876 A SHORT YIEw OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY. unlawful in itself, yet here other things are joined with it, which are not sinful in their own nature, because the eatingofblood and things offered to idols were frequently attended with fornication and impurity among the gentiles, at their idolatrous feasts, and therefore this sin of fornication is expressly forbidden here, to put the christians always in mind of the unlawfulness of it ; and more particularly, because some professed christians in that age pretended it to be lawful, such as the Gnostics, Nicolaitans, &c. Abstinence from things offered to idols seems to be but a temporary command, for particular times and places, since it is permitted, in some cases, by the apostle, viz. where it gives nu Offence ; 1 Cor. x. 19-31. And abstinence from blood not being in itself unlawful, seems to stand on the same foot : for it is plain, that the reason given against eating blood, is because it was de- voted to God to make atonementfor sin ; Lev. xvii. 10 -1t, And the blood of beasts slain for food was to be poured out on the ground, because the life or most noble part of the crea- ture was contained in it, and was devoted to God, as a sort of first fruits, to sanctify the rest for the eater's use. But now the blood of Christ having madefull atonement forsin, and all sorts of food, under the New Testament, being sanctified to the eater by the word and prayer ; 1 Tim. iv. 3 -5. Blood has neither of these uses continued ; and is therefore one of those meats which may beeaten with thanksgiving, though it was forbidden at first, for a- season, together wills meats offered to idols, lest the Jews and proselytes should take offence. 38. Q. What were the nc It travels ofPaul and Barnabas ? A. They determined to visit their brethren in every city, where they had preached the gospel; but they could not agree about taking John Mark for their assistant, because he had left them before in the middle of their work ; Verses 36-38. 39. Q. How was this contention ended between Barnabas and Paul ? A. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus ; Paul chose Silas, who had been sent with them from Jerusalem to Antioch, and went through Syria and Cilicfa, confirming the churches ; Verses 39-41. 40. Q. Where did Paul meet with Timothy ? A. He was a young disciple at Lystra, the son of a Jewish woman, and Paul took him for their companion in the ministry ; and they travelled through many parts of that country which is now called the lesser Asia ; Acts xvi.1-8. Note, Asia, is a large country, one quarter of the world. The lesser Asia is the same with Natolia, a square country between the Euxine sea and the Mediterranean. But the Asia which the scripture so frequently speaks of in the Acts, seems to be but a small part of this lesser Asia, including only Phrygia, Mysia, Caria and Lybia, which are washed on the west by the A Bean sea, and where the famous seven churches were ; Rev. i. 11.
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