The Honor of Creation and Abraham's Hospitality

It has been forbidden. And the new covenant seals this, so that you might not think there is one lawgiver for the old covenant and another for the new.

For the apostles can be seen gathered in Jerusalem; and after the holy Paul and Barnabas had descended to Antioch of the Syrians and were strengthening the brothers to guard the doctrines and the instructions of the apostles, certain men, having come from circumcision, were teaching the converts, saying that unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved.

After a dissension and a question not a little concerning them had arisen, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and certain others from among them to ascend to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this question. Having ascended therefore and having recounted both the conversion of the Gentiles and the progress of the churches, they set this matter also before them.

And the apostles, having been gathered together to the same place, sent to them thus: The apostles and the elders and the brothers to the brothers in Antioch and Cilicia and Syria, the brothers from among the Gentiles, greetings. Because we heard that certain ones among us have troubled you, reshaping your souls, whom we had not sent, it seemed to us, having become of one mind, to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men to whom the souls have been entrusted for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, and them through a word announcing these things. For it seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay any greater burden upon you except these things which are necessary: to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality; from which things, if they observe themselves, they do well. Be strong.

This is the letter of the apostles written by the Holy Spirit through the evangelist Luke. Because the Holy Spirit knew that certain ones, having come into such a folly, would not hesitate to slander the apostles—which indeed happened—being at the same place, they write this letter, not interrupting marriage, not forbidding eating meat or drinking wine, but, as previously written, to abstain every Christian from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from...

And against the sins of fornication. You were taught from above by this God that one might eat all meat like vegetables of the field; there you learned from the apostles certain things from which one must abstain. Why do you dare to blaspheme the creatures of God and through them to dishonor the Creator? For if God made all things in wisdom and praised them, saying 'very good' (Gen 1:31), and having gifts and fruits presented to him, he accepted them and blessed those who brought them and permitted them to eat, why are you so foolish and audacious? For just as you judge men who partake of meats to be condemned, so you blaspheme the Creator himself. Why did he make these things?

Perhaps you also find him loathsome and judge him to be a stranger to righteousness, because he himself accepted sacrifices. But perhaps you will also look down upon holy Abraham, seeing that he presented sacrifices to God and, having received the angels, did not feast them on these vegetables, but having taken a calf from the herd, he commanded that this be made with butter and milk. And thus he honored the angels, and not only the angels, but even Christ himself; which is worthy of wonder, that even before the incarnation economy he sanctified his own creatures and partook of them, so that no one might think to suppose one thing concerning the Father and another concerning the Son, just as the heresies of the Manichaeans and Marcionites were revealed, and so that it might become manifest what is said, that the Son of God came to Abraham.

While he was sitting under the tent at midday and watching for those passing through, lest any stranger should pass him by, he saw three men coming and met them, and he did not say: 'Lords, if I have found favor in your sight' (Luke 10:4), but also: 'If I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant' (Gen 18:3). Do you see how the one eating meats and hosting strangers through meats observed them? You saw a pure heart, how he knew who the master was and who the servants were. Truly blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matt 5:8). Because of this, also shortly after, the Lord himself, sending the angels to Sodom and Gomorrah, says: 'I will not hide from Abraham my friend what I am about to do' (Gen 18:17). What kind of friend reveals mysteries to a friend in such a way as God revealed to Abraham? And I think that even until today none such exists.