Note 1 at Acts 11:22: The things that were causing concern back in Jerusalem were these reports that Gentiles were being saved without becoming proselytes to Judaism. This question could have been settled through the miraculous events that brought the gospel to Cornelius and his household, but there were still many Jewish Christians who were zealous in the Old Testament law and believed that a man had to be circumcised to be saved.

There eventually had to be a council of all the church leadership to consider this matter (Acts 15), and it was concluded that Gentiles could be Christians without becoming Jews. However, there was still the same spirit or attitude among many of the believing Jews, who believed faith in Christ was not enough for true salvation. Paul had to deal with this wrong thinking many times. The epistles of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews were written for the express purpose of establishing faith in Jesus as the only requirement for salvation.