The apostle James did not expunge the Ten Commandments by offering special instructions to Gentile converts in Acts 15:24-29. These instructions addressed special problems inherent to these converts, practices that would be abhorrent to the congregation at large (especially among the Jewish contingent) and would lead to a breach in fellowship for the entire congregation. In addition to God's law, these new Gentile converts were admonished to refrain from practices that damage fellowship.