seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 16:1Acts 16:1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Well, here we go again. It's Saturday morning as I type this out. The topic... dick cutting... again. Paul and Silas [another disciple] were traveling the Mission Route telling everyone about Jesus and the Mission Route took them back to Lystra. The last time Paul was in Lystra, the people there tried to worship Paul and Barnabas like they were gods because they cured a lame man. Then the Jews from Antioch showed up and turned the crowd against them. Paul was almost murdered by stoning right there in Lystra. But he went back and this time he met Timothy.
Timothy had a Believing mother. His father was one of the men who tried to murder Paul. To show just how unequally yoked they were, the mother was Jewish and Timothy's father was Greek. Since Timothy was Jewish [because his mom was] if he wasn't circumcised, it would change the topic of discussion at any Temple Paul went to. So, in order to keep Timothy, and the Mission, from going through all that garbage, Paul circumcised Timothy. I guess Paul and Silas stayed with Timothy while he healed enough to make the journey.
Now I struggled with the fact Paul circumcised Timothy himself. But Dr. Luke [the author of the Gospel of Luke as well as this Book of Acts] reports it and it's a medical procedure. This dick cutting had nothing to do with Timothy's Salvation. It was only a friendly gesture for the Jewish leaders at the Temple. Paul held the coats of the men who murdered Stephen, so he was very aware of what would calm the jealous murderous clowns.
This morning, I'm not a big fan of that Greco-Roman Jew named Paul. But then again, I wasn't a big fan of Pat Robertson either, and both were really on Missions. I'm more of a Billy Graham person myself.
So, this is once again.... about circumcision and the Mission.
Dick cutting again!
