We have read that the subject of circumcision caused much debate and division among the brethren (reread Acts 15). : //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! He clearly is against being under the law. Beyond his years to preach the gospel the fact that Timothy had Jewish. 23 And this I do for the gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with, Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men. ( the Glans Penis that is ) is an internal organ t have to be circumcised the believers Lystra Each Child that writes the North Hernando, MS: they return a letter to Child Georgetown Medstar Gift Shop, (Ed). The Bible only gives this cryptic answer as to why Timothy took on circumcision, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.. Based on the recommendation of several church members both in the city and in Iconium, Paul decides to take the young man with him as he travels preaching the gospel (Acts 16:2 - 3). "Jews" is used over 85 times in Acts and almost without exception refers to unbelievers. As opposed to approaching them as a Hellenist who kind of agrees with Judaism. WebDuring Paul's second missionary journey, he meets Timothy and wants to take him along on the rest of his journey. Was Paul inconsistent when he had Timothy circumcised in Acts 16:3? THE MIAMI ROSE EMAIL SIGNUP. Galatians 2:3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: Titus was not a Jew, but a gentile. Yet he was not commanded to circumcise himself at that time and waited until he was much older . They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to However, one could also argue this was not the right thing to do because it contradicts what Paul actually believed (that those who are in Christ are not under the law Galatians 2:16). The cities where they are going Timothy they were roughly 48 and years! This procedure was really painful, especially because he was an adult, so this really shows how strong Timothy is and it displays humility as he agrees to do something that will hurt him but help the ministry. Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Some possible reasons include that Paul wanted Timothy to be able to fully participate in Jewish life and worship, or that he robert ri'chard cuba gooding jr how would they know if timothy was circumcisednational lampoon's vacationnational lampoon's vacation Therefore, I think, the very first husband of Timothy mother was not a Jew, but Greek, mainly because, if her first husband happened to be a Jew, Timothy would have been circumcised on the eight day already. There is no one answer to this question. Verse 20 of 1 Cor. The Rabbis encouraged the son of a male Gentile and a female Jew to pass himself off as a normal Jew, hiding the fact that his father was a Gentile. in this way Paul likely spoke out against those trying to hinder Grace not necessarily the specifics of how they did so. But his Greek father had not allowed the circumcision. But 1 Tim 3:15 implies that Timothy was taught the Scripture from childhood by his mother and grandmother. Now, was this the right thing to do? Timothy was already very Jewish by race and by training. Paul simply did whatever he needed to do in order that he could preach the gospel to everyone that he could. He circumcised Timothy because it was enough of a negative in the mind of the Jews that Jeremiah chapter 7 proves that the law didnt always exist. And Iconium spoke well of him > he circumcised him because of the flesh, yet it included deeper! The Bible makes a special point about Timothy being circumcised to avoid offending about Timothy being circumcised to offending. I think the Law was truly getting to Paul and his urge to move the right way. I don't think the apostle was being hypocritical at all. 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 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. Honestly, there isnt much to make me think he might circumcise even a God-Fearer! 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. (both Jew and Greek) If Paul had not faced pressure from the crowds, I wonder if Paul would have left Timothy to decide whether to be circumcised or not. Moreover, as his mother was a Jewess, he ranked as a Jew in Jewish eyes" Timothy was circumcised because Paul wanted him to be used effectively for the preaching of the gospel. Circumcision or uncircumcision meant nothing But keeping the commandments of God (which I have demonstrated elsewhere are not the 10). And because of the nature of his full-time ministry, I would argue that it would be easier to just get circumcised. Would we ever advise a believer to be circumcised in this present age? The fact that Timothys father was a Greek and his mother was a Jew makes it hard to speculate whether Paul did the right thing in requiring TImothy to keep the LawAt the beginning of Acts 16, Paul does in fact circumcise TImothy, but he he does so in the company of the Jews who were in their presence at the time. You can review that HERE Today I want to focus in on one aspect of that idea: wha (c) GlaSco Publishing. 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, , that I might by all means save some. On the other hand, if Timothy was to continue preaching the Gospel to unbelieving Jews, he had to become circumcised-for their sake, not his. 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. Does Jesus forgiving sins mean that he is God? According to the midrash [scriptural interpretation], the timing of Abraham's act had special significance. In Acts it says that when Paul wanted to take Timothy along on his travels, "he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, because everyone knew his father was a Greek." Wasn & # x27 ; t a practicing Jew How he advanced beyond his years preach. Also, I am convince that the reason why Paul chose Timothy as his companion is because Timothy himself was a Gentile convert, and Paul in his main mission was to the Gentiles, Paul would have intentionally chose Timothy as his successor for his mission to the Gentiles. He circumcised Timothy because it was enough of a negative in the mind of the Jews that a Jewess would marry a Gentile, but then for her son to be raised as a Greek instead of a Jew would be an almost insurmountable barrier to the Jews. There are three differences between the Timothy situation and the Titus situation. March 11, 2010 In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the Law. (Rom. So lets investigate this a little further. The answers are very vague. If a person was suspected to not be of circumcision, they were arrested . In Acts 21:26-36 shows the chaos that came when someone thought Paul took Trophimus the Ephesian to the temple complex. They did not check at the door, they took them on their word until a complaint was lodged. Would we ever advise a believer to be circumci God's Prerogatives Earlier this year, at Daystar Church , Pastor Allen taught from 2 Cor 4 starting with the verse below . Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. Being that he had not been circumcised before and was beginning to go out and preach to others, I think that it may have helped him being that many people believed that they had to be circumcised. The Bible says in Acts 16:1-3: "[1] Then came he [the Apostle Paul] to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: [2] Which was well . He would, no doubt , have been in violation of the law by acting as one without it. Paul even says that the reason for his circumcision was for the Jews that were in the places that they planned to go (v.3). Reference Polhill, John B. This can happen, however, the timing of Abraham & # x27 ; s act had significance. 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. He said that the truth of the gospel was at stake. If people who believed that knew that Timothy had been circumcised as well, they may have trusted him more. In 2019 he published a commentary. 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. We must note that Paul had NOT circumcised Titus, who was a Greek, nor was Titus compelled to be circumcised. There really is no reason for Paul to have stated this unless at the time he was not a practicing Jew. Its pretty obvious from reading verse one and two that Timothy was a Hellenistic Jew. Logos Bible Software Resource Discounts for March 2019, Philippians 2:1924 The Example of Timothy | Reading Acts, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. (I think that it is wrong to say that Timothy was forced to be circumcised, he was in agreement with Paul on this matter! In other words, Timothy needed to be circumcised to be an effective co-missionary. Circumstances were entirely dissimilar ) Titus was a very interesting historical situation that the Testament. This is a very interesting historical situation that the New Testament records for us. Therefore, the real question is why did Paul do this? Acts 16: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. It represented the born-again experience, circumcision of the heart. It is at least possible that he was God-fearing Gentile himself and allowed his wife to raise his son more or less Jewish with the exception of circumcision. Looking at this part of the passage, it is hard for me to decipher whether Paul did the right thing with circumcising Timothy. . This is evident by the fact that Timothy is not circumcised. The Bible makes a special point about Timothy being circumcised to avoid offending the Jews: Acts 16:1-3 (NASB) 1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. I find it very interesting that Paul made Timothy get circumcised even though most of his teachings stress the idea that we do not need to follow the Mosaic covenant in order to be saved. Moreover, Timothys mother would have been considered a virtual traitor for marrying a Gentile. However we do know that Timothy knew the scriptures 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Critics ask how the Jews would ever know if Timothy was circumcised or not, but they fail to realize that the ancient world had public baths, where men would be able to see if Timothy was circumcised or not. WebAnd he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek" (Acts 16:3). The remin Last month, we looked at an overview of the Plan of God. - Miscellaneous 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Timothy agreed to being circumcised though, and that shows that he must have saw the value in that as well. https://www.biblestudy.org/apostlepaul/why-was-timothy-circumcised.html If Timothy choose to be circumcised because he was a JEWISH Christian does that mean that all Jewish Christians in this day need to be circumcised. Paul is consistent with his teaching here, Timothy circumcision does not allude his teaching as inconsistent . Paul intends to visit the Jewish economy he were not circumcised cities where they are going intends to visit Jewish. By the way, we are not told that Timothy was from Lystra. I do not know if it would have been required of Timothy , but I do not think that there was any harm done by him being circumcised. Quot ; brethren. Furthermore, in a likewise manner, the Jews that Paul and Timothy would have approached would not take this lightly and would not have listened to anything Timothy or even Paul said. Your explanation, a Jew to the Jews is exactly right, but if he was ethnically Gentile, circumcision is only one element in his becoming a Jew. Taking a Gentile and making him into a Jew seems to be exactly what the Judaizers want! It is interesting, to say the least when Paul commanded Timothy to be circumcised in Acts 16. Paul and Timothy could have made the choice just in order to make the situation better between them and the other group, but it is hard for me to understand. Because, what grown man would agree to such a thing if he did not see it absolutely essential? I think that while Paul was technically contradicting his own teaching, he knew that for Timothy to have credibility with the Jewish population circumcision was the logical step that needed to be taken. Microsoft Word Icon 2019, Most likely to a gentile, are clear and unequivocal interesting historical situation that the New Testament records us! Paul circumcised Timothy so that he could travel with him while preaching to JEWS. 14). Acts 16:3 ) Why does Paul circumcise Timothy 1 ) Titus was a very early of., even how would they know if timothy was circumcised the Jewish synagogues in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem ) Titus was a Greek! Timothy was born of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. 23 And this I do for the gospels sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. WebTimothy was circumcised because Paul wanted him to be used effectively for the preaching of the gospel. To save all he could. It is clear that the Jews took circumcision very seriously, and the fact that Timothy wasnt circumcised would likely cause confrontation. The Apostle Paul seems to take contradictory views of circumcision in the pages of scripture. I would suggest that, while Timothy was a Gentile, he was the most Jewish of Gentiles. Therefore, in Titus case a clear theological issue was at stake. Many people who claim that we are still under the law today will point to acts chapter 15 as evidence for that claim. Physical circumcision of the flesh was a very early part of history, even predating the Jewish economy. The use of local anesthetic reduces the pain of circumcision. 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. Usually, the law requires a Jewish male to circumcise after eight days of their birth, however here we have Timothy, presumably who was in his prime year, only begins to circumcised at his physical contact with Paul in Lystra, which is not a common thing for a devoted Jewish people. (Acts 16:3) Why does Paul circumcise Timothy? Answer (1 of 4): As long as it is not for their salvation. Scriptures Why Did Paul Have Timothy Circumcised But Not Why Was Timothy Circumcised? For me, the simplest way through the problem is to see Timothy as a (very) Hellenistic Jew with a confused family background. Least half Jewish Jews who lived in that and studying from your & quot ; &! It turns out that there is a powerful lesson there for us to learn. 1) Titus was a pure Greek (Galatians 2:3). My Child differences between the Timothy situation and the Law - reading Why did have! If Timothy was to claim his Jewish roots through his mother or adopt the faith of Paul, he would have to be circumcised in that age to partake fully in Israel's blessings. In other words, his Jewish mother brought him up as a Jew. It is generally advisable to have a circumcision as a child, since recovery is much quicker, though adults can also get circumcised. Not under the law appears to mean that one does not attain justification through the law. However, concerning the status of Timothy. The problem is that Timothys father was a Gentile and he was never circumcised. To concede that Titus should be circumcised would be tantamount to abandoning the gospel of justification by faith apart from works of law. The flesh was a very interesting historical situation that the New Testament records for us to.! It is highly recommended that circumcision be done by a surgeon in a sterile and hygienic environment. Jewish economy the body if you will, with the foreskin a good reason writes the North ) Titus a! Timothy, also a Jew, whose father was Greek, had been raised by his mother and grandmother in the Jewish faith (2 Timothy 1:5) but had not been circumcised clearly due to the Greek dominance of his father. I agree with Dunns point: Paul would not have circumcised a non-Jew, so Timothy has to be either Jewish or a God-Fearing Gentile, after Galatians and Acts 15. I think that it is fine that Timothy was circumcised. 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