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“Idol Chatter”
Categories: DOCTRINE, NEW TESTAMENT, THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHWas the letter sent after the conference on circumcision in Acts 15 binding for its recipients, or did it merely constitute strong advice? The letter ends with an exhortation to "abstain from things sacrificed to idols" among other things (Acts 15:29), yet elsewhere the Scriptures show that eating things sacrificed to idols is not inherently wrong (1 Cor 8:4-6).Clearly there is no conflict for the Corinthians, since they did not receive the letter sent in Acts, but what about those from Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia? Would they have been sinning if they had eaten something sacrificed to an idol after receiving this letter?
Sincerely, Letters in the Law
Dear Letters in the Law,
The letter sent to the Gentile churches in Acts chapter 15 is a binding set of laws. All of the things listed: eating meat sacrificed to idols, eating blood, and fornication (Acts 15:29) should be avoided by Christians. The Bible even says that the Holy Spirit commands that it is necessary to avoid these things (Acts 15:28). The only reason that we get confused about the issue is because later on Paul will say that eating meat sacrificed to idols isn’t always wrong (1 Cor 8:4). However, it was wrong as long as there were Jewish Christians worshipping with Gentile Christians.
In the first Corinthian letter, Paul says that when meat is sacrificed to an idol, nothing happens to the meat because idols are fake gods (1 Cor 8:5-6). The meat is not inherently bad. However, if your eating of the meat offends a brother, then it is a sin to eat it (1 Cor 8:13). When the apostles wrote the letter in Acts chapter 15 to the Gentile churches, every one of those congregations would have Jews in their congregation that would be offended by meat sacrificed to idols. Therefore, it was more than just strong advice… it was absolutely vital that they avoid idol-tainted meat. Eating meat that was knowingly sacrificed to an idol was just as sinful as fornication because it would destroy God’s work to unite Jew and Gentile under Christ (Rom 14:20-21).
