The background of this verse is vital to see. We read in Acts 15:1-2, “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF MOSES, you cannot be saved. Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputed with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain elders of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.” Here was a very serious matter, for false teachers were telling new believers in Christ that they needed to be circumcised “according to THE LAW of Moses” to be saved. In other words, they couldn’t be saved by simple faith in Jesus Christ, they had to obey THE LAW of Moses in addition to believing on Jesus Christ. Paul and Barnabas knew this contradicted the gospel of Christ, for Paul himself preached, in Acts 13:38-39, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IS JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS WHICH YOU COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES.” In defense of the gospel Paul argued with these false teachers and then it was determined this question should be taken up at Jerusalem from where they came,

Now let’s read verses 6-11: “Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much disputed, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel AND BELIEVE. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did us, made no distinction between us and them, PURIFYING THEIR SOULS BY FAITH. Now therefore, why do you test God by PUTTING A YOKE ON THE NECK OF THE DISCIPLES WHICH NEITHER OUR FATHERS NOR WE ARE ABLE TO BEAR? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Peter too knew that the Law of Moses could not save anyone; in fact, he admits it was a BURDEN that they could not bear. And like the apostle Paul he upheld the truth that one is saved by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verses 12-18 James (an elder in the church at Jerusalem) chimed in to support Peter in verses 19-20, “Therefore I judge that we should not TROUBLE THOSE from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.” James too knew that to “put one under the Law for salvation” was wrong; it was a BURDEN that would TROUBLE them. Yet he does add that there were things they should ABSTAIN FROM; namely IDOLATRY, FORNICATION and EATING MEAT WITH BLOOD IN IT. Was He guilty of contradicting himself? Was he, in essence, putting them “under the Law” by suggesting this? Absolutely not! James knew that the Gentiles WERE SAVED through faith in Christ, but he also knew they had, before their conversion to Christ, been involved in PAGAN IDOLATRY where these things were practiced in their pagan temples. In other words, James was concerned about “association with these things” and how it would mar their testimony as believers in Christ. The apostle Paul addressed this same concern of being associated with paganism in 1 Corinthians 6:9-15; 8:1-13; and 10:14-22.

In verses 22-29 all the apostles, elders and brethren wrote a letter to the saved Gentiles. They started out by saying, “Since we have heard that some who went out from us have TROUBLED YOU WITH WORDS, UNSETTLING YOUR SOULS, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law’—to whom we gave no such commandment.” These words alone would rule out “the Law of Moses” for salvation. They ended their letter by saying, “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.” The last words are very important; they did NOT say, “if you keep yourselves from these, you will be saved.” Again, they knew they were saved by their faith in Christ, but now they wanted them to lead godly lives which would include keeping themselves separate from “these things” that were practiced in “pagan temples.” They were to be a godly testimony like the Thessalonians who had “turned to God FROM IDOLS to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).  (DO)  (730.5)