Church History: Date: A.D. 49-50
Paul and Barnabas were fully satisfied that God did not intend to bring the converted Gentiles under the yoke of circumcision: they knew that Jesus Christ was the end of the law for righteousness (justification) to everyone that believed, and therefore they opposed the Judaizing teachers. This was one of the first controversies in the Christian Church; but, though the difference of sentiment was considerable, it led to no breach of Christian charity or fellowship among themselves.
Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with them, Paul said, with strong assurance that they should remain as they had believed. But those who came from Jerusalem insisted that Paul and Barnabas and certain others to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders, in order that a determination might be made by them concerning this question.
If this is the journey to which St. Paul alludes, (Galatians 2:1-5), then he had Titus with him; and how many elders went from the Church of Antioch we cannot tell. This journey was 14 years after Paul's conversion, and was undertaken by express revelation, as he informs us, (Galatians 2:2), which revelation appears to have been given to certain persons in the Church of Antioch, as we learn from this verse, and not to Paul and Barnabas themselves.1 The brethren or believers of Antioch, out of respect, went part of the way with them; as also thereby showing, that Paul and Barnabas did not go upon their own business or mind only, and that there was no dissension between them and the church there. The conversion of the Gentiles was a great joy unto all the brethren; nothing more rejoices a good man, than the bringing of souls unto God, and the enlarging of the kingdom of Jesus Christ
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