minutes ago, Dages said:

I mean, if you hurt your finger and there is blood coming out, would you lick the little wound or not?

My conscience would not prevent me from doing that.

And how many times you leak blood from a tooth or a cheek wound and swallow?

I ve given thought to that for decades 

Now I know it’s not wrong 

Not to mention that (off topic) human breast milk contains blood cells.

Edited 3 hours ago by Sofia

[Dages]

2 minutes ago, Sofia said:

And how many times you leak blood from a tooth or a cheek wound and swallow?

I ve given thought to that for decades 

Now I know it’s not wrong 

Not to mention that (off topic) human breast milk contains blood cells.

These are proteins. Not really the same, right?

[Sofia]

4 minutes ago, Dages said:

These are proteins. Not really the same, right?

Oops… nope. Breast milk actually may contain red and white BLOOD cells in it.

This algo has boggled my mind for years.

 

https://breastfeeding.support/blood-in-breast-milk/

 

https://www.vinmec.com/eng/blog/blood-in-breast-milk-normal-or-abnormal-en
 

even in small amounts it’s always present in healthy milk

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Sofia

[Dustparticle]

All

 

Some might think in Acts 15:29 refers to animal blood, the Hebrew for blood is dam, and it refer to human blood too. So, in a far sited vision, Jehovah knows that humans will  use human blood in the future.

[Dages]

8 minutes ago, Sofia said:

Oops… nope. Breast milk actually may contain red and white BLOOD cells in it.

This algo has boggled my mind for years.

 

https://breastfeeding.support/blood-in-breast-milk/

 

https://www.vinmec.com/eng/blog/blood-in-breast-milk-normal-or-abnormal-en
 

even in small amounts it’s always present in healthy milk

 

 

Ok I've checked it. It's microchimerism. A minuscule part that isn't digested. Nothing unusual for a mother who gave birth and breast feed her baby, it basically teaches the baby to defend itself, training the immune system

Edited 3 hours ago by Dages

[johnnyjw01]

1 minute ago, Sofia said:

Oops… nope. Breast milk actually has red and white BLOOD cells in it.

This algo has boggled my mind for years.

But they are not “blood”. The Bible warns us about what the blood represents… 

And also animal milk contains leukocytes.

[Barbllm]

17 minutes ago, Sofia said:

Oops… nope. Breast milk actually may contain red and white BLOOD cells in it.

This algo has boggled my mind for years.

 

https://breastfeeding.support/blood-in-breast-milk/

 

https://www.vinmec.com/eng/blog/blood-in-breast-milk-normal-or-abnormal-en
 

even in small amounts it’s always present in healthy milk

 

 

An infant feeding off colostrum is not the same thing as a blood transfusion. They are distinctly different substances with different functions. Colostrum does contain some blood components (WBCs) and is also rich in nutrients and antibodies. It is not a substitute for blood.

[johnnyjw01]

Colostrum (but also animal milk) contains leukocytes just like blood does but colostrum itself is not blood. The Scriptures do not condemn the consumption of leukocytes, even though they are a primary component of blood; what they condemn is the consumption of blood.

 

Leukocytes are not sacred regardless of the liquid they are in; they are only sacred insofar as they are found in the blood as a primary component of that liquid.

Edited 3 hours ago by johnnyjw01

[Abigail]

If it were not for Acts 15, we could have blood transfusions, we could eat food that is not bled or made from blood products.

 

So that is the only scripture we must comply with. It merely states abstain from blood.

 

Possible principle suggestion. Our own blood belongs to us for as long as we are alive. We can do what our conscience allows. This does not extend to any other creature's blood, living or dead. It belongs to them while alive and returns to Jehovah when dead.

 

Blood represents life. This principle could harmonise with Genesis 9:4 which predates the Mosaic Law and still stands.

 

https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&bible=01009004&pub=nwtsty

 

I would have preferred this to be described as a new understanding or change rather than a clarification though. To alert everyone to its importance.

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Abigail

[pholmes38]

Now we are not taking the principles of the Mosaic Law as binding, can I now have a tasteful tattoo?

[blanchard]

amazing, fabulous it's a great day and Thanks to Jehovah our God

[rocket]

Just now, pholmes38 said:

Now we are not taking the principles of the Mosaic Law as binding, can I now have a tasteful tattoo?

 

While I agree that we are not under the Mosaic Law it does give Jehovah's thinking on the matter. If Jehovah's thinking means little to you then do what you want.

[blanchard]

15 minutes ago, Abigail said:

I would have preferred this to be described as a new understanding or change rather than a clarification though. To alert everyone to its importance.

In french the presentation of Governing body update 2 is 
"Ce point d'actualité présente un changement concernant l'usage de notre propre sang dans le cadre d'un traitement ou d'une chirurgie."

[Ross]

This is a welcome clarification and makes logical sense as Hemodialysis, Cell Salvage and Blood Patches (and others) are already a conscience matter where the blood leaves the body for a short of time (seconds or mins) storing blood just increases the time it's out of the body it's essentially the same thing.