The Book of Acts of the Apostles relates that with the conversion of the first pagans to the new religion and the ending of Paul's first missionary trip to the pagan world, a serious debate began within the Christian religion; many new believers who were of Jewish origin sought to impose the rite of the circumcision on new non-Jewish converts, a fact that did not go unnoticed in the Christian church of Antioch.
This event threatened to become a schism within the early Church, so Paul and Barnabas went from Antioch to Jerusalem to hold a council. In this council, the first in the early Church, Peter and Paul gave their speech, who testified to how the Holy Spirit acted through grace in the new believers; and thus finally the criterion of James was imposed. In general terms, a very important idea was imposed, circumcision was not prohibited, but it was not obligatory for pagans either, with this resolution the doors to the evangelization of the pagan world were completely open. With this, Christianity began its path to becoming the first world religion.
This is how the Book of Acts relates what the letter was addressed to the Churches in Syria and Cilicia explaining the resolution of the council:
"We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things" Acts 15:24-29.
For more information visit my profile follow the link and download for free my ebook.