Page 109 - Laying Down the Law

When Christ came, the time of mankind’s probation, being guarded and ruled
by the Law of Moses, ended. Consequently, the instruction God gave to mankind
regarding what was to be eaten changed.

Acts 15:28-29
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no
greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from
things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and
from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you
will do well.

Once more man could eat all that moved, but the ancient prohibition against
eating blood remained. When an animal is strangled, the blood remains in the meat.
The instruction to abstain “from blood” and “from things strangled,” are the only
recorded instructions relating to food for those who are in Christ.
It did not seem “good to the Holy Spirit” “to lay upon” those turning to Christ
from among the Gentiles all the “burden” of the Law. Of the myriad of dietary
regulations in the Law, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit” to burden these new
creatures in Christ only with the dietary prohibition to abstain from eating blood. The
apostles and leaders of the Jewish believers in Messiah, met in Jerusalem to consider
the specific question of whether new Gentile converts should be instructed to keep the
Law of Moses. Peter summed up the conclusion of the elders with these words:

Acts 15:10
Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the
disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

The yoke Peter spoke of was a yoke of slavery. The Law treated men as slaves.
God seeing that man was a slave to sin, treated him like a slave by placing him under
the Law. Those who are in Christ are free from bondage to sin. Therefore, Yahweh
treats them as free men. The new creation man is given liberty.

Galatians 5:1-2
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not
be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you
become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

The elders and apostles carefully considered this matter and concluded that, of
the 613 laws delivered to Moses, only three needed to be passed on to the Gentile
Christians (I am combining the two dealing with blood.) No instructions regarding
fins and scales, cloven hoofs and chewing cuds were placed upon the Gentile’s necks.
They were taught to walk by the Spirit. An excessive list of carnal ordinances would
take their eyes away from the Spirit of Christ as their guide.