Acts 15:20

Bible in Basic English (1941)

But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς, τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων, καὶ τῆς πορνείας, καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ αἵματος.

Transliteration

But to episteilai to them, to apechesthai apo tōn alisgēmatōn tōn eidōlōn, and tēs porneias, and the pniktou, and the haimatos.

Grammar Details

• *alla*: conjunction - but/rather
• *episteilai*: aorist, infinitive, active - to write/send [a letter]
• *autois*: dative, masculine, plural - to them
• *tou apechesthai*: present, infinitive, middle, articular - the abstaining
• *apo*: preposition + genitive - from
• *tōn alisgēmatōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - the pollutions/defilements
• *tōn eidōlōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - of idols
• *tēs porneias*: genitive, feminine, singular - sexual immorality
• *tou pniktou*: genitive, neuter, singular - what is strangled
• *tou haimatos*: genitive, neuter, singular - the blood

Word Meanings

• *episteilai*: to write/send [a letter]/instruct
• *apechesthai*: to abstain/keep away/refrain
• *alisgēmatōn*: pollutions/defilements/contaminations
• *eidōlōn*: idols/images
• *porneias*: sexual immorality/fornication
• *pniktou*: what is strangled/strangled meat
• *haimatos*: blood

Referenced Verses

• Lev 3:17 : 17 Let it be an order for ever, through all your generations, in all your houses, that you are not to take fat or blood for food.
• Acts 15:29 : 29 To keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. May you be happy.
• Rev 2:14 : 14 But I have some things against you, because you have with you those who keep the teaching of Balaam, by whose suggestion Balak made the children of Israel go out of the right way, taking food which was offered to false gods, and going after the desires of the flesh.
• Rev 2:20 : 20 But I have this against you, that you let the woman Jezebel say she is a prophet and give false teaching, making my servants go after the desires of the flesh and take food offered to false gods.
• Gen 9:4 : 4 But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.
• Deut 12:16 : 16 But you may not take the blood for food, it is to be drained out on the earth like water.
• Deut 15:23 : 23 Only do not take its blood for food, but let it be drained out on the earth like water.
• Ezek 4:14 : 14 Then I said, Ah, Lord! see, my soul has never been unclean, and I have never taken as my food anything which has come to a natural death or has been broken by beasts, from the time when I was young even till now; no disgusting flesh has ever come into my mouth.
• Lev 17:10-14 : 10 And if any man of Israel, or any other living among them, takes any sort of blood for food, my wrath will be turned against that man and he will be cut off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in its blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to take away your sin: for it is the blood which makes free from sin because of the life in it. 12 For this reason I have said to the children of Israel, No man among you, or any others living with you, may take blood as food. 13 And any man of Israel, or any other living among them, who gets with his bow any beast or bird used for food, is to see that its blood is covered with earth. 14 For the blood is the life of all flesh: and so I have said to the children of Israel, You may not take any sort of blood as food, and any man who does so will be cut of.
• Acts 21:25 : 25 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.
• 1 Cor 6:9 : 9 Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,
• 1 Cor 6:18 : 18 Keep away from the desires of the flesh. Every sin which a man does is outside of the body; but he who goes after the desires of the flesh does evil to his body.
• Exod 34:15-16 : 15 So see that you make no agreement with the people of the land, and do not go after their gods, or take part in their offerings, or be guests at their feasts, 16 Or take their daughters for your sons; for when their daughters give worship before their gods, they will make your sons take part with them.
• 1 Cor 7:2 : 2 But because of the desires of the flesh, let every man have his wife, and every woman her husband.
• 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.
• 1 Cor 8:4-9 : 4 So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords, 6 There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him. 7 Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled. 8 But God's approval of us is not based on the food we take: if we do not take it we are no worse for it; and if we take it we are no better. 9 But take care that this power of yours does not give cause for trouble to the feeble. 10 For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images? 11 And so, through your knowledge, you are the cause of destruction to your brother, for whom Christ underwent death. 12 And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ. 13 For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.
• 1 Cor 10:7-8 : 7 Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure. 8 Again, let us not give way to the desires of the flesh, as some of them did, of whom twenty-three thousand came to their end in one day.
• 1 Cor 10:14-28 : 14 For this cause, my dear brothers, give no worship to false gods. 15 What I am saying is for wise men, do you be the judges of it. 16 The cup of blessing which we take, does it not give us a part in the blood of Christ? and is not the broken bread a taking part in the body of Christ? 17 Because we, being a number of persons, are one bread, we are one body: for we all take part in the one bread. 18 See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar? 19 Do I say, then, that what is offered to images is anything, or that the image is anything? 20 What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits. 21 It is not possible for you, at the same time, to take the cup of the Lord and the cup of evil spirits; you may not take part in the table of the Lord and the table of evil spirits. 22 Or may we be the cause of envy to the Lord? are we stronger than he? 23 We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good. 24 Let a man give attention not only to what is good for himself, but equally to his neighbour's good. 25 Whatever meat may be had at the public market, take as food without question of right or wrong; 26 For the earth is the Lord's and all things in it. 27 If a Gentile makes a feast for you, and you are pleased to go as a guest, take whatever is put before you, without question of right or wrong. 28 But if anyone says to you, This food has been used as an offering, do not take it, on account of him who said it, and on account of his sense of right and wrong:
• 2 Cor 12:21 : 21 And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.
• Gal 5:19 : 19 Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,
• Eph 5:3 : 3 But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;
• Col 3:5 : 5 Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods;
• 1 Thess 4:3 : 3 For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;
• 1 Tim 4:4-5 : 4 Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise: 5 For it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer.
• Heb 12:16 : 16 And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.
• Heb 13:4 : 4 Let married life be honoured among all of you and not made unclean; for men untrue in married life will be judged by God.
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images;
• 1 Cor 6:13 : 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will put an end to them together. But the body is not for the desires of the flesh, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:
• 1 Cor 5:11 : 11 But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the rest of the people, who were not put to death by these evils, were not turned from the works of their hands, but went on giving worship to evil spirits, and images of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood which have no power of seeing or hearing or walking:
• Rev 10:2 : 2 And he had in his hand a little open book: and he put his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth;
• Rev 10:8 : 8 And the voice came to me again from heaven, saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who has his place on the sea and on the earth.
• Num 25:2 : 2 For they sent for the people to be present at the offerings made to their gods; and the people took part in their feasts and gave honour to their gods.
• Lev 7:23-27 : 23 Say to the children of Israel: You are not to take any fat, of ox or sheep or goat, for food. 24 And the fat of that which comes to a natural death, and the fat of that which is attacked by beasts, may be used for other purposes, but not in any way for food. 25 For anyone who takes as food the fat of any beast of which men make an offering by fire to the Lord, will be cut off from his people. 26 And you are not to take for food any blood, of bird or of beast, in any of your houses. 27 Whoever takes any blood for food will be cut off from his people.
• Gen 35:2 : 2 Then Jacob said to all his people, Put away the strange gods which are among you, and make yourselves clean, and put on a change of clothing:
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 You are to have no other gods but me. 4 You are not to make an image or picture of anything in heaven or on the earth or in the waters under the earth: 5 You may not go down on your faces before them or give them worship: for I, the Lord your God, am a God who will not give his honour to another; and I will send punishment on the children for the wrongdoing of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation of my haters;
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Gods of silver and gods of gold you are not to make for yourselves.
• Ezek 20:30-31 : 30 For this cause say to the children of Israel, This is what the Lord has said: Are you making yourselves unclean as your fathers did? are you being untrue to me by going after their disgusting works? 31 And when you give your offerings, causing your sons to go through the fire, you make yourselves unclean with all your images to this day; and will you come to me for directions, O children of Israel? By my life, says the Lord, you will get no direction from me.
• Ezek 33:25 : 25 For this cause say to them, This is what the Lord has said: You take your meat with the blood, your eyes are lifted up to your images, and you are takers of life: are you to have the land for your heritage?
• Dan 1:8 : 8 And Daniel had come to the decision that he would not make himself unclean with the king's food or wine; so he made a request to the captain of the unsexed servants that he might not make himself unclean.
• 1 Sam 14:32 : 32 And rushing at the goods taken in the fight, the people took oxen and sheep and young oxen, and put them to death there on the earth, and had a meal, taking the flesh with the blood in it.
• Ps 106:37-39 : 37 They even made offerings of their sons and their daughters to evil spirits, 38 And gave the blood of their sons and their daughters who had done no wrong, offering them to the images of Canaan; and the land was made unclean with blood. 39 So they became unclean through their works, going after their evil desires.
• Deut 12:23-25 : 23 But see that you do not take the blood for food; for the blood is the life; and you may not make use of the life as food with the flesh. 24 Do not take it for food but let it be drained out on the earth like water. 25 Do not take it for food; so that it may be well for you and for your children after you, while you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
• Deut 14:21 : 21 You may not have as food anything which has come to a natural death; the man from another country who is living with you may take it for food, or you may get a price for it from one of another nation; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The young goat is not to be cooked in its mother's milk.