Acts Lesson 9: The Jerusalem Conference

Acts 14 ends with the report by Paul and Barnabas to the church at Antioch regarding the success of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Certain Jews, however, opposed the Gentile mention. They wanted Gentiles to become Jews before they were considered "Christian." This dispute among the Jewish and Gentile converts had the potential of severing the Christian community into opposing camps and drastically affecting the spread of the Gospel. In order to solve the problem Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to meet with an assembly of believers. This assembly has come to be known as the "Jerusalem Conference." Today's lesson gives insight into the obstacles faced by the early church and how, with the Lord's help, they overcame those obstacles and how Paul and Barnabas worked for unity in the church. The Jerusalem conference traditionally has been identified with the visit of Paul to Jerusalem described in Galatians 2:1-10.