Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsab'bas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, with the following letter: "The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cili'cia, greeting. Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brethren to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
In a Nutshell
A letter is written and Judas and Silas are sent to Antioch to strengthen the work.
Questions
Why did they send some other Jerusalem elders with Paul and Barnabas?
Whatever the church does in one place has an impact upon the church elsewhere. The letter reminded the church of Antioch that they were all in it together. They had previously sent gifts to Jerusalem during the Judaean famine. Now Jerusalem made it's contribution to assist the growing church with its Gentile mission. At this point they are becoming a multi-national, globalizing movement of the Holy Spirit. The church of Jesus Christ is a gathering of people of all nations. The gospel has to be proclaimed and shared indiscriminately. But those believing it are called to bring honour to the Lord by their conduct. There is to be no compromise with idolatry. Don't get yourselves involved with meat and other products that are clearly a part of the idolatrous worship that takes place in Gentile regions. Avoid such animal blood and strangled meat. Honour marriage, keep yourselves chaste. (I think this refers to the cult prostitution rife in pagan religions). These were the requests from the Apostles and the leadership of the Jerusalem church. They had to understand that their own work as Jewish Christians in that traditional centre of Jewish life and worship was implicated in the way the church at Antioch conducted its affairs. Christian freedom is never a matter of 'open slather'. What is being emphasized here is that the customs we live by have to be formed in a spirit of love and care for our neighbours. But the letter is clear enough. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a matter of adopting Jewish customs, by becoming a circumcised proselyte. Quite apart from any problems that such a requirement would create for female disciples, it would suggest that the work of the Messiah is somehow incomplete. The Pharisaic sect had unsettled the church at Antioch with accusations, and they had avoided consulting with the Apostles. They opposed the work of Paul and Barnabas but the Apostles warmly commended them.