Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey: The calling of Timothy

Acts 16:1–5 “Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him. Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

The last time we were in the book of Acts we read about Paul telling Barnabas that they should visit the brothers and sisters in every town where they had preached the word of the Lord and see how they were doing. An intense disagreement developed between Paul and Barnabas because he wanted to take in Cousin Mark along, but Paul remembered that Mark had previously abandoned them and strongly insisted that he should not take him along. This disagreement caused Paul and Barnabas to decide to agree to disagree and they parted company. We are told that Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and they had left after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. Paul and Silas traveled through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches.

This brings us to the start of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey and the call of Timothy to the ministry.

Acts 16:1“Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek.”

When Paul and Silas reached Derbe and moved on to Lystra where they met a disciple named Timothy, who was the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. 

I want to point out that Timothy was raised in a spiritually divided home.

Paul talks about his spiritual upbringing by his mother and grandmother.

2 Timothy 1:5“I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.”

I want you see the spiritual dynamic here. The faith that Timothy had was first lived in his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice, and Paul says that “I am convinced, is in you also.”

Paul also lets us know that both Timothy’s grandmother and mother taught him the sacred Scriptures that led to faith and salvation.

2 Timothy 3:14–15“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Timothy’s faith was imparted to him by both his mother and grandmother who taught him the sacred Scriptures which was able to give him wisdom for salvation through faith Christ Jesus.  

What a dynamic spiritual upbringing. But that is just one side of the story. Timothy’s house was spiritually divided. We are told in the last clause of Acts 16:1 of our text these words, “but his father was a Greek.”

Timothy’s father was not a believer. If Timothy’s father had been believer Luke would have written that he was a believing Greek man as he said about Timothy’s believing Jewish mother. Paul would have mentioned that the Greek father also imparted the scared Scriptures to Timothy as mother and grandmother did. Here is another clue that Timothy’s father was an unbeliever. Timothy according to v.3 wasn’t circumcised. Had his Greek father been a God-fearer and his wife being a Jewish woman he would have allowed his son Timothy to be circumcised. But as Luke said “his father was a Greek” through and through, Greeks didn’t believe in circumcision.

But Timothy’s mother and grandmother drew a line in the sand. Since the father didn’t want him to be circumcised, they made sure that Timothy would be taught the word of God so that he can come to faith in Jesus Christ. And good for them because circumcision doesn’t save, only faith in Jesus Christ saves.

Again, looking at the last clause that says “but his father was a Greek,” Luke uses the imperfect tense verb, instead of present tense, which suggest that at some point Timothy’s father later died.

Here is another spiritual dynamic. We see is a single mother continuing to impart the word of God into the life of her son Timothy.

Some of you were raised in a spiritually divided home where one parent was a believer and the other wasn’t. And your parent made sure that you were raised to know word of God that led to you having wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Some of you are now living in a spiritual divided home. You are the believer, and your spouse isn’t a believer, but you are making sure that your child or children are being taught the word of God, which is able to give them wisdom for salvation through faith Christ Jesus.

And then there are some of you who are a single parent, or a grandparent and you have taken on the task to teach the child or grandchild the word of God because you know it is the means that is able give them wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

These women didn’t take their Christian belief lightly; they were active in sharing the word of God to Timothy even though his father didn’t. And you must do the same for your family for the hope of their salvation.

Next we are told about Timothy’s reputation

Acts 16:2 “The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.”

Timothy who was a young man around 18 years of age and once warn him while a young man to set an example for other believers.

1 Timothy 4:12“Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

And Timothy followed Paul’s warning, and he had an outstanding reputation among the believers.

And this is just who Paul needed to come along with him on his 2nd missionary journey. He needed someone with a good reputation because if he had a bad reputation that would hinder the advancement of the gospel.

To many professing Christians think too highly of themselves and but don’t care about their reputation, among others. We must be mindful of our actions because we never know who is watching how we act and behave and having a bad reputation will hinder the advancement of the gospel, it will give Christianity a bad name. And lastly you can’t partner with people who have a bad reputation because their sinful way may influence you, their bad reputation can cause people to think that you are just like them.

The call of Timothy and the necessity of circumcision

Acts 16:3“Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

Paul saw that Timothy was the right person for the 2nd missionary journey. He was believer, check. He had a good reputation from other believers, check. But he wasn’t circumcised and since their missionary trip would consist of them witnessing to Jews and everyone knew that his father was a Greek, Paul had him circumcised.

Now wasn’t Paul against circumcision? No, he was against circumcision as the means of salvation, as it was decided and agreed upon by the Jerusalem council. Later we read in Gal 2:3-5that Paul had resisted circumcising Titus, who was a pure Greek.

So what was the deal with having Timothy circumcised?

Timothy was a child of a mix racial marriage. And according to later rabbinic law, a child born of a Jewish mother and a Greek father was considered to be Jewish. The marriage of a Jewish woman to a non-Jew was considered a nonlegal marriage; and in all instances of nonlegal marriages, the lineage of the child was reckoned through the mother.

Simply put, In Jewish law, a child takes the religion of its mother; so Timothy should have been circumcised and raised a Jew. But in Greek law the father dominates in the home.

Now since Timothy wasn’t circumcised and he was born to both a Jew and Greek parents and the rabbinic law taught that a child born of a Jewish mother and Greek father was considered to be Jewish, Paul was two steps a head for he knew considering Timothy’s background that he would be a stumbling block because he would have been seen as someone who ignored his Jewish linage by not being circumcised and this would have also offended the Jews and Timothy would not have been allowed to preach the gospel in the synagogues. So by circumcising Timothy there would be no hindrance in presenting the gospel during their 2nd missionary journey.

What does this say about Timothy? It says a lot because he was willing to go through the painful surgery of circumcision, and he was willing to cut his flesh for the cause of sharing the gospel with others. What a display of dedication and sacrifice from this young man, right?

Then let me ask you. What is your excuse for not being dedicated and willing to make certain sacrifices to share the gospel with others? What are willing to do today cut out of your life to be dedicated to live holy and also be used by God for the cause of the gospel? Only you can answer that!

The deliverance of the letter from the Jerusalem council and the strengthening and growth of the churches.

Acts 16:4–5“As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

All the churches needed to be made aware of the decision that was made by the Jerusalem council that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised according to the law of Moses for the purpose of salvation. And that the only requirement for salvation was by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

This news had a profound effect upon the churches, they were strengthen, because false teaching was exposed and rejected, the yoke of the law of salvation by works was removed, and justification by faith in Christ was established. The truth of God’s word that was being taught not only strengthen the churches faith, it grew the churches daily.

Many of our churches today are without spiritual strength, they are weak because they have weak pastors, who don’t expound the word of God, but they water down the word of God by teaching a false gospel and twist the very scriptures to amass large numbers of people. So, yeah, they are growing in numbers, but they are not growing spiritually. The number of people in the church doesn’t always equate to spiritual growth. But a church that is committed to growing spiritually through the word of God, having a willingness to be discipled and taught weekly, will grow spiritually, and will share the gospel with others and draw them to the church, and God will add to this church according to His will.

Paul would later say how important Timothy was in his letters:

1 Corinthians 4:17“This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”

1 Thessalonians 3:2“And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith,”

1 Timothy 1:2“To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As you can see Paul made the right choice to call Timothy to come along with him and Silas on their 2nd missionary journey.