Questions about The First Council

[Catholic_Dude]

I have some questions on the First Council of Jerusalem, especially the letter that was sent.
Here is the letter that was sent from the council to the Gentiles in Antioch as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles ch15:
The brethren, both the apostles and the elders,

to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cili’cia, greeting.

Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
and from blood
and from what is strangled
and from unchastity.

If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

Questions:
-When they say “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you” does that mean its an infallible statment? And is it binding on all Christians?

-Why were these four things chosen in the first place? The only thing that I see that makes any sense to tell people is the unchastity part, which all Christians should already know and keep because Jesus talked about it. But I dont see how a command comes out of this.

-Do we have to follow this stuff today? Is there a problem with food sacrificed to idols and strangling and blood and stuff? It seems like the ruling at this council means nothing to us nowdays.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Remember that the Council of Jerusalem grew out of the controversy regarding the things to be required of Gentile converts. If they are to be subject also to the Mosaic law then circumcision and following the dietary restrictions were required. If, however, the Mosaic law did not apply, then there were other issues that had to be addressed. The Council of Jerusalem did not issue infallible teachings (since disciplines cannot be infallible). However, the reason for the trachings that were issued was to avoid temptations to others. It was a way in which the new Christians could co-exist with the Jewish-Christians.

Deacon Ed

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Deacon Ed:

Remember that the Council of Jerusalem grew out of the controversy regarding the things to be required of Gentile converts.
If they are to be subject also to the Mosaic law then circumcision and following the dietary restrictions were required.
If, however, the Mosaic law did not apply, then there were other issues that had to be addressed. The Council of Jerusalem did not issue infallible teachings (since disciplines cannot be infallible). However, the reason for the trachings that were issued was to avoid temptations to others. It was a way in which the new Christians could co-exist with the Jewish-Christians.

So what were the issues that had to be addressed? If the Mosaic law didnt apply to the Gentiles then shouldnt there have been nothing more to the situation? Why didnt they just say, “you are not required to follow The Law, go in peace”

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Catholic Dude:

So what were the issues that had to be addressed? If the Mosaic law didnt apply to the Gentiles then shouldnt there have been nothing more to the situation? Why didnt they just say, “you are not required to follow The Law, go in peace”

The primary issue was how much the Mosaic law applied to all Christians. Once the issue of the Gentiles was resolved the Church then had to face the question of what part of the Mosaic law applied to those who had been Jews and started following the New Way. If you look at Acts 15:1 you see the basic question which, clearly, was amplified to address the entire Mosaic law and how it applied.

Deacon Ed

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Deacon Ed:

The primary issue was how much the Mosaic law applied to all Christians. Once the issue of the Gentiles was resolved the Church then had to face the question of what part of the Mosaic law applied to those who had been Jews and started following the New Way. If you look at Acts 15:1 you see the basic question which, clearly, was amplified to address the entire Mosaic law and how it applied.

Deacon Ed

Do you know of any good links I could read on the subject.
I looked online but I dont see anything that says more than a few lines, in fact it isnt considered a council by most of the pages I went to.