Paul was same-team allies with Jerusalem church leadership.
…like James [Forthcoming]
…like Barnabas
Barnabas partnered with Paul (co-pastoring etc.)
…he introduced Paul to the church as an ally1
…he made Paul his co-pastor in Antioch for a year
…together they got donations for the Jerusalem church
…together they visited Cyprus etc. to evangelize
…together they appealled to the Jerusalem council
…together they circulated the council's judgment
…they were ready to evangelize more together
…Paul continued praising Barnabas
…Paul and Barnabas’s cousin were partners
Paul consulted with them as Jesus-biography authorities to learn from.
• …Paul visited the Jerusalem church/Peter 15 days to learn about Jesus.
• …more forthcoming.
The Jerusalem church celebrated Paul’s conversion.
>Galatians 1:21-24 — “I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea… they kept hearing, ‘He who once persecuted us is now preaching…’ And they were glorifying God because of me.”
They saw God’s work in Paul and commissioned him.1
>Acts 15:25-26 — “[The Jerusalem council wrote a letter to Antioch saying,] it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Gal 2:7-10 — “[They saw] I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised... James and Cephas and John… gave to me… the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” (Gal 2:7-10; it says they also invited Paul’s churches to financially help the poor in famined Jerusalem.)
Paul and his churches sent financial relief to the Jerusalem church.1 This is relevant because it was Paul who collected and brought the funds.
Paul reports to and appeals to the Jerusalem church’s council.1