Acts 15:22-29
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us… (v. 28). This verse has always struck me positively every time I read it – “…to the Holy Spirit and to us…”. The apostles and elders clearly had the Holy Spirit first in their lives – individually and corporately. And with that they were able to come to (what seems to be) unanimous agreement on the message that they were sending to Gentile believers. They had already used Scripture to support their resolution of the main issue (vv. 16-18, earlier, quoting Amos 9:11-12) and now Holy Spirit guidance in putting forth their message.
But there was one other item in their message – reality: the reality of life in the Gentile world and the reality of Jewish history and customs. The prohibition on sexual immorality and on sacrifices to idols struck directly at the Gentile world, where idol worship and cult prostitution were common. The apostles and elders wanted to make a strong statement to non-believing Gentiles that these Gentile believers were different, that they recognized only the one true God. The restriction on blood and strangling were targeted to Jewish believers, so that the Gentile believers would not offend their Jewish brethren. Both of these restrictions come from Leviticus 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Eating/drinking blood was clearly prohibited. And since there is no blood shed when an animal is strangled, the blood remains within and falls under the same restriction.
Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and reality – a good combination for us to live by.
Slava Bohu!