Bible Discussion Thread

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY (Part 4):

Timothy was raised hearing Old Testament Scriptures ( II Timothy 3:14-15).

He joined Paul, along with Silas and Luke, during second missionary trip ( Acts 16:3).

Paul had Timothy circumcised so that he might have the freedom to preach the gospel in Jewish synagogues ( Acts 16:3; I Corinthians 9:20). He could not do that unless he was circumcised. And of course, Titus (another Gentile), he was not circumcised by Paul, and he even went to Jerusalem with Paul to attend the Jerusalem council.

And Paul refused to have him circumcised because he wasn't doing it out of the necessity of keeping the law, but as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:20, that whatever he does, he does for the purpose of reaching people for Christ.

So, when he had Timothy circumcised, it was because he knew that he would be in the Jewish synagogues and amongst the Jews, and they would not receive anything that Timothy had to say unless he was circumcised.

And by the way, a person is considered Jewish if your mother is Jewish and your father is not. You are considered Jewish as long as your mother is. If the father is Jewish, but the mother is not, you're not Jewish.

So, Timothy was accepted as a Jewish person, and he would be in the synagogues, but he was not circumcised, so Paul had him circumcised. Timothy was ordained by Paul and the Presbytery ( I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6). He accompanies Paul on his third missionary trip ( Acts 19:22; Acts 20:4; II Corinthians 1:1, 19).