Week 5, Day 1
Today’s Reading: Acts 17-18
Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…
There is a sequence found in Acts 15 and 16 that I have always found to be very interesting. All of chapter 15 deals with the apostles straightening out a problem that had arisen in the early church. The Jewish Christians were trying to force Gentiles to be circumcised as a part of the process for their salvation. Of course, that was not a part of the plan of salvation, and the apostles opposed this teaching. In fact, we are told that Paul and Barnabas “had no small dissension and dispute” with those who were teaching this false doctrine. That means they were willing to argue and debate about it, until the truth was established. Even when they went up to Jerusalem, they were working diligently along with Peter and James to establish the truth of matter. Gentiles had to obey the gospel in the same way as the Jews. They didn’t have to become proselytes first, and then become Christians. A lot of time and effort was put into making it clear that Gentiles didn’t have to be cirucumcised to be saved.
However, in chapter 16, Paul met up with Timothy and decided that he wanted Timothy to go with him in the work. Because Timothy’s father was a Greek, Paul had Timothy circumcised. Why would he do that after just spending so much time defending the truth–that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised? Paul had Timothy circumcised so that he could be more effective in teaching those who were of a Jewish background. He didn’t have to do this to be saved, but rather to have a good influence on those he was trying to teach.
This context brings forth an important point. This was an issue that had a right and a wrong answer. The right answer was that a person did not have to be circumcised to be saved. However, the act of being circumcised was not in and of itself wrong. Whether one was circumcised or not circumcised did not matter at all to God. But, those who taught that a person had to be circumcised had to be stopped. They were adding something to God’s plan, and therefore were teaching what Paul called in Galatians 1, a “perverted gospel.”
This tells us that there are some things that can be treated differently, depending on the circumstances. There may be something that is ok for us to do, but we cannot force others to do it or not to do it. Romans 14 deals with several issues that fall into this category. For example, it is perfectly fine for us to eat meat. It is also acceptable if we choose to not eat meat. However, if one tries to teach that it is sinful to eat meat, or sinful to not eat meat, they must be stopped.
This also illustrates a point that Paul was making in 1 Corinthians 9:
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
–1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Paul had Timothy circumcised for this very reason. He became what was necessary to have an impact on his audience. This principle only applies to things that do not involve sin. But, this illustrates just how far Paul and Timothy were willing to go to have the greatest impact on those they were teaching. They became “all things to all men.”
Popularity: unranked [?]