The repeating theme of Paul's first missionary journey with Barnabas was that the gospel caused controversy (Acts 14:1-7). But, although religious activists repudiated the teaching that Jesus is God's Messiah, many other Jews and Gentiles welcomed the message and were saved. As the apostles reported back to the church in Antioch (in Syria), they spent time explaining how it pleased God to extend His grace to everybody who believes (Acts 14:27-28).

However, this news spread to the church in Jerusalem where some Jewish-background believers still thought that only Jews could be saved, or Gentiles who became Jews through circumcision. They were so concerned that Paul and Barnabas were teaching error that they went to Antioch to persuade the church that all new believers had to become Jews. They were sincere, but wrong: and the apostles refused to accept what they were saying. There was quite a debate. Eventually it was clear that the Jerusalem-based apostles (Peter, John and James the brother of Jesus) should be asked to say who was right.

As Paul and Barnabas travelled through the Mediterranean coastlands and Samaria, they met with groups of new Christians. They were greatly encouraged to hear that God wanted to include people from every racial group in His kingdom because many Phoenicians and Samaritans did not have pure Jewish ancestry and may have felt second class Christians. Arriving in Jerusalem, most of the church was glad to see Paul and Barnabas. The apostles and elders welcomed them as brothers and fellow-workers, and invited the missionaries to give a full account of their ministry.

It is still important to discern if teaching is true or false. Failure to do so will reduce the gospel to powerless club-talk. There is only one gospel which saves and that is the gospel given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles. It is recorded faithfully in the book of Acts and in the apostolic letters. Any other 'gospel' is either a subtraction from the real gospel or an addition: neither alternative has saving power. In the same way that Paul and Barnabas contended for the truth of the gospel, we should be very careful to do the same (Philippians 1:27-28). A church which is not contending for the gospel is at risk of losing its privileged role as a light-bearer for Jesus (Revelation 2:5), and believers can only have eternal confidence by staying firmly rooted in the apostolic gospel (Colossians 1:22-23).