The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

124 are the four requirements imposed by the Law on Gentiles ("strangers who sojourned ") who chose to live among Israel. Haenchen emphatically notes: What links these four prohibitions together , and at the same time distinguishes them from all other "ritual " requirements of "Moses ", is that they- and they only- are given not only to Israel but also to strangers dwelling among the Jews . Whereas in other respects the law applies solely to the Jews , it imposes these four prohibitions on Gentiles also/ 192 The wording of the "official" record of the decree (15: 29 ; 21: 25) even lists the four prohibi– tions in the same order as they are found in Leviticus. 193 The rule concerning "things offered to idols " comes from Leviticus 17:1-9; "blood and things strangled," Leviticus 17:10-16; and " immorality , " Leviticus 18 :1-30. Once in each of the three sections in Leviticus the admoni– tion is given that these particular laws apply to the native Israelite and "the alien who sojourns among you,"(Lev 17:8, 10; 18:26). Thus , the entire passage from 17:1- 18 :30 was incumbent upon Israel and those Gentiles who chose to live among them. .., Although the letter of the decree employs the specific d8w.11ov8uTa , James' original description is Twv d.11tay17µchwv Twv d 8w.11wv , " things contaminated by idols ." Lake responds that "The substantive d.11(ay17µa seems a hapax legomenon , but the verb i in the LXX and is used of food ... a context where ritual dietary defi lement i suitable. Thi implies ritual rather than moral pollution ." 194 The prohibition against "blood" and "thing trangled" derive from the relationship between life and blood which wa o important in the 192 Haenchen , Acts , 469 (empha i hi ). Mar hall add , Th r wa thu Id T t m nt authority for applying uch rule to enti le , and the app ar to ha e be n a pt d b entile pro elyte and od-fearer , " Mar hall, A t , 46 . 193 onz llman, A t , 11 . th t thi i it r ifi t