The leadership had discussed, deliberated and decided. There had certainly been debate. People felt strongly on both sides.
‘If we allow this to happen, everything we stand for will mean nothing.’ Honestly, both sides were saying it and both felt it was a matter of salvation. ‘Agree with me or I don’t know how you could possibly be a Christian.’
After all, all the facts support my view. If you choose to believe otherwise, it is only because of your preconceived or ill-conceived view of matters. I cannot possibly be judged for considering you to be less intelligent, less caring, or less than Christ-like if you oppose my view.
That’s what everyone, on both sides of the argument, was saying.
The issue at hand was, of course, circumcision. I’m sorry, did you assume I was talking about something else?
The Council in Jerusalem had just met. It’s recorded in Acts 15 if you’d like to review it. Everyone who was anyone was there and they made certain their voice was heard. Should Gentiles who had become Christ-followers be forced to circumcise their men-folk? In the end, they decided there was no need to enforce this.
When We Do What We Don’t Have To Do
The decision in Acts 15 is what makes what happens in Acts 16 so very interesting.
Paul was one of the disciples sent out to deliver the news to churches in other cities. Good news, everybody! You don’t have to be circumcised in order to be a Christian.
But who would go along with him to help deliver this good news and help encourage believers and evangelize the lost? Paul chose a guy named Tim. And do you know how he helped prepare Tim for the journey?
With a conversation I would like to reimagine
Paul: Hey, Tim. Would you like to go with me on a trip to share the gospel?
Tim: sure thing. What’s with the knife in your hand?
He circumcised Tim.
Listen, I don’t know if he did the job himself. Were there do-it-yourself circumcision kits? Maybe. Does it help you to know Paul was a tentmaker by trade and was likely skilled with a needle and thread?
It’s really not important, because the point is that he circumcised his teammate in order to take him on a journey to churches to inform them that circumcision was not needed for salvation.
Why Does It Matter?
Have you ever seen the impact of certain rules or freedoms? Have you ever been surprised to see that not everyone agreed, or even cared, about what you thought was the right thing to do?
The fact is that the Jerusalem Council had declared circumcision to be unnecessary for salvation. But culturally, there would be many Jews in the cities where Paul was traveling who didn’t see things that way. So Tim was circumcised.
It’s almost as if Paul understood the salvation of those they were going to see was more important than Tim’s right to remain uncircumcised. Indeed, we have a lot to learn as a twenty-first century church when it comes to giving up our rights for the sake of the gospel.
Here’s what I don’t know. How did the people know if Tim was circumcised or not? Did they accept his word for it, or not? It’s hard to imagine this being a pics-or-it-didn’t-happen kind of experience, but what do I know?
Here’s what I do know. The result was fantastic. “The churches became stronger in their faith, and each day more people put their faith in the Lord.” ~Acts 16:5
When The Unnecessary Is Still Needed
It seems pretty straightforward. Circumcision was no longer necessary for salvation. And yet, the giving up of those rights led to many more receiving salvation.
The implications for our society should be painfully obvious. Are people going to necessarily receive salvation from Jesus because I wear a mask?
No. But they are definitely not going to be open to hearing about God’s love for them from someone who is shouting about their personal rights.
Does anyone recall when Jesus was on the cross, shouting out about His rights, His scientific superiority, and His unmatchable logic?
Neither do I.
Jesus gave up his rights. For His own sake, it was unnecessary. But for our sake, it was very much needed.
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