36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, … 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Acts 15
Was it right for Paul and Barnabas who’d done so much together for the Gospel to separate? We don’t know, but it seems that the Holy Spirit acknowledged their decision and didn’t intervene. Believers can separate even at the highest level and God gives us free will to choose. This disagreement forms the backdrop for the introduction of Timothy, who would become a key New Testament figure alongside Paul.
16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where A DISCIPLE NAMED TIMOTHY LIVED, WHOSE MOTHER WAS JEWISH AND A ‘BELIEVER’ BUT WHOSE FATHER WAS A GREEK. Acts 16:1
Timothy (Greek, Timo Theos, means HONOURING GOD)
In Irish, Gaelic, the name for Timothy is Tadhg, meaning ‘poet or philosopher’. (Tadhg Furlong is a world class front row prop on the current Irish Rugby team). Lastly, I remember my father showing me a straight piece of grass, long stem with many seeds on top and telling me it was called Timothy. Named after an American farmer, Timothy Hansen who introduced it to Carolina from New York c1720. (It was sweet to chew, maybe that’s why I remember it.)
2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Acts 16
I believe Timothy was like the grass, he was an upright man. Paul wanted to add him to the team, but his father was a Greek and that wouldn’t be acceptable among the Jewish believers. His mother was Jewish and also a believer in the Lord. Paul had to circumcise Timothy, in order to take him along with him. There has to be a oneness with those we’re sharing Christ with and much of today’s Church can’t bridge that divide, but a new generation of believers is coming. Timothy paid the price to accompany Paul on his journey.
40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Acts 15
4 As they travelled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Acts 16
THE CHURCH in Acts was always a growing Church and Paul sought to strengthen their faith wherever he went. Jerusalem was still the central decision making part of the body on earth and Paul carried their decisions to the scattered groups of believers. He was the Lord’s chosen instrument for His newly birthed Church.
Immanuel, Stay Strong, God is with us.