“For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements.” (Acts 15:28)
The requirements mentioned from today’s passage to the Gentile church in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia were few and simple, but to us in the modern-day church seem a little strange and maybe even ridiculous: “abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (15:29). This message was verified by Judas and Silas who were sent for this very reason.
Okay, we get the need to abstain from sexual immorality (that one is obvious!) but what about staying away from food that was strangled? Really? Why was the Gentile church required to refrain from eating strangled meat? In two words: brotherly love.
“Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.” (1 Corinthians 8:13)
The Gentile believers were in fellowship with their Jewish Christian brothers, rubbing elbows with them. These were men who still followed parts of the old Mosaic Law. Though not required under the New Covenant the Gentile believers were commanded by the Elders not to do anything that would cause their Jewish brothers to stumble, and thereby promoting and maintaining peace and unity within this young church. Paul puts it this way in Romans 14:21—“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.”
The goal is brotherly unity and love through cultural sensitivity, deference, the old-fashioned “putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.” Remember the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12).
Much of our modern-day problems, both big and small would simply disappear if we all practiced this a little bit more.