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Acts Chapter 16 Notes and Comments


I could not find answers to some questions in Acts 16, even using good commentary.  This should be an exciting Bible Study...

When I was preparing a study in Acts 16, and I somehow ended up in a study of Ephesians 2.  So go figure. 

I ran across questions that even the learned commentators could not figure too clearly. 

One of them was why Paul decided that Timothy had to be circumcised.  As far as I see there is no clear answer.  So I did some reading and digging and took a stab at it.  Scripture says "because they knew his father was a Greek."

I just want to caution you that much of what I write here has to fall in the area of presumption.  I'm guessing about this, so the best remedy is for you to read the scripture for yourself and do your own research.  But for me, here goes....

Paul circumcised Timothy in Acts 16 so that in their misson to spread the decree that Gentiles no longer had to become Jews, Timothy would serve to give this decree more credibility. How?  Because both Gentiles and Jews had to know that believers were now free of that engrained but opposing doctrine.

Gentiles are not required to be following the law of Moses and all the Jewish traditions, but rather uncircumcised Gentiles were saved by faith in Jesus, and accepted into the church just as they are. 

The fact that now, here in Acts 16, Timothy joined Paul in delivering this landmark decree for freedom and in that, the scripture says they were "strenthening the churches."

Timothy's mother was Jewish and his father was a Greek both presumably believers in Christ.  Here Paul's going to insist that all this flesh heritage stuff has no meaning in this new covenant, but only our belief and faith in Jesus Christ. 
 
Because these churches who may not have been completely sure about it, the young Timothy helped to strenthen the decree as being this young bright and eloquent guy who had both a Jewish and a Greek heritage. 

Maybe Paul figured this young Christian Timothy was a real life example of the Jew who had received the awakening, .ie the Holy Spirit assurance and could testify from both the Gentile Greek point of view as well as the Jewish point of view.

Maybe Timothy was like the real-life example of something Paul was writing about in the letter to the Ephesians.... Only because here you have someone who might have been inflicted with the lable of being called a "half Jew".

Paul explains it fully in Ephesians 2.  Ephesians  2:11-22  (read)

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by physical hands;  

(Physical hands made a Jew by circumcision in the past, but the Lord's true fulfillment came in the cross of Christ which  causes a circumcision of the heart, not by physical hands, but by the operation of The Holy Spirit. Then continues speaking to Gentiles,)

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

(But God will bring the light. Also.."they are not all Israel who are of Israel": read from Romans 9:1-7 In the prime objective of delivering this Jerusalem decree from the elders of the church, he is giving evidence that God's plan from the beginning was to BRING IN THE GENTILES and that was the hardest pill these folks were ever going to swallow.

Because you remember that this has been a source of much contention throughout history.  Yet Paul proves his point in all the context of his writings.

When we discuss one point, we can go back and see that the collective thrust of his point was that God's authorship in both pattern and plan was from the very beginning to bring light to the Gentiles.  (Isaiah 49:6)  But it took Christ to effect it and make it real to the human heart.)  

REMEMBER THE HEART AND THIS IS THE DECREE PAUL AND SILAS HAD TO DELIVER.  THEY HAD THIS HARD JOB TO PRESENT A DECREE THAT WAS NOT A SIMPLE DOGMA, BUT A LOGICAL TREATIS THAT WOULD CONVINCE EVEN WELL-READ BIBLICAL SCHOLARS.  And Now to see this repeated, go back to
Ephesians 2 and now 13 verse.

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

(Ref. Christ's crucifiction and earthquake)

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

(Interesting how when we see the context of history there would three points to make: 1. be the collapse of Temple Sacrifice and worship because of the Roman war.  2. And all that religion that was outside of Christ would soon become orphaned and 3. Many would be led by corrupt Rabbis into Judaic Occultism, .ie Rabbinic tales of power, Racist Talmudic fables, and the witchcraft -like Kabbala and other superstions never found in scripture and mostly all manmade by Jews without a land to go back to-- til 1948.) Jesus would be the only logical open door for them.

 Continue on reading at Ephesians 2:16

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
 
SO CONCLUSION, GOD NEVER STOPS BUILDING.  PITY THOSE IN CHRISTENDOM WHO FEEL THEY CAN END IT, PUT A ROOF ON THIS BUILDING. MANY PAST DENOMINATIONS HAVE ATTEMPTED IT.  LET'S QUOTE:  "AND HIS KINGDOM SHALL HAVE NO END..." SAYS LUKE 1:33  THE QUOTE FROM THE ANGEL GABRIEL TO MARY ABOUT THE CHILD...THE CHRISTMAS ACCOUNT.  LUKE WROTE IT DOWN OF THE STORY MARY RELATED TO HIM, MAYBE AT EPHESUS WHERE MANY EXILED WERE GATHERED.    

continue reading in Ephesians 2

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

That's just a few thoughts and there's just a lot of material on this.