Jews and Gentiles didn't like each other. Jews regarded themselves as God's chosen people. Strict Jews believed that God had no use for Gentiles.
The Gentiles also had it in for the Jews. They generally regarded Jews as barbarous and superstitious. They made fun of their avoidance of pork. They regarded the observation of the Sabbath as pure laziness. They were infuriated that the Jews seemed to receive extra privileges from the Roman government. They didn't have to testify in a Roman court on the Sabbath, were allowed to have their own courts and live according to their own laws, and were not required to serve in the Roman army (probably because Jewish soldiers would not serve on the Sabbath and that would have made it impossible for them to have carried out military duties).
At a time when Jews believed that God would judge the Gentiles with one measure and the Jews with another, Paul is attempting to create unity within the church.
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