Peter returned to Jerusalem briefly in AD 48 to attend the Jerusalem Council. James, the Lord’s brother, led the discussions, not Peter. At the council Peter was the pivotal figure who bridged the divide between the Jewish and Gentile missions. Through his example with Cornelius the Gentiles were accepted as full members of the body of Christ without the requirement that they come under the Jewish law. Peter, not Paul, was the first missionary to the Gentiles. His bridging leadership ensured that the way was now clear for Paul and others to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
