One of the greatest challenges now comes to the early church over the issue of circumcision (v1). The issue was whether people are justified through faith alone or are they justified through faith plus keeping the law.

Paul and Barnabas enter into a sharp dispute with these pro-circumcision believers (v2). Their great fear was that the Gospel was being distorted by being added to. The whole Gospel of salvation through grace alone was at stake here.

Paul and Barnabas head to Jerusalem to meet the apostles to settle this issue (v2b). On their way they are active in encouraging the believers by sharing what God was doing among the Gentiles (v3).

In reaching Jerusalem they report again what God had done through them (v4). They realise that while they were active in sharing the Gospel, any salvations that happened were down to the Sovereign action of God, to whom be all the glory.