Here's a scripture song I put together in I think it was 1988. It's an important passage, but there are a few who have asked me why I would put it to music. Well, it's because I wanted to remember it. You see, the decision of this counsel was repeated three times in the book of Acts (15:19; 15:28-29; 21:25). Any time something is repeated in scripture, I take it to mean it is especially important. When I first put this to music, I didn't really understand what it meant, though I thought I had an idea. Several years later I looked at it more closely, and it occurred to me that this was a summary decision. In other words, it comprehends more than you might think at first glance. If literally only these things are necessary in terms of our conduct as Christians, I was really puzzled. But then I remembered what James said about the law. He said if we "offend in one part," we are "guilty of all (James 2:10)." Therefore, I reasoned, if we truly keep one part, we keep all of it. So I looked at the list of "necessary things" and found something very interesting. The first item on the list is to "abstain from meats offered to idols." So my question was, to what part of the law does that pertain? Why, the moral law, of course! We are not to participate in idolatry. And to be more specific it was from the first part of the moral law which has to do with our relationship toward God. The second item on the list was to abstain "from blood," a dietary restriction. That was from the health code. Next, "and from things strangled." That's also from the health code. The fact that there were two items listed from the health code indicates to me that it's really important tha we pay attention to the dietary laws as outlined in the O.T. And the last one was to abstain "from fornication." This is another item from the moral law, however, this one comes from the second part which pertains to how we treat each other. So, while I may not understand this passage fully, I at least understand that "these necessary things" include the moral law (ten commandments) and the health code or at least the dietary law. Well, for what it's worth, I'm sharing it with you!

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost,
And to us,
To lay upon you no greater burden
Than these necessary things:
That ye abstain from meats
Offered to idols,
And from blood, and from things strangled,
And from fornication:
From which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well.
Ye shall do well.
Fair ye well.
Acts fifteen, twenty-eight and twenty-nine