Act 15:19-29 | Family | STEP | Sentence ; opinion, or judgment. That we trouble not them ; by imposing upon them Jewish ceremonies. In the primitive church, Peter had no preeminence above James and the other apostles. He alone did not send out a letter to the brethren in Antioch, nor did James, or any, or all the apostles do it. They consulted with the elders and brethren, and sent out the epistle in the name of all united. This course seemed good not only to them, but also to the Holy Ghost. Verse .

‏ Acts 15:19-29

Sentence; opinion, or judgment.

That we trouble not them; by imposing upon them Jewish ceremonies. In the primitive church, Peter had no preeminence above James and the other apostles. He alone did not send out a letter to the brethren in Antioch, nor did James, or any, or all the apostles do it. They consulted with the elders and brethren, and sent out the epistle in the name of all united. This course seemed good not only to them, but also to the Holy Ghost. Verse Ac 15:28. Pollutions of idols; from using meats offered in sacrifice to idols, or in any way conniving at idolatry.

Fornication; a sin which was exceedingly common among the Gentiles, and against which they needed a special warning.

Things strangled; animals killed by strangling without the shedding of their blood. The eating of blood was forbidden by the ancient law. Ge 9:4-6; Le 17:10-14. From the reading of the law in the synagogue on the Sabbath, verse Ac 15:21, this was known to the Jews; and should Christians use blood, it would unnecessarily prejudice the Jews against the gospel. Troubled you with words, subverting your souls; compare the manner in which Paul speaks of these men in Ga 2:4. They had subverted their souls by inculcating error, and turning them from the truth.

The law; the ritual law of Moses. Seemed good to the Holy Ghost; the apostles, elders, and brethren, in their consultations on this subject, were under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and by him were led to a right result.