What was Paul thinking?

If you haven't read the passage for today, please stop reading this and open your Bible. The passage is Acts 15:36-16:5. Go ahead, I will wait.

Wow! I get to deal with some fun stuff today...

First, you read about Paul and Barnabas deciding to head back out on another missionary excursion after they just went to Jerusalem and then returned to Antioch. They agreed to go back out, but that is where their agreement ceases. Barnabas wanted to take a man named John Mark with them on this journey, but Paul was not having it. John Mark started out with them in Acts 13, but decided to return to Jerusalem in Acts 13:13. Why on earth would they want to take him back out with them?

You may remember that Barnabas had a nickname: Son of Encouragement. In fact, Paul himself was a beneficiary of Barnabas' encouraging persona. When Paul came to Jerusalem, after his conversion, the Christians were afraid of him, but Barnabas stood up for him, explaining that he had truly been converted by Jesus himself. However, certain people finally succeeded in running Paul out of town, and he returned to his home town. But Barnabas wasn't finished with this Paul guy. When Barnabas came to Antioch and saw what was going on, he went and picked Paul up and brought him back.

So Paul knows firsthand what it was like to have someone bring him under their wing. Why would he not give John Mark a second chance? Was he wrong? What do we learn from this?

Paul was on a mission, and he was not slowing down for anyone. He became focused on the mission so much that he lost sight of what Barnabas was so instrumental in doing. Barnabas was into restoring people and their confidence. Paul wasn't patient enough for that, so Paul and Barnabas separated. And John Mark later wrote a book which we refer to as the Gospel of Mark.

Enter Timothy! Remember that Jerusalem Council thing? You know, the majority of Acts 15 about Gentiles not needing to be circumcised to be saved. Yeah, that story. So here we are, less than a chapter later, and Paul takes Timothy and circumcises him.

WHAT?!?!?!

Yep, Paul circumcises Timothy because of the Jews in the area. You see, Timothy was considered a Jew because his mom was a Jew. His dad was not a Jew, but that didn't make much difference. Paul circumcised Timothy so it would not be a stumbling block for the Jews they would preach to.
To make it even more weird, they went from there sharing the Council in Jerusalem's decision that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised.

If I were Timothy, I would have lied and said I was a Gentile. Just sayin'...

So the moral of the story is this: Give people second chances, but please circumcise the boys on the eighth day...it is much less painful.

Brought to you by your Lifegroup Pastor, Gary Luedecke.