"The he [Paul] came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.....Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And 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 16:1, 3
Does this seem strange? Paul, who was so adamant against the circumcision of the Jewish law, had Timothy (his son in the faith – I Timothy 1:2) circumcised. It seems to be a contradiction. I think the reason may have been to eliminate what might have been a stumbling block to his ministry to the people of that region. Since Tim's mother was Jewish, it would not have been out of order for him to be circumcised. I think Paul recognized that sometimes concession of a non-essential is important to keep relationships open. Paul demonstrated this principle when he responded to a dispute in the Corinthian church regarding head-coverings. He wrote a lengthy treatise seemingly defending the practice, but ended it by writing, "If anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God" (I Corinthians 11:16). In other words, some things are not worth fighting for, as long as they do not violate our convictions. We should choose our battles prayerfully and carefully.
Today's Thought: Some things are worthy fighting for and some are not. We need to choose carefully.
Have a wise day. Love you.
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