Acts 21:25
“As touching the Gentiles which beleeue, wee haue written and concluded, that they obserue no such thing, saue onely that they keepe themselues from things offered to idoles, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.”
1611 King James Version (KJV)
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Acts 21:25 Context
23Doe therefore this that we say to thee: Wee haue foure men which haue a vow on them, 24Then take, and purifie thy selfe with them, & bee at charges with them, that they may shaue their heads: and all may know that those things wherof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing, but that thou thy selfe also walkest orderly, and keepest the Law. 25As touching the Gentiles which beleeue, wee haue written and concluded, that they obserue no such thing, saue onely that they keepe themselues from things offered to idoles, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. 26Then Paul tooke the men, and the next day purifying himselfe with them, entred into the Temple, to signifie the accomplishment of the dayes of purification, vntill that an offering should be offered for euery one of them: 27And when the seuen dayes were almost ended, the Iewes which were of Asia, when they saw him in the Temple, stirred vp all the people, and laide hands on him,
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Other Translations for Acts 21:25
As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written [and] concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from [things] offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
- King James Version
"But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."
- New American Standard Version (1995)
But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
- American Standard Version (1901)
But as to the Gentiles who have the faith, we sent a letter, giving our decision that they were to keep themselves from offerings made to false gods, and from blood, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from the evil desires of the body.
- Basic English Bible
But concerning [those of] the nations who have believed, we have written, deciding that they should [observe no such thing, only to] keep themselves both from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.
- Darby Bible
As concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from lewdness.
- Webster's Bible
But as for the Gentiles who have accepted the faith, we have communicated to them our decision that they are carefully to abstain from anything sacrificed to an idol, from blood, from what is strangled, and from fornication."
- Weymouth Bible
But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality."
- World English Bible
But of these that bileueden of hethene men, we writen, demynge that thei absteyne hem fro thing offrid to idols, and fro blood, and also fro stranglid thing, and fro fornicacioun.
- Wycliffe Bible
`And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.'
- Youngs Literal Bible
People's Bible Notes for Acts 21:25
Ac 21:25 As touching the Gentiles. The duties of the Gentiles had been settled in the council described in 15:23-29. The advice of James was no doubt given from the best of motives. His position was a difficult one. The fanaticism of the Jewish nation, which broke out in war a few years later, was growing intense. The national feeling in the church had to be handled with great care. It would not do for the church to believe that Paul had become a renegade from their race. Paul, aware of all these difficulties, generously complied for the sake of peace and unity. We cannot be certain that the advice was just right, or that Paul did just right to comply, but these grand men acted according to their knowledge, and the record of Acts portrays both the shortcomings and the perfection of its great worthies. Concerning this advice of James and compliance of Paul, Pres. Milligan says: ``Three different view have been taken: (1) that Paul in this case acted ignorantly, not being aware of the fact that the law of Moses was no longer binding; (2) that, like Peter, he acted from fear of the Jewish brethren (Ga 2:11); (3) that he acted in conformity with the law of Christian benevolence which requires us to respect even the weaknesses and prejudices of our brethren, so far as this can be done without in any way neglecting the requirements of the Gospel.'' The third hypothesis is the best, but some explanations are needful. The Jewish Christians were slowly emancipated from Judaism, and they did not reach the clear conviction, until after the temple was destroyed, that its sacrifices were obsolete. Gentiles were forbidden to sacrifice idols, but there was no such prohibition with regard to the altar of Jehovah. Even Paul evidently at this time thought of the sacrifices as, like circumcision, a matter of indifference. It was left for the next generation to learn that the inspired writings of Paul himself lead to the conclusion that all the sacrifices of the temple altar pointed to the Lamb of God, and that, from the time he was offered, they became obsolete.