St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians and St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles (writing 5o or so years afterwards) both refer to the same event, sometimes called “the Council of Jerusalem.” The early Church came to the decision that the way of Jesus was not simply a branch of Judaism but a new approach to God that Gentiles (non-Jews) and Jews could practice. In Paul’s telling (unlike in Acts which mentions some dietary restrictions) the only condition: we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do. Conflict and differences of opinion have continued in the Church ever since. Perhaps we too find real unity in diversity by being mindful of the poor.
