# Circumcision of Timothy



## TheocraticMonarchist

Why do you suppose Paul circumcised Timothy? 

In acts 15 we read the Jerusalem Council sent off the following letter to be delivered byt Paul and some others.

*Acts 15*


> 22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas,[e] and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
> 23 They wrote this, letter by them:
> 
> The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
> 
> 
> To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
> 
> 
> Greetings.
> 
> 
> 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”[f]—to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.[g] If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
> 
> 
> Farewell.




On the way to deliver this letter Paul circumcises Tmothy. (below)


*Acts 16*



> 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. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.




We know that the council's decision was to not burdin the gentiles with circumcision and the law. We also know that Paul was the champion of Christian liberity, and justification by faith apart from the works of the law ( Galations)

Timothy was part gentile, and free from the burdin of the law. Why then did Paul circumcise him?


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## Semper Fidelis

In the case of Timothy's circumcision it was a point of indifference. It was performed to allow him greater access to evangelize Jews.

However, if someone had compelled Timothy to be circumcised as a way to "complete" his Christianity then Paul would have withstood this spirit. Further, you need to understand Galatians' use of the term circumcision more broadly. The Judaizers were not merely circumcising Gentiles but telling them that the keeping of the Law was instrumental to a person's justification before God.


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## moral necessity

Semper Fidelis said:


> In the case of Timothy's circumcision it was a point of indifference. It was performed to allow him greater access to evangelize Jews.
> 
> However, if someone had compelled Timothy to be circumcised as a way to "complete" his Christianity then Paul would have withstood this spirit. Further, you need to understand Galatians' use of the term circumcision more broadly. The Judaizers were not merely circumcising Gentiles but telling them that the keeping of the Law was instrumental to a person's justification before God.



 I agree!


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