Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch Syria after the Jerusalem council with a confirmation letter stating that Gentile Christians do not have to become Jewish in order to be saved by the Jewish Messiah Jesus Christ. They read the official letter to the church which was received with joy. Then Paul and Barnabas hotly contended with each other over follow up ministry in Galatia, which ended up in a temporary split between the two. They had served together through thick and thin times and would continue to serve the Lord in good times and bad. Paul went on to strengthen the churches in such a way that we still strengthens church today.

Christianity would have been absorbed in to Judaism as a sect and perished had it not been for this beloved Jewish Christian named Paul. God wanted Paul to settle this question at Jerusalem once and for all: “Must converts to Christ become Jewish (by circumcision) in order to be Christians and be saved?” The answer Paul fiercely upheld was, “Absolutely not!” Then the Holy Spirit who moved Peter and James to fully support this doctrine and they did it with reason, witnesses, facts and Scripture. Then they gave guidelines to the Gentile Christians to be sensitive to the conscience and upbringing of Jewish Christians.

As Paul, Barnabas and others were teaching God’s word in the flourishing church in Antioch Syria, men came from Jerusalem, men who wrongfully believed that Gentiles had to become Jewish before they could benefit from the salvation of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. These men brought nothing but conflict and one lesson is “Don’t be them.” Don’t repeat their mistakes in doctrine and as troublemaking. Paul and Barnabas resisted them but the matter had to be brought to the apostles in Jerusalem and to Jerusalem they went.

After Paul had been stoned and dragged from the city of Lystra, miraculously he got up and went back into that city. The next day he and Barnabas departed and went to Derbe where we are told they made many disciples. Then they returned to the places they had established churches and were also chased from. In spite of the hostilities they did their job as disciples of Jesus Christ and made more disciples, even in perilous times.