What does Acts 15:32 mean?
A young man named Saul had stood over the coats of the men who murdered the Christian deacon Stephen. Saul approved of the mob justice as he believed this new sect of Judaism that worshiped Jesus of Nazareth as God and the Son of God was an abomination. He received permission to persecute Jesus-followers in Jerusalem and abroad and did so ruthlessly… until Jesus appeared to him and claimed him (Acts 7:54—8:3; 9).Due to his persecution, Christians fled Jerusalem and took the good news of Jesus' offer of salvation throughout Judea, Samaria, and beyond (Acts 8:4–40). Refugees from Cyprus and Cyrene traveled north to Syrian Antioch, planting a church with a great number of Gentiles. When the leaders in Jerusalem heard, they sent Barnabas, who was from Cyprus, to investigate. He found a healthy young church that needed training. He sought out Saul, who had been tucked away in nearby Tarsus, to help (Acts 11:19–26).
It appears that church in Syrian Antioch had been left relatively unattended by Jerusalem since then. Recently, however, a group of Jewish Christians, desperately clinging to their old identity as Pharisees, had gone to Antioch and told the Gentiles they must be circumcised in order to be saved. Saul—now going by the name Paul—and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem with their concerns. The apostles and elders in Jerusalem disavowed the message of the Pharisees and sent Judas Barsabbas and Silas, along with a letter, to reassure the Antiochenes. They are doing nothing wrong. They are, indeed, welcome members of the church (Acts 15:1–31).
The New Testament mentions prophets in the church several times but rarely explains what it is they prophesy outside of general truths or events during the end times. Agabus predicted a famine (Acts 11:28) and Paul's arrest (Acts 21:10–11), but other messages delivered to specific churches are somewhat rare. So, we don't know what it is Judas and Silas tell the Antiochenes. It is interesting to note, however, that with Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome, and later Constantinople, Syrian Antioch becomes one of the most important cities in the early church's development of theology.
Acts 15:30–35 depicts the delivery of a resolution about Gentiles in the church. Jewish Christians from Judea had come to Syrian Antioch and insisted Gentile believers must first convert to Judaism. The Antiochenes took their objections to the leadership in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem sided with the Antiochenes, but required they make cultural concessions so Jews felt free to worship and live with them in unity (Acts 15:1–29). Now, the church in Antioch rejoices. Not only are they officially free from the Mosaic law, they are warmly unified with the apostles and the first church in Jerusalem.
Paul and Barnabas are in Syrian Antioch, home from their first missionary journey. Legalistic Christians from Jerusalem arrive and insist Gentiles must convert to Judaism. When negotiations fail, a delegation travels to Jerusalem to request clarification from Jesus' closest students. The leadership in Jerusalem agree with Paul and Barnabas. They write a letter that Gentiles should only make concessions, mostly dietary, which will ensure unity with the Jews in their congregation. After delivering the letter to Antioch, Paul takes Silas and Barnabas takes John Mark to share the letter to other churches they have planted.
