Acts 15:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

From pollutions

Things

Bible References

From pollutions

To keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. May you be happy.

Then Jacob said to all his people, Put away the strange gods which are among you, and make yourselves clean, and put on a change of clothing:

You are to have no other gods but me.

So see that you make no agreement with the people of the land, and do not go after their gods, or take part in their offerings, or be guests at their feasts,

For they sent for the people to be present at the offerings made to their gods; and the people took part in their feasts and gave honour to their gods.

They even made offerings of their sons and their daughters to evil spirits,

For this cause say to the children of Israel, This is what the Lord has said: Are you making yourselves unclean as your fathers did? are you being untrue to me by going after their disgusting works?

Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.

What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits.

But I have some things against you, because you have with you those who keep the teaching of Balaam, by whose suggestion Balak made the children of Israel go out of the right way, taking food which was offered to false gods, and going after the desires of the flesh.

And the rest of the people, who were not put to death by these evils, were not turned from the works of their hands, but went on giving worship to evil spirits, and images of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood which have no power of seeing or hearing or walking:

And he had in his hand a little open book: and he put his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth;

Things

But as to the Gentiles who have the faith, we sent a letter, giving our decision that they were to keep themselves from offerings made to false gods, and from blood, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from the evil desires of the body.

But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.

Let it be an order for ever, through all your generations, in all your houses, that you are not to take fat or blood for food.

Say to the children of Israel: You are not to take any fat, of ox or sheep or goat, for food.

And if any man of Israel, or any other living among them, takes any sort of blood for food, my wrath will be turned against that man and he will be cut off from among his people.

But you may not take the blood for food, it is to be drained out on the earth like water.

You may not have as food anything which has come to a natural death; the man from another country who is living with you may take it for food, or you may get a price for it from one of another nation; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The young goat is not to be cooked in its mother's milk.

Only do not take its blood for food, but let it be drained out on the earth like water.

And rushing at the goods taken in the fight, the people took oxen and sheep and young oxen, and put them to death there on the earth, and had a meal, taking the flesh with the blood in it.

Then I said, Ah, Lord! see, my soul has never been unclean, and I have never taken as my food anything which has come to a natural death or has been broken by beasts, from the time when I was young even till now; no disgusting flesh has ever come into my mouth.

For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: You take your meat with the blood, your eyes are lifted up to your images, and you are takers of life: are you to have the land for your heritage?

Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise: