It is because Paul had a special role to play in the early Church that he goes to such lengths to stress that he was a very good Jew, more zealous than most, and that the Good News he preached was not taught him by any man, but revealed to him by Jesus Christ Himself. When Paul and his companion Barnabas were teaching at Antioch, some Jews came and tried to teach the people that they must be under the Law of Moses in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem to settle the issue with the other apostles. After they had all discussed the matter, Peter stood before them and said, "My brothers, you know how, early on, God chose among us: from me the pagans were to learn the Good News and believe. And God Who knows the heart of every man made no distinction between us and the pagans. He made their hearts clean by faith. Why do you now try God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? We believe that we will be saved through the power of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
Paul tells of this Council in Jerusalem at which Peter spoke in one of the letters he wrote to the various churches. He comments on this: "Though we were born Jews and not pagans, we acknowledge that what makes a man holy is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. We had to become believers in Christ Jesus just as the pagans did. Now we hold that faith in Christ rather than faithfulness to the Law is what makes us holy, and that no one can be made holy by keeping the Law. I live in faith: faith in the Son of God Who loved me and Who sacrificed Himself for my sake."
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