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Exploring the content of the first letter, the early apostles addressed to the church
The Instruction
“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that ye abstain from meat offered to idols, and from things strangled and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare well.” (Acts 15: 28 – 29)
Flashback
Welcome to the continuation of this discussion. In the first part of this article, we established the fact that the elders in the church at Antioch were faced with serious doctrinal crises concerning circumcision of the gentile converts, as what validates their salvation.
To clarify this, they sent Paul and Barnabas to the church at Jerusalem to hear the opinion of the church authorities. The scripture above is a crucial part of the letter the authorities in Jerusalem gave to the messengers from Antioch about the issue of circumcision and what they should avoid, to safeguard their salvation in Christ.
Abstain from Blood Sacrificed and Strangled Meat
We made it clear in the first part of this discussion that this instruction given to the Gentles in the early church at Antioch still applies to every believer today.
In the Law, the above instruction: abstain from strangled meat and meat offered/ sacrificed to idols was given by God (thorugh the prophets), to ensure that the people of Israel do not pollute themselves with filthy things.
These things still pollute people’s lives and destinies in Christ till today. For instance, when an animal is sacrificed to the dead or a deity, that is completely out of the Christian doctrine. Christ is our ultimate sacrifice.
Thus, any believer who partakes in such activities or eat the meat after the sacrifice has compromised and questioned the salvation he received in Christ. So, simply keep away from idolatry, fetish sacrifice and the meat used for sacrifice. They infiltrate.
What is strangled Meat and Blood?
Strangled meat is the meat from an animal that either died by itself or was not killed in the appropriate way the Lord recommended (in the Law).
The reason for this instruction was to ensure that God’s children do not eat blood, which was, and is an abomination before the Lord. (See Genesis 9: 4; Leviticus 7: 26; Deuteronomy 12: 16; 14: 21)
Although this was in the law, the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (as seen in the text above) approved that these ordinances be continually upheld. Please note that this does not connote a continuation of the Law which Christ came to replace or fulfil.
Rather, these acts and practices displeases God. So, to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit we should keep away from them. (See 1 Corinthians 8: 1 – 13)
Abstain from Fornication
This is the last item/ act forbidden in the letter. It doesn’t mean it is the least. Fornication refers to sexual activities outside marriage. It was a law in the Old Testament too, and it remains a law in the New Testament. (In the Old Testament the word ‘fornication’ was also used to refer to ‘idolatry’. At some place in the New Testament, it is used to describe sexual impurities.)
We are told in 1 Corinthians 6:18, that fornication is a sin against our own bodies. This pollutes and corrupts your mind faster. The commandment remains till date. Avoid it. 1 Corinthians 6: 18 says ‘Flee fornication’. Run from it. (See 1 Corinthians 6: 9 -10, Ephesians 5: 3, 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 – 4)
I believe you have been blessed by this article. I pray God grants you the grace to avoid these things in Jesus name. God bless you. 🌹🌹
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