A.T. Robertson Commentary Acts 21:25

"But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication." — Acts 21:25 (ASV)

We wrote (επεστειλαμεν). First aorist active of επιστελλω, to send to and so to write like our epistle (επιστολη). Old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Ac 15:20; Hebrews 13:22. It is the very word used by James in this "judgment" at the Conference (Acts 15:20, επιστειλα). B D here read απεστειλαμεν from αποστελλω, to send away, to give orders. Wendt and Schuerer object to this as a gloss. Rather is it an explanation by James that he does not refer to the Gentile Christians whose freedom from the Mosaic ceremonial law was guaranteed at the Jerusalem Conference. James himself presided at that Conference and offered the resolution that was unanimously adopted. James stands by that agreement and repeats the main items (four: anything sacrificed to idols, blood, anything strangled, fornication, for discussion see Ac 15) from which they are to keep themselves (direct middle φυλασσεσθα of φυλασσω, indirect command after κριναντες with accusative, αυτους, of general reference). James has thus again cleared the air about the Gentiles who have believed (πεπιστευκοτων, perfect active participle genitive plural of πιστευω). He asks that Paul will stand by the right of Jewish Christians to keep on observing the Mosaic law. He has put the case squarely and fairly.