Again, the Gentiles were accustomed to eat the flesh of animals that has been strangled, while the Jews had been divinely instructed that when beasts were killed for food, particular care was to be taken that the blood should flow from the body; otherwise the meat would not be regarded as wholesome. God had given these injunctions to the Jews for the purpose of preserving their health. The Jews regarded it as sinful to use blood as an article of diet. They held that the blood was the life, and that the shedding of blood was in consequence of sin. 192

Hedningerne var også vant til at spise kød af dyr, der var blevet kvalt, mens jøderne havde fået påbud om, at når et dyr blev slagtet for at bruges til menneskeføde, måtte man passe godt på, at blodet ikke blev i det; ellers blev kødet ikke anset for at være sundt. Gud havde givet jødefolket disse påbud for deres helbreds skyld. Jøderne betragtede det som en synd at benytte blod som næringsmiddel. De hævdede, at i blodet var livet, og at blodsudgydelse var en følge af synden.