Note 2 at Acts 15:21: It looks like the council at Jerusalem rejected the one requirement of circumcision that the legalistic Jews had tried to impose on the Gentiles and replaced it with four requirements. However, their own intent that is clearly revealed here, and the great rejoicing that this decree brought to the Gentile Christians (v. 31), show that these four commandments were not requirements essential for salvation but rather moral codes that the apostles and elders believed the Gentiles needed to observe.

This verse links these commandments with the fact that the law of Moses was well known even outside of the nation of Israel. Therefore, part of the emphasis on these moral acts was that it would be expected of any followers of the Jewish Messiah to reflect the same moral pureness. These decrees dealt with moral issues of the day which the pagans had really corrupted themselves with.

Idolatry was rampant during that time as can be seen by Paul's encounters at Lystra (Acts 14:11-18), Athens (Acts 17:16-31), and Ephesus (Acts 19:23- 28). This commandment not only dealt with not participating in idolatry but it specifically mentioned the eating of meat that had been offered in sacrifice to idols (Acts 15:29). Paul later wrote to the Corinthians about this same issue and reveals the reasoning behind this commandment (1 Cor. 8:1- 13; 10:18-33).

Fornication was so common place among Gentiles of that day that they had their conscience seared in that area (1 Tim. 4:2). They needed the apostles and elders to encourage them that fornication was wrong (1 Cor. 6:18). The pagan religions of that day actually incorporated sex into their religious services. They had priests and priestesses with whom the people had sexual relations every time they went to the pagan temple. And the concept of one wife was unheard of. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians to explain this issue (1 Cor. 7).

Animals that were strangled retained the blood in them which was considered by the Gentiles to enhance the taste of the meat, but this was expressly forbidden by God (Lev. 7:26-27; 17:10-14; Dt. 12:16, 23; 15:23). Therefore, the apostles and elders thought the Gentiles needed to be made aware that the life was in the blood (Lev. 17:11).