Daily Devotional Wednesday 6th May 2020
by William MoodyActs 16:1–5
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16:1 Paul1 came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers2 at Lystra and Iconium. 3 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. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
(ESV)
We are introduced here to Timothy (v1). Before taking Timothy with him Paul has Timothy circumcised (v2-3). Why did Timothy need to be circumcised? The council at Jerusalem had just ruled that it was not necessary for Gentiles who were saved.
The reasoning is that although Timothy’s father was Greek, his mother was Jewish and the fact that he had not been circumcised would have been seen in him rejecting the covenant of Abraham. His circumcision was not necessary for salvation but it was helpful in sharing the gospel among Jews.
Here we see the willingness of a young man to do whatever was helpful in sharing the Gospel, even if it was something so painful.
The challenge for believers is, to what level are you willing to go to help sharing the Gospel? In the decisions we make in life, we always need to ask what will be helpful for Gospel witness. Do you ask this question?
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