‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’ And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation. (Acts 15:28-31)
What to do about the Gentiles? That was THE question of the early Church. It was really brought home when Paul had such success among the Gentiles—folks who knew nothing about Jewish Law nor its corporal and dietary ramifications. The big issue, of course, was circumcision. You can do that to a little baby boy, but to a fully grown adult male—probably not. And as the passage notes, circumcision as a “necessity” was NOT mentioned. And everyone was “delighted.”
