PAUL'S PRACTICAL SIDE
Acts 16:1-3 NKJV
1 Then he 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. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 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.
Paul is adding Timothy to his ministry team. Timothy was a young man who caught Paul's attention. He would later go on to be like a son to Paul and highly effective as a pastor. But when Paul met Timothy, he was a young disciple.
Timothy's mother was a Jewish woman. And she was a woman of faith. Paul spoke of her faith in his second letter to Timothy. Timothy's father was Greek, and nothing was said about his beliefs. But Timothy took after his mother and had a heart for God and a good reputation among all the believers in the cities of Derbe and Lystra. But Timothy took after his father and was not circumcised. And this was a potential problem for Paul.
These were the days when some of Paul's greatest opposition came from the Jews, including those who had received Jesus as their Messiah. These Jews were still hung up on circumcision. Even though the council at Jerusalem that we read about in chapter 15 had determined that circumcision was not a prerequisite to salvation, it was still a point of contention. So, we read in verse three that Paul took the adult Timothy and had him circumcised because of the Jews in that region. Paul knew that circumcision had nothing to do with Timothy's salvation. Paul was the champion of the freedom that was available to all in Christ. Paul was the one who preached that in Christ, there was no difference between Jew and Greek. Paul was the one who said that circumcision and uncircumcision were not important. Only keeping the commandments of God was what mattered.
So why put Timothy through the process? Because there was a practical side to Paul. Paul was also the one who preached that he became all things to all men so that he might save some. He knew he had to reach the Jews, so he adapted. Paul never went back under Jewish law to be right with God, but he adapted to Jewish law in order to remove barriers and keep the door of salvation open for the Jews.
I don't know how Timothy felt about the whole thing, but he did not refuse. The early Christians often came to faith in Christ under adverse circumstances. They were living in a society that was ambivalent at best but often hostile at worst. Timothy most likely viewed the matter as simply part of the price to pay in order to be a part of spreading the gospel.
APPLICATION
The principle of adapting to culture is still relevant today. Adapting to culture is not the same as compromising to culture. For example, we adapted to the concept of online church. But we did not do away with our regular church services. The Scriptures tell us to not forsake assembling together. Years ago, we went more casual in our dress in order to make it easier for people to come to church. Society had become more casual, and we were not compromising our beliefs or violating Scripture.
We don't change the message. The gospel of God's grace is still the message that brings salvation and changes lives. What is subject to change are the methods by which we present the gospel. There is a practical side to ministry, and by adapting, we are following Paul's example. In light of Paul's effectiveness, he is a good one to follow.