Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusalem to figure out the issue of salvation and how it pertains to circumcision, something the Judaizers had begun teaching to others. The issue being discussed among the Council was if circumcision was necessary across cultures, and not simply for the sect of the Jewish people. Paul, Barnabas, Peter and James all come to agreement that God saved people through grace, not by circumcision or works of the Law. They want to encourage the Gentiles to use their freedom in Christ to love others.