Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

Acts 16:1-5

¹ Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. ² Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, ³ so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.

The “Decision” that Paul and Timothy are delivering comes from the previous chapter, particularly 15:20. Paraphrased: ‘circumcision is not how we are saved, so don’t make the gentiles (ie. non-Jewish believers) do it. Only keep away from sexual immorality and food from animal sacrifice.’ Interesting to then note that Timothy decides to undergo circumcision (as an adult, ouch!). Is this a contradiction? No, the underlying motivation is the same for both situations and a powerful lesson to me: don’t get in the way of God’s Good News to the world! Here in chapter 16, Timothy gets circumcised because it will make his travels and work with Paul easier to undertake, especially when amidst Jewish audiences who are obsessed with circumcision and who might get annoyed if Timothy isn’t circumcised. So too in chapter 15, the Jerusalem leaders decide that making the new non-Jewish believers get circumcised will create an unnecessary difficulty, a yoke around their necks (15:10).

Dear Jesus, help me by your Holy Spirit to recognise those things in my life that might be holding me back from broadcasting your Good News to the world! Help me to be wise and block out, erase, give up or deprioritise what might be an unnecessary hindrance to your work in me, your work to my friends and family, and your work in the life of my Church. Amen.

Written by Sam Stewart