Meditations

Open line on April 22, 2023 hour 2

Listener:

In Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council no longer required circumcision for conversion, why did Paul in Acts 16 had Timothy circumcised?

Dr Michael Rydelnik:

Paul hadn’t heard what the decision was at the Jerusalem Council…

Audience:

Ha, ha, ha …

Dr Michael Rydelnik:

No, that’s not the answer. Now, there’s two views about that. One is that Timothy was circumcised just as a means of testimony so that he could go into synagogues with Paul where his testimony doesn’t have much significance, just a cultural thing. The problem with that is Paul makes it really clear he wouldn’t circumcise a person who wasn’t Jewish, like Titus. And they just can’t come in to the temple or the synagogue or whatever. I think the better answer is that what Acts 15 prohibited was the circumcision of Gentiles who convert to Judaism. It did not prohibit the circumcision of Jewish people as an outward sign of the Abrahamic covenant, which continues to this day. And so therefore, when Paul meets Timothy, he finds out he has a Jewish mom but he was never circumcised because he had a pagan dad. By the way, if your mother is Jewish or your father is Jewish, you know what makes you, Jewish, exactly and when he heard that, he said, Timothy, you can join me on this trip, I really need you but there is a little surgery you need first, and it was because it was being the outward sign of the Abrahamic covenant which continues to this day, and so that’s what it was, it was not because it was a cultural thing to get them into the room but rather because the Abrahamic covenant continues. I think it’s a crucial element that we even Gentiles today by faith we get the spiritual benefits, Jewish believers get both the physical promises as well as the spiritual benefits.

Joe Stowell:

It kinds of speak to the controversy in the New Testament church, how much the old testament law has got to be kept like a true christian cos the Jewish believer tend to push that agenda, but Paul was very clear, wasn’t he, circumcision was not required to follow Christ, to be a true believer in Jesus Christ because in the book of Hebrews, Christ has completed all of that and now we are in a whole new season of liberty, and

Dr Michael Rydelnik:

&That what I know is interesting is circumcision of Gentiles is part of the law of Moses, however, circumcision of Jewish people, is not part of the law, it’s part of Genesis, with Abraham, it’s pre-law, and that I think is of significant difference, it never got you any access to God, it’s just an outward sign of the promise of God.& And so, that’s why it’s still permitted. I don’t think circumcision got you any access to God under the law of Moses but it would be a sign that you are embracing the law of Moses if you are a Gentile. So, not for gentiles, absolutely not, in terms of ritual circumcision. However, the circumcision of a Jewish person, believer or not, believing family or not, the Abrahamic covenant continues. God’s faithful to his promises and that’s what I think Timothy was circumcised.