Acts 15:20

To help Gentile converts not put a stumbling block in the path of Jews, James recommended that Christian teachers encourage their disciples to avoid four things. By the way, Acts presents the apostles as more effective at conflict resolution than the Sanhedrin, and James as a better problem solver than Gamaliel. Filling (control) by the Holy Spirit accounts for these differences. These four things were, first, the things (food, etc.) associated with idolatry (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:14-22), and, second, fornication (Gr. porneias, all kinds of sexual aberrations). The Gentile converse were also to, third, avoid eating strangled animals rather than those with the blood drained out, and, fourth, blood (the essence of life; cf. Genesis 9; Leviticus 17:11). [Note: David Instone-Brewer, "Infanticide and the Apostolic decree of Acts 15," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52:2 (June 2009):301-21.] These involved ethical and moral issues and were not just matters of ceremonial defilement.

One writer argued that smothering rather than strangling is in view and that the apostles’ intent was to prohibit infanticide, which was a normal method of birth control in the Graeco-Roman world. [Note: See ibid., p. 395.] This is a minority view.

"Concerning the nature of the prohibitions the most likely explanation is that all four were associated to some degree with pagan religious practices. Since this association was highly offensive to Jews, Gentile believers were asked to avoid even the appearance of evil by avoiding such practices altogether. Thus the purposes of the decree and its prohibitions [cf. Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25] were to promote unity among believing Jews and believing Gentiles." [Note: Charles H. Savelle, "A Reexamination of the Prohibitions in Acts 15," Bibliotheca Sacra 161:644 (October-December 2004):468.]