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. The
believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 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. Acts 16:1-3
Why
did Paul, who argued for grace when it came to Gentiles becoming believers,
have Timothy get circumcised after Paul said circumcision was not imperative
for salvation? Paul saw that the
circumcision issue would be a stumbling block to Timothy’s mission to reach the
Jews in the area since he was part Greek and not fully Jewish.
Timothy’s
circumcision wasn’t a “have-to,” but a means to overcome unnecessary arguments
and stumbling blocks. If you were a
Republican trying to reach people in a Democratic area, you wouldn’t wear a
MAGA hat. If you were an Auburn fan
trying to reach Alabama fans, you wouldn’t wear your school’s t-shirt. Why create walls when all you really want to
do is get right to the Gospel? Wouldn’t
you wear an Auburn shirt to reach Auburn people?