Unstoppable! 'Sensitive to Their Influence' — Acts 16:1-4

Paul chose Timothy to join Silas and him on their mission team. People who knew Timothy spoke highly of him. Timothy came from a rock-solid background in Scripture with his grandmother and mother. However, his father was a Gentile and had raised Timothy as a Gentile man — not circumcised as a covenant-keeping Jewish male would have been.* Just as the Jerusalem council had decided (Acts 15:1, 23, 28-29), Paul was adamant that circumcision must not be required of Gentiles as Christians. He didn't allow Titus, a fully Gentile young team member he chose later, to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3). However, Jews considered Timothy to be a Jew since his mother was Jewish. With Paul beginning his outreach in each new city in the synagogue, circumcision was both an important declaration of Timothy's loyalty to his Hebrew heritage and a wise move to prevent unnecessary obstacles to the Good News about Jesus. Paul was committed to not let his behavior and practices make it hard for people to come to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). We should carefully follow his example in our commitment to cross-cultural outreach!

* Our Related Scripture Readings speak to Paul's approach related to his mission to Gentiles and Jews.