Traveling with Timothy

Good morning all,
This morning we meet Timothy, a young leader in the early church to whom Paul wrote two of the letters that ended up in the Bible. We're reading the first of those letters in session as our opening devotion. It's fascinating that after receiving the official word from the leaders in Jerusalem that people don't have to be circumcised to follow Jesus Paul had Timothy circumcised anyway. It seems to have been a strategic decision because Timothy's mother was Jewish (and a follower of Jesus) and his father wasn't, and Paul wanted it clear where Timothy's allegiance lay. I guess the lesson is that sometimes we do what we don't need to do because it will help us achieve our goals more effectively.

Paul and Timothy travel together to spread the gospel and to share the council's decision about gentile believers. Twice we're told that God kept them from going somewhere they had planned to go. We don't know how God communicated this to them, but it's a good reminder that the church's agenda is never its own. This vision of a man calling for Paul's help has been an important image in world mission since that vision. God always calls us to take the word of hope to new places. For many of us that won't be around the world but will be right in our back yard.

Blessings,
Sam

Acts 16:1-10
1 Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. 2He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. 3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

6They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.