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| Chapter XXIX
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Chapter
XXIX.
But it is to be observed that the Jews, who claim
for themselves a correct understanding of the law of Moses, carefully
restrict their food to such things as are accounted clean, and abstain
from those that are unclean. They also do not use in their food
the blood of an animal nor the flesh of an animal torn by wild beasts,
and some other things which it would take too long for us at present to
detail. But Jesus, wishing to lead all men by His teaching to the
pure worship and service of God, and anxious not to throw any hindrance
in the way of many who might be benefited by Christianity, through the
imposition of a burdensome code of rules in regard to food, has laid it
down, that “not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man,
but that which cometh out of the mouth; for whatsoever entereth in at
the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth are evil thoughts when
spoken, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies.”4897
Paul also
says, “Meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we
eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the
worse.”4898
Wherefore, as
there is some obscurity about this matter, without some explanation is
given, it seemed good to the apostles of Jesus and the elders assembled
together at Antioch,4899
and also, as they
themselves say, to the Holy Spirit, to write a letter to the Gentile
believers, forbidding them to partake of those things from which alone
they say it is necessary to abstain, namely, “things offered to
idols, things strangled, and blood.”4900
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