Paul sends a letter to the gentile churches to clarify that circumcision isn’t necessary. The “essentials” Paul lists are:

• Refusing to eat food offerings to idols,
• Blood
• Meat from strangled animals
• Sexual immorality

There must be a context because I can think of other essentials that seem like they would also be right, or I can see that nothing really is necessary at all to list. The whole point is the sacrifice of Jesus did the job. Not the sacrifice of Jesus plus not eating blood. I don’t understand why Paul adds anything at all.

I can see that the consciences of believers soften as they listen and trust and obey. So they should come to a conviction that sexual immorality (e.g.,) is inconsistent with relationship with God. It’s not a rule to follow. It’s a natural consequence of transformation in their minds and hearts. So I don’t understand why Paul doesn’t just trust the Spirit to convict.

Proverbs 16 1-3 speaks to this: people may be pure in their own eyes but the Lord examines their motives. –i see that we can deceive ourselves, but it does come out with humble submission in prayer.

We can’t control people. We have to trust them in their relationship with God that as they are committed to growth and that as God is delighted to transform them, they will make changes that align with their own consciences