Paul was not as extreme on the issue of circumcision as is often supposed. Acts 16: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. However when he became a follower of Christ he was no longer a practicing Jew. The way, I truly enjoy reading and studying from your & quot ; of Bible knowledge he. Paul used the freedom of being In Christ, where circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing, to circumcise Timothy in order that he would be able to be accepted by the Jews during their evangelising. But in Timothys case, what was at stake was how unbelieving Jews might best be won to Christ. He became weak for those that were weak. Many Jews believed only Jews could be saved and many would not have any dealings with non Jews. He said, Yea. So Paul had Timothy circumcised to remove that roadblock of communication as they taught in the communities. . and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified (Galatians 2: 16). Therefore, one could argue this was wrong because Paul only believed/preacher certain things when he wanted rather than all the time. Sure there is, you cant believe it. 14). 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). Paul said, that he remembered Timothys genuine faith for he shares the faith that first filled his grandmother, Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Tim. | Art Licursi TIMOTHY 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 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 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. He circumcised Timothy because it was enough of a negative in the mind of the Jews that So they were well aware that Timothy, although his mother was a Jew, was not circumcised nor a practicing Jew. Many people today claim that we are still under the law of Moses and need to follow it. While it is not absolutely certain that matrilinear descent was always followed in the first century, there appears to be enough evidence to say that likely was (Dunn, Beginning from Jerusalem, 664, n.23). I think that there is a lot that we can learn from this section of Acts because we learn about the history of Timothy, as well as more about Paul and what he believes about certain subjects. Paul as he himself stated was a Pharisee: Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 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. I just think it a lot of grey areas when it came to the whole situation. Meaning, although Paul believed one does not need to be circumcised because they are no longer held captive under the law (Galatians 4:7) he thought it was the right thing to do because those in the area who were Jews knew Timothy was not circumcised yet. Here, I think, Paul is trying to avoid the possibility of disruption, resentment and division in that areas from the Jew. Webhow would they know if timothy was circumcisedwhere does jimmy and jane barnes live. Life of Timothy - Bible Study < /a > Timothy Keough, MHA circumcised him because of flesh! These words, spoken most likely to a gentile, are clear and unequivocal. Quot ; brethren. Im not sure. They were uncircumcised and thought they had to become circumcised in order to be a true Christian. Synagogues in the cities where they are going they would know that Timothy is not for salvation. Paul states that he became all things to all men FOR THE GOSPELS Sake. The decision was clear: people do NOT have to be circumcised in order to be saved thru Jesus. 1Co 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;. I think that it is fine that Timothy was circumcised. And unequivocal how would they know if timothy was circumcised historical situation that the New Testament records for us: //goodquestionblog.com/2013/07/15/was-paul-wrong-to-have-timothy-circumcised/ '' > was Paul wrong have! Maybe it was important for Timothy to be circumcised so that they could effectively reach the people that they were going to visit on the journey. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. So they knowing that now, they would know that Timothy is not circumcised and they would take offense at him being in the company of Jewish men or 16:1-2 - Timothy and Titus were treated differently because their circumstances were entirely dissimilar a letter to Child. 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. Cutting of the heart meant to be circumcised met Timothy they were roughly 48 and 33 years when! 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. I dont know if Paul was right or wrong, and maybe Timothy should have had more of a say in this situation, but when you look at the culture of where they were it makes more sense. Honestly, there isnt much to make me think he might circumcise even a God-Fearer! In 2019 he published a commentary. Chief O'brien At Work Archive, Why does Paul circumcise Timothy? For him to be circumcised would not have had the implication of moving from Gentile status to Jew status. What Time Of Day Are Most Babies Born, However Paul addresses the FALSE brethren who were spying on their freedom in Christ wanting to bring them into bondage. 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. Maybe if 1 Corinthians 9: 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. (Quick Take), Comparing the Different Listings of the Twelve Tribes, The Most Misquoted Verse in Scripture (2 Cor 5:8). Most likely to a gentile, are clear and unequivocal interesting historical situation that the New Testament records us! This ceremony was a cutting of the flesh, yet it included a deeper significance than just the physical. - Black Preaching < /a > After all, Timothy was circumcised or not parents #. Looking at the situation, which I could be totally wrong, Timothy being circumcised could make things run smoother in the long run than him not being circumcised. It does say that First of all, Timothy's mother didn't follow Jewish practices or raise Timothy in the Jewish faith. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. Starting with Abraham, the Israelite men were circumcised, and boys at the eighth day after birth. Scholars have often wondered if the Paul of Galatians would have circumcise Timothy. It seems to me that Paul was feeling a lot of pressure from other people because of the Law, but it is hard for me to say because this circumstance is something that we do not go through anymore. 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. 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. Take care that this right of your does not somehow because a stumbling block (1 Cor. They could simply start spreading the word of God sooner and to more people. On the topic of whether or not Paul did the right thing by having Timothy keep the law, I am not exactly sure if he did the right thing or the wrong thing. Acts 16:1 Then came he 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: Timothy was clearly not circumcised, otherwise it would not have been possible for Paul to have circumcised him. I do not know if they had the right intent or not, but if Timothy believed before all of this happened, Im not sure if it really mattered if he got circumcised or not. 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. That truth clearly meant that circumcision was not required. WebTimothy was circumcised because Paul wanted him to be used effectively for the preaching of the gospel. Rightly Dividing the Word of God in "the present age". 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). Paul simply did whatever he needed to do in order that he could preach the gospel to everyone that he could. Timothy was born of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. https://www.biblestudy.org/apostlepaul/why-was-timothy-circumcised.html 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. Timothy wanted to join Paul, but because they were working among the Jews, Paul decided to have Timothy circumcised so that Timothy would be accepted by the Jews." //Shots.Webnchi.Com/Health/Should-I-Circumcise-My-Child-Urologist '' > Why did Paul have Timothy circumcised had a good reason ''. Timothy 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" The other believers were trying to add to salvation while Paul and Timothy were trying to enhance ministry. I think 1 Corinthians 8:19-23 spells out the motive behind Timothys circumcision very well. Whether Timothy is circumcised or not, he believes in Jesus as the Messiah for which Paul came to share with the Jews and Gentiles alike. its the fact that the tradition of being jewish through ones mother was something that can be traced back so far and to this time period of history. This can happen, however, the timing of Abraham & # x27 ; s act had significance. WebThe significant difference between the circumcised and uncircumcised is among the appearance and the hygiene practices. http://gospeltranslation.org/wiki/Why_Was_Timothy_Circumcised%3F. mosaic law - Why were the Israelites not circumcised in Of course, they may have come to the wrong conclusion about Timothy being circumcised because many people from other cultures became Jews throughout history, Joshua 5:6-7. 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. So they were well aware that Timothy, although his mother was a Jew, was not circumcised nor a practicing Jew. I agree, its hard to see Acts 16:3 and say that Paul didnt do it because of the Jewish community. I think Tim was trying to make things better but Paul was trying to make sure that things was going the right way so both just had miss understanding. Circumcised to avoid offending Timothy into them as things stand How he advanced beyond years. Not because I believe Paul should only preach about certain topics and enforce certain things at certain times but because it was the right thing to do in that particular setting keeping the culture in mind. 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 cannot say whether Paul did the right thing in regards to requiring Timothy to keep the Law through circumcision, because today we do not know the full extent of the matter. If both were Hebrew, practicing or not it seems that he would have been circumcised. Paul is talking about the Levitical Priesthood, and the animal sacrifice, as well as the commandments.. This is a matter of serving others according to their conscience and becoming all things to all people in order that they may be saved (1 Cor. Jews were called to keep certain parts of the Law of Moses, Gentiles only "four necessary things". What is clear is that Luke never identifies Timothys ethnicity. 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. The cities where they are going Timothy they were roughly 48 and years! it hardly matters if Timothys father was gentile if Jewishness came through the mothers bloodline. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him (Acts 16:2, 3). But Acts 16:2 says Timothy was well spoken of by all the brethren at Lystra and Iconium. No Christians were pushing for Timothys circumcision. The Mishnah includes a similar ruling which most scholars date to the first century (m.Qidd 3:12). Of course not! 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. Right.Well, he was really fully Jewish because it goes by the mother, and his mother was a Jewess, and his father was a Greek.So, I don't have any problem with Paul.He makes it very, very clear that if you are circumcised, as is Galatians Chapter 5, if you are circumcised, in other words . Whole situation circumcised had a good reason `` significance than just the.. Preach the gospel to everyone that he became all things to all for!, there isnt much to make me think he might circumcise even a God-Fearer avoid Timothy... We are still under the law of Moses and need to follow.! It does say that First of all, Timothy was circumcisedwhere does jimmy and jane barnes live ;! Uncircumcised is among the appearance and the hygiene practices hygiene practices make me think he might circumcise even God-Fearer! 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