Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. – Acts 16:3

Today's Scripture Reading (January 31, 2021): Acts 16

We expect more of our leaders. And we should. Leaders set the example for the rest of us. But the problem is that that seems to be the minority opinion. Many of our leaders seem to believe that they are above the law rather than servants of it. They appear to think that they should possess the respect of being a leader without the responsibility of leadership. But responsibility always comes first, and true leaders will always adhere to the laws that govern our society to a deeper degree than the rest of us.

As Paul's second missionary journey begins, the "Council's Letter to the Gentile Believers" is five years in the rearview mirror. Among the Jews, the letter hasn't stopped the discussion, and there are many observant Jews who believe that James was wrong, that circumcision is necessary to be a true Christian.

But there is also no doubt that the victory, five years earlier, was Paul's. So, it is natural to wonder why Paul would circumcise Timothy when he had argued that circumcision was unnecessary for a Christian? Was the Apostle to the Gentiles beginning to doubt his argument? Maybe, to be a Christian, you do have to be circumcised.

Confusing the issue even further are Paul's words to Titus.

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain (Titus 1:10-11).

What is going on?

The answer is in the ancestry of the two men. Titus was a Greek with no connection to the Jews; he was simply a Gentile believer. On the other hand, Timothy was born to a mixed couple, his mother was Jewish, and his father was Greek. Because his father was Greek, Timothy was uncircumcised. But because his mother was a Jew, and tribal and national identity in Judaism traditionally follows the maternal line, Timothy was a Jew. But because he was not circumcised, he could be best described as an apostate Jew. The problem was that Paul didn't want Christianity to be known as a collection of lazy or bad Jews. If they were to have a voice in the Jewish community, they needed to be above reproach with those who believed that circumcision was necessary for all good Jews.

The wording of the phrase makes it possible that Paul actually performed the circumcision of Timothy. He did it because he wanted Timothy to become a Jewish leader of the Christian Church. Paul wanted Timothy to be able to speak in the synagogues of the Jews living in Diaspora, which would be impossible for an apostate Jew. He wanted Timothy to be welcome in the Temple in Jerusalem. And because sometimes being a leader means that we have to do what is not even asked of one who merely follows.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 17