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The Torah(Law) was given to the Isrealites(later "Jews") only at Mt Sinai. This is stated in Deu 5:3:
Deu 5:3
The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
Further backed up by comments from the Mishnah Torah:
“Moses our Teacher did not bequeath the Torah and the Commandments to anyone but to Israel, as it says, ‘the Heritage of the Congregation of Jacob’ (Deut. 33:4), and to anyone from the other nations who wishes to convert, as it says, ‘as you, as a convert’ (Numbers 15:15). However, no one who does not want to convert is forced to accept the Torah and the Commandments.” Mishnah Torah 8.12
A "non Jew", or Gentile, was allowed to live in Hebrew controled territories as long as he/she followed the 7 Laws of Noah. Any Gentile caught attempting to follow the Law could be killed.
“A non-Jew who busied himself with Torah is liable with his life. He must involve himself in their Seven Commandments only. Similarly, a non-Jew who ‘rested’ as one would on [Sabbath], even on a weekday, is liable with the death penalty. There is no reason to mention (that he is culpable) if he invented his own holiday.
“The principle here is that we do not permit them to make a new religion and create new commandments for themselves based on their own reasoning. They may only become Righteous Converts and accept upon themselves all the Commandments, or they must observe their own (Seven) Laws only, and not add or detract from them. If a non-Jew busied himself with Torah or made [Sabbath] or made up something new, we give him lashes and punish him and tell him that he is liable with the death penalty for doing this. But he is not executed.” Mishneh Torah 10.11–12
That was the whole stink that Acts 15 is about. The Jewish Christian Church leaders wanted converted Gentiles to get circumcised, and then fall under all the Laws of the Torah and Mishnah. Paul knew that would not go over well with Gentiles, especially the Greeks.
So, when he says that the Gentiles converts will only be required to do 4 things, those 4 things appear to be from the 7 laws of Noah.
Act 15:20
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Martin Luther lists the 7 Laws as:
In later times the Jews have been wont to speak of what they called the seven Noachic commandments, which, according to them, were binding upon all Gentile proselytes. These were a prohibition (1) of idolatry, (2) of blasphemy, (3) of murder, (4) of incest, (5) of robbery and theft, (6) of eating blood and strangled animals, and (7) an injunction of obedience to magistrates.” Alfred Edersheim, “After the Flood” in “The Bible History: Old Testament”, Volume 1, page 53.
(some versions add adultery to the "incest", some versions list only adultery and not incest)
The idea of using Matt 15 and Acts 11 as "proofs" that God now allows is it, it totally out of the context of what those chapters are talking about. For Christians and Gentiles, eating of pork products is allowed. There is no prohibition on it.
Deu 5:3
The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
Further backed up by comments from the Mishnah Torah:
“Moses our Teacher did not bequeath the Torah and the Commandments to anyone but to Israel, as it says, ‘the Heritage of the Congregation of Jacob’ (Deut. 33:4), and to anyone from the other nations who wishes to convert, as it says, ‘as you, as a convert’ (Numbers 15:15). However, no one who does not want to convert is forced to accept the Torah and the Commandments.” Mishnah Torah 8.12
A "non Jew", or Gentile, was allowed to live in Hebrew controled territories as long as he/she followed the 7 Laws of Noah. Any Gentile caught attempting to follow the Law could be killed.
“A non-Jew who busied himself with Torah is liable with his life. He must involve himself in their Seven Commandments only. Similarly, a non-Jew who ‘rested’ as one would on [Sabbath], even on a weekday, is liable with the death penalty. There is no reason to mention (that he is culpable) if he invented his own holiday.
“The principle here is that we do not permit them to make a new religion and create new commandments for themselves based on their own reasoning. They may only become Righteous Converts and accept upon themselves all the Commandments, or they must observe their own (Seven) Laws only, and not add or detract from them. If a non-Jew busied himself with Torah or made [Sabbath] or made up something new, we give him lashes and punish him and tell him that he is liable with the death penalty for doing this. But he is not executed.” Mishneh Torah 10.11–12
That was the whole stink that Acts 15 is about. The Jewish Christian Church leaders wanted converted Gentiles to get circumcised, and then fall under all the Laws of the Torah and Mishnah. Paul knew that would not go over well with Gentiles, especially the Greeks.
So, when he says that the Gentiles converts will only be required to do 4 things, those 4 things appear to be from the 7 laws of Noah.
Act 15:20
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Martin Luther lists the 7 Laws as:
In later times the Jews have been wont to speak of what they called the seven Noachic commandments, which, according to them, were binding upon all Gentile proselytes. These were a prohibition (1) of idolatry, (2) of blasphemy, (3) of murder, (4) of incest, (5) of robbery and theft, (6) of eating blood and strangled animals, and (7) an injunction of obedience to magistrates.” Alfred Edersheim, “After the Flood” in “The Bible History: Old Testament”, Volume 1, page 53.
(some versions add adultery to the "incest", some versions list only adultery and not incest)
The idea of using Matt 15 and Acts 11 as "proofs" that God now allows is it, it totally out of the context of what those chapters are talking about. For Christians and Gentiles, eating of pork products is allowed. There is no prohibition on it.
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