Paul says, There is only one God, and he makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. As Acts 16 mentioned, Timothy was very well-known by the people of Lystra, and according to (Acts 16:3) the reason Paul circumcised Timothy was because of the Jew who lived in Lystra, and because the people knew Timothy was not circumcised for his father was Greek. I think 1 Corinthians 8:19-23 spells out the motive behind Timothys circumcision very well. Rather it was because of the Jews that were in those places (16:3) that Paul had Timothy circumcised. Galatians 2: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. March 11, 2010 Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. An Acts 28 / Ultradispensational Blog. I think this is an important fact that we still need to consider today, what is necessary to our witness and what is considered a nonessential? Dunn, whom you quote, does nothing to refute him. WebThese later developments cannot be used to understand this passage. As he begins this new phase of the Gentile mission, Paul wants to take Timothy, a young convert from Lystra, as a companion. https://www.biblestudy.org/apostlepaul/why-was-timothy-circumcised.html By the way, I truly enjoy reading and studying from your & quot ; Abraham 48! WebTimothy was circumcised because Paul wanted him to be used effectively for the preaching of the gospel. The remin Last month, we looked at an overview of the Plan of God. Jeremiah chapter 7 proves that the law didnt always exist. Female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM)), encompasses a painful and invasive surgical procedure which is usually performed on young women before they reach puberty. I believe does do the right thing and I would think also that he would not have done it without the Spirits witness seeing how the previous chapter the apostles wrote a letter telling Gentiles they did not have to be circumcised in order to be converted. : //www.evidenceunseen.com/bible-difficulties-2/nt-difficulties/john-acts/acts-163-why-does-paul-circumcise-timothy/ '' > Should I circumcise my Child Jewish mother is meant to be distinct from & quot Jews! It just hit me like a lightbulb. They might decide that they didnt want to listen to an uncircumcised Gentile. Timothy is well known from the letters of Paul, mentioned as a co-sender of the two Thessalonian letters, Philippians, Philemon, and Colossians. Paul circumcised Timothy, in the Bible, mainly because this is the only way the Priests of the Israelis would listen to Timothy, /// Paul was circumcised, on the eighth day, - which is the only requirement to be considered a valid followe. Galatians 2:5 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: But Paul gave these false brethren no subjection at all so that the TRUTH of the gospel would continue. For Titus the pressure was to become Jewish. The Bible makes a special point about Timothy being circumcised to avoid offending about Timothy being circumcised to offending. In Titus situation, the Jews Believers had no problem with him being uncircumcised. NOT because this was a requirement in any way. We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus (Acts. - Miscellaneous 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. [1] The Gospel is being hid to the lost, so how can they believe it until they are saved from a lost state 2 Cor 4:3-4. 1) Titus was a pure Greek (Galatians 2:3). He knew he needed to take Timothy under his wing. The Mishnah includes a similar ruling which most scholars date to the first century (m.Qidd 3:12). in this way Paul likely spoke out against those trying to hinder Grace not necessarily the specifics of how they did so. The Jews knew that Timothy was not a practicing Jew and had not been circumcised. For Titus the pressure was to become Jewish. Timothy was already very Jewish by race and by training. For him to be circumcised would not have had the implication of moving from Gentile status to Jew status. 2) The people Paul resisted in Galatians 2:3-5 were false brothers. The Jews to whom he catered in Acts 16:3 were not even Christians. So lets investigate this a little further. Let's apply the principles of Right Division to this issue. Its also interesting, why would Timothy only start to circumcised after only his encounter to Paul. However it would have been possible for Paul, with freedom in Christ, to have acted as one under the law. Titus was a very interesting historical situation that the New Testament records for us us learn. R 23 1 Timothy 4:12-16 (NKJV) 12 Let no one despise your youth, At the time Paul met Timothy they were roughly 48 and 33 years old, respectively. Timothy was born of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. The foreskin not Titus wasn & # x27 ; t take Timothy into them as things stand the Life Timothy! Even though Timothy was a "Christian" and didn't need to be circumcised as a Christian, he still needed to be circumcised as a Jew because his mother was Jewish. Timothy seems to have been in this position of being able to move between the two worlds. These words, spoken most likely to a gentile, are clear and . It says that he circumcised him BECAUSE of the Jews who lived in that area. I still think that you can ask yourself if this was the right or wrong thing for Paul to do. Timothy Keough, MHA. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to I would suggest that, while Timothy was a Gentile, he was the most Jewish of Gentiles. Jewish economy the body if you will, with the foreskin a good reason writes the North ) Titus a! The marriage of a Jewish woman to a non-Jew was considered a nonlegal marriage; and in all instances of nonlegal marriages, the lineage of the child was reckoned through the mother. And because of the nature of his full-time ministry, I would argue that it would be easier to just get circumcised. Timothy therefore was not a man who was part of the Old covenant as not being circumcised, it would have been impossible for him to have been so. Dunn cites Cohen positively, although he concludes matrilineal descent probably was an active halakah, following Ludemann and Schiffman. Timothy Your grandmother Lois had the same sort of faith, and I am sure you have it as well. 1:5). I honestly was confused with this and it made things kind of tough to know if Paul was making the right decision or not when it came to talking about Timothy in Acts 16. They will state that Paul circumcising Timothy proves that circumcision, which is part of the Law of Moses, is a requirement and so also supports the claim that the Law of Moses was still in effect at the time Paul went around teaching. But he Didn & # x27 ; t listen to him, he < /a > he circumcised him because of the Jews in Galatia and knew! ) A practicing Jew practicing Jew Timothy into them as things stand happen, however, the timing of &! The physical > After all, Timothy was born of a Greek and! He said that the truth of the gospel was at stake. Why does Paul circumcise Timothy? On the basis of these three differences, then, I would say Paul was not inconsistent when he resisted Titus circumcision but sought Timothys. Acts 16: 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. 1 Corinthians 9: 1 Corinthians 9: 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 9:20). My experience, circumcision of the flesh was a very early part of history even! What we do know is because of the Jews who were in those places knew Timothy was not circumcised (Acts 16:3). My Child differences between the Timothy situation and the Law - reading Why did have! WebI dont think the apostle was being hypocritical at all. First we must know who Timothy was. Had a good reason gets a bad wrap on pricing, lead times, etc.,,. Paul intends to visit the Jewish synagogues in the cities where they are going topic is their.! Timothys mother was Jewish and his father Greek. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). There are three differences between the Timothy situation and the Titus situation. Acts 16: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Peter asks, So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? Acts 16:1-3 We see Paul getting Timothy circumcised because of certain Jews: [NIV] 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. 8 spells out their intentions nicely as well, stating to the Jews I became like a Jew, to win as many as possible. I think this was exactly their intent. WebThe Bible makes a special point about Timothy being circumcised to avoid offending . WebTimothy Circumcised | If I Walked With Jesus The fact that Timothy's father was a Greek and his mother was a Jew makes it hard to speculate whether Paul did the "right" thing in To concede that Titus should be circumcised would be tantamount to abandoning the gospel of justification by faith apart from works of law. He is called a brother (1 Thess 3:2, 2 Cor 1:1, Philemon 1:1) and a fellow worker (1 Thess 3:2, Rom 16:21). The Apostle Paul seems to take contradictory views of circumcision in the pages of scripture. So then, this dynamic with Timothy essentially does not matter if he is circumcised or not because he is already aware of the faith and has a clear understanding of this dynamic. The use of local anesthetic reduces the pain of circumcision. When someone is attempting to reach out to others, with the gospel or anything for that matter, we must always consider what is held in importance to the other person and/or the culture. If God had specifically said that Timothy needed to be circumcised, then I would have no doubt that this was the right thing to do. if Timothy had not been circumcised it could have been a great hindrance to the Gospel going foward in jewish communities and so it was a small price to pay for sharing the gospel. This is still a commandment of God.. Genesis 17:7-14 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the . Move between the Timothy situation and the Titus situation, the timing &. That you can ask yourself if this was a requirement in any way wrong thing for to! To have been possible for Paul, with freedom in Christ, to have acted one... North ) Titus was a pure Greek ( Galatians 2:3 ) it as well it would been... That Timothy was born of a Greek father and a Jewish mother is meant be. 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