I've entitled this message, The
Circumcision of Timothy. In Acts chapter 15, verse 1, certain men which came down from
Judea taught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. when therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them. There was an argument
over this. They refused this. They determined that Paul and
Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem
and to the apostles and elders about this question. We've looked
at that numerous times over the last several weeks. And now we
come to this very unusual event. Then came he to Derbe in Lystra,
chapter 16, and behold, a certain disciple was there named Timotheus. Now this is the man that Paul
wrote 1 and 2 Timothy to. He would later be the pastor
of the church at Ephesus, and he ended up being a very close
friend of Paul. Paul called him my son in the
gospel. And this man had a Jewess for
a mother and she believed, but his father was a Greek, which
was well reported of this man, Timothy, by the brethren that
were at Lystra and Iconium. He had impressed the brethren
with his character, with his attitude, with his understanding
of the gospel. They spoke well of him, and him
would Paul have go forth with him. He wanted to take him on
one of his missionary tours, and he took and circumcised him. The very thing that Acts 15 says
you're not to do. He took and circumcised him. And this was an adult, a young
man, a very painful thing to endure. He took him and circumcised
him because of the Jews which were in those quarters, for they
knew all that his father was a Gentile. They would have known.
His father did not have him circumcised, and Paul had him circumcised
in order to accompany him on this missionary trip. Now, I
have a purpose for introducing the message like I am. The Bible is the inspired word
of God. I'm so thankful for that. God
has given us a written revelation that is without error. And somebody
says, well, men wrote it, how do you know things weren't changed?
Well, if God can create the universe, he can inspire men to write a
book and keep it preserved. And when I preach, my appeal
is not, here's what I believe, what does God's word say? I don't
ask you to believe something because I say it, but what does
the scripture say? The Bible is the inspired word
of God. And according to the scripture,
before time began, Christ, was the lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Isn't that an incredible concept?
Before there was time, before there was space, before there
was matter, when there was no universe, Christ was the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Now, I don't understand
this, but God doesn't dwell in time. He doesn't see things in
sequence of events the way you and I do. Everything is in the
eternal now. That blows my mind. I don't understand
it. I just know it's so. And Christ
is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That's always been
God's purpose. The elect were chosen in Him, according as He
hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
That's what the Bible says. And you know, everything in the
Bible can only be interpreted in light of what took place before
time began. You think of this thing of Christ
being the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That
means the universe was created for this purpose, the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. The reason I believe in elections,
because the Bible teaches them, but I also know the elect were
chosen in Him. the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
and God's elect have never been viewed independently of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Before time began,
the blood of Christ was everything in every believer's salvation." God created the universe. He
put Adam in the garden. You know what took place. Adam
rebelled, Adam fell, Adam died, and you and I died in him, born
dead in trespasses and sins. And God sent his son, the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world into the world. And he came as a representative
for the elect. He kept the law for them. He
died for them, their sins became his sins, he became guilty of
those sins. And God punished him, he was
guilty when the wrath of God came on him because my sin became
his. And you know what he did? He
put away that sin. It's all gone. Every believer has no sin. Christ died for the elect. He
died for only the elect, and he accomplished their salvation. God the Holy Spirit in time comes
with invincible, irresistible grace through the preaching of
the gospel and creates life in those people. spiritual life. And they believe. And they have
a new nature that they did not have before. They have a heart
that they did not have before. And all of these people, by the
grace of the Holy Spirit, persevere all the way to the end. And here's
the key to perseverance. It's not just remaining religious
all the way to the end. It's really believing that Christ
is all you have all the way to the end. That's perseverance.
You look to Christ only as everything in your salvation. You look that
way when you first look to him, you look in that way now, and
you'll look that way the last breath before you die. Now, that's
so. What I've said is so. You can't
add anything to the number of gods elect. You can't diminish
them. You can't do anything to make more people saved than would
be or less people saved than would be. That's the teaching
of scripture. I've got a question. I'm asking
myself this. I've been thinking about this
all week. Does that make me any less desirous
and less zealous about witnessing and preaching to all men and
wanting to see all men believe and making sure that all men
hear the gospel. Now if my belief in God's electing
mercy and Christ's effectual atonement and the grace of the
Holy Spirit makes me less zealous to spread the gospel to preach
the gospel, I have not understood it aright. Paul said, I endure
all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the
salvation that is in Christ Jesus. Now, you remember what took place
in Acts chapter 15. Some people came along saying,
except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you can't
be saved. And then they told what they
really believed in verse 5 of Acts chapter 15. There rose up
certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed I think that's
an interesting way to say something. They didn't say they were believers.
They said there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees.
That's what identified them, which believed. They didn't say
they didn't believe, but here's what they were saying. It was
needful. It was necessary to circumcise them and to command
them to keep the law of Moses. And you know what took place
in the rest of that chapter. That's where Peter said, we believe
that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be saved. Not
by any law keeping on all part. It was a terrible burden to us.
And why are you trying to put it on somebody else? I think
it's interesting. law person, a legalist, they always have
a different standard for themselves and everybody else. You can just
write that down. They're always going to be a
lot more strict on other people and expect things out of them
that they really don't expect out of themselves. Now that is
what was going on at this time. And then Paul turns around and
has Timothy circumcised? After all of this, I mean the
timing of this, the first thing that happens in Acts chapter
16, after all this took place in chapter 15, the first thing
he does when he's going to have Timothy go preach with him, and
he was a young man, this wasn't a baby, he remembered it, babies
don't remember anything like that, but boy he does, he submitted
himself to being circumcised. He didn't have to, he wasn't
required to, I mean, look what all Acts chapter 15 says, yet
he submits to circumcision and Paul circumcises him. Why? Why? Turn with me for a moment
to Galatians chapter 2. Verse three, but neither Titus, this is the
one he wrote the epistle to Titus, the same one, Timothy, Titus. Now he's talking about Titus, but neither Titus who was with
me being a Greek, he was a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.
And that because of false brethren, unawares, brought in who came
in privileged to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ
Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. Titus needs
to be circumcised. To whom we give place by subjection,
no, not for an hour, not for a minute. Titus needs to be circumcised. No, no way. Why? That the truth of the gospel
might continue. with you." Now, he didn't say
that about Timothy, but here with regard to Titus, when men
were saying, he needs to be circumcised. He can't please God unless he's
circumcised. Paul said, we didn't give him
even a second that the truth of the gospel might continue.
And there's something else that gives us a little bit more light
on this in this chapter. Look in verse 11 of the same chapter,
Galatians chapter 2. When Peter was coming to Antioch,
that Gentile church, I withstood him to the face, publicly, because he was to be
blamed. What he did was blameworthy. Well, what did he do? For before
that certain came from James, these Jewish believers, he did
eat with the Gentiles. I imagine he was having pork
or something like that, something that was forbidden in the law,
but everything's clean. And he was with the Gentiles,
fellowshipping with them, enjoying them. But when certain from James
come, what did he do? He withdrew and separated himself
fearing them which were of the circumcision. He knew they wouldn't
approve. He saw these Jewish believers
coming down from Jerusalem, and they wouldn't approve of him
sitting at a Gentile table. Now, they were wrong, but Peter
caved in. He was afraid of these men. He wanted to please them, and
he knew they would displease, so he didn't say anything. No
word spoken. All he did was get up from the
table, walk over to the other table and sit down. How did Paul
respond to this? Verse 13, and the other Jews
dissembled likewise with him. Now that word dissembled means
played the hypocrite. He says at this time, Peter is
being a complete hypocrite. Now, I'm sure Peter knew he was
being a complete hypocrite. And when you and I are being
complete hypocrites, I think we generally know we're being
complete hypocrites. It's a terrible thing to deal
with. And Barnabas was carried away with this hypocritical action. But when I saw, verse 14, that
they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I
said unto Peter before them all." Publicly, he didn't take Peter
off into a corner and say, Peter, look, this was wrong and here's
why. And the reason he did this publicly because this led other
people to go in his direction just by his example. Now what
Peter was saying was, yes, I'm not denying these Gentiles are
saved. They're saved. I have fellowship with them.
But somehow you're more pleasing to God being with the circumcised
people. being at the Jewish table, observing
Jewish dietary laws. Somehow, I'm not saying these
Gentiles are not saved, but somehow this is better. And what he was
saying by that action, without us speaking a word, is Christ
is not all in salvation. That's exactly what he was saying.
Christ is salvation, but you're a little bit more pleasing to
God You're a little bit more blessed of God. You're a little
bit more obedient if you go over here and live like the Jews. And Paul publicly reprimanded
him because he was, Paul says by that action, denying the truth
of the gospel. What is the truth of the gospel? Christ is all, and everything
else is nothing. And that's the truth of the gospel,
and that is what Peter was calling into question by his conduct
and by his action. Look what Paul says later on
in this epistle in Galatians chapter 5 with regard to circumcision. Stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if you be circumcised, what are those next five words? Christ
shall profit you nothing. You've left grace. For I testify
again to every man that is circumcised, if you're gonna go that route,
then you're a debtor to do the whole law, to keep the law perfectly
in yourself. Christ has become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, you're
fallen from grace. Now that's what Paul has to say
about circumcision here. It's a denial of the truth of
the gospel. Now, just real briefly, I've
got to ask this question, and really this ought to be addressed
every time the gospel is preached. What is the gospel? What is the
gospel? Well, Paul said, moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel. How that? Notice every word,
it's very important. How that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures. We already considered this a
little bit this morning, but let me remind you, God said,
here's how he died for our sins according to the Old Testament
scriptures. You slay a lamb, Take its blood, put it over the
doorposts. You eat that lamb, eat all of
it. Don't let anything till the morning. Eat it in haste. Don't
wait. That means believe right now.
Don't wait for something to happen. Don't wait for some experience.
Don't wait for some feeling. Don't wait till you get your
life straightened out somehow better. Believe right now. Eat all of it. I'm gonna pass
through the land, you're in that house with the blood over the
door. And God said, when I see the blood. He didn't say when
I see your efforts against sin, to strive against sin. He didn't
say when I see your good works. He didn't say when I see your
sincerity or your praying or your Bible reading or your witnessing
or anything else. He said, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. That, my dear friend, is the
gospel. And to add anything to that,
to say when I see the blood and your circumcision, your law keeping,
your efforts, your what, fill in the blank, the gospel has
been left. That is why Paul rebuked Peter
as he did. Now, why then did Paul have Timothy
to be circumcised? When he makes these strong statements
in Galatians, in Acts 15, in Galatians chapters two and six,
why would he make Timothy become circumcised. Now look back in
Acts chapter 16. Then came he to Derbe and Lystra,
and behold, a certain disciple was there named Timotheus. Timothy's an interesting character.
I like to read Timothy. both epistles. You know, he said
to Timothy, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
God's not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and of power
and of a sound mind. And I think Timothy was just
naturally timid. That was his makeup. There are people that
are like that. That's their makeup. And he's exhorting Timothy to
be bold in preaching the gospel in first and second Timothy.
And he had never been circumcised. His mother was a Jew that believed,
but his father was a Greek and he'd never been circumcised.
And this young man, verse two, which was well reported of by
the brethren that were in Lycera and Iconium. I mean, there was
something special about this young man. It was evident that
this man had an understanding of the gospel, had a love for
Christ, had a zeal for God's glory, had a love for men. He
wanted to see them brought to a saving knowledge of Christ.
He demonstrated what a special young man he was. Verse 3, him
would Paul have to go forth with him. Now, you'll remember Mark
had left him on his last missionary journey, and I guess Paul's looking
for someone to take Mark's place at this time, and he knew Timothy
would be a valuable aid to him in this missionary journey he
was getting ready to go out on. Him and Paul had to go forth
with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews which
were in those quarters, for they knew that he was a Greek. Now Paul knew that all the elect
would be saved, didn't he? If Timothy circumcised, that's
not gonna make more people saved. The only people that are saved
are the people that Christ died for, that God chose before time
began. And the reason we must always
emphasize that is because our emphasis is salvations by grace.
That's, election doesn't keep people from being saved. God's
electing mercy saves people who would have otherwise been damned.
And we emphasize that. Christ, maybe Christ didn't die
for you. No, we don't say anything like
that. But we know this, if Christ died for you, you must be saved.
That's why we stand for the effectual atonement of Christ. That's so
important, Paul understood that. And Paul also knew that there
was a large Jewish population in that place. And he knew that
a Jew would just have a hard time hearing somebody who'd never
been circumcised. So he had Timothy circumcised
so they would be able to hear him preach. Now he refused to
circumcise Titus because of his love for the gospel. and he circumcised
Timothy because of his love for men. He was making it easier
for them to hear what Timothy would have to say. He was willing
to sacrifice his liberties, his rights, if it would enable someone
to hear the gospel. That ought to describe me and
you. in every respect. It ought to describe me and you. Look what Paul said in Romans
9. Verse 1, I say the truth in Christ, I
lie not, I'm not just being religious, my conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and nonstop
sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ, from my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the
flesh. Now, Paul knew that that couldn't
happen. He knew that. He understood that. But that
was his desire. My desire for their salvation
is so great that I could wish myself accursed from Christ. You know, the Lord did allow
himself to be cursed of God for his brethren, his kinsmen according
to the Spirit, his seed, the child of God. Now, turn with
me to 1 Corinthians 9. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 16. Paul says, for though I preach
the gospel. And you know, Paul did preach
the gospel. And you know, I preach the gospel. The gospel is made of many truths that make
the one truth. And if a man willingly leaves
out any one truth to keep from offending people, it may be that
everything he said was true, but he didn't preach the truth.
He didn't preach the gospel. Now, the Bible's a big book.
The Lord uses the whole Bible to define the gospel, and you
can't get it down to any set cliches or formulas and say,
well, here's the gospel, and you're looking for certain words.
No, the Bible's a big book. Has a lot of things in it that
make the one truth, and for a man to leave out any aspect of the
truth, to keep from offending people and to keep people happy,
I don't care if everything else he said was true. He's not preached
the gospel. Though I preach the gospel. The preaching of the
gospel is a person. In Acts chapter 16, we're gonna get through that
in a few weeks, when that Philippian jailer said, sirs, what must
I do to be saved? What a question. Paul didn't
say, well, there's nothing you can do. You're coming to God
on legal grounds. He didn't say that. He didn't
say, well, you need to seek the Lord more, you need to pray more,
you need to strive more against sin, you need to study more,
you need to witness more, you need to cry out more, you need
to feel more. He said, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. If I add anything to that,
I've not preached the gospel. Paul said, though I preach the
gospel, I have nothing to glory of. You know, anybody that truly
preaches the gospel knows they have nothing to glory of. Let
me give you a couple of reasons, two real powerful reasons why
I have nothing to glory of. Paul had nothing to glory of.
I'm still a sinner. I know I'm nothing but sin in
and of myself. I know I'm nothing but vanity
in and of myself. I know that. I don't know it
near as well as I ought to know it. But I know it. I don't have anything to glory
of. Look, I'm a sinner. And the ability to preach the
gospel is a gift. It's a gift. It's not something
I work for or earned. It's a gift. I don't have anything
to glory in. Look what he says next. He says,
yea, necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach
not the gospel. You know what he means by that?
He means if I don't preach the gospel, I'll go to hell. That's
scary, but that's so. If I don't preach the gospel,
woe unto me. For if I do this thing willingly,
this thing of preaching the gospel, I have a reward. But if against
my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me,
what is my reward then? Bigger crown? Bigger place in
heaven? Bigger mansion? More recognition? What's my reward then? Verily
that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ
without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. That's my reward. That's a glorious
reward, isn't it? For though I be free from all
men, I don't need to follow men's laws and Jewish laws and Men's
expectations and men's false expectations. I'm free from all
men. Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant
to all that I might gain the more. That's what Paul said. Somebody says, does that mean
there can be more people saved than just the elect? No, you
know Paul didn't. He didn't believe that for a second, but he was
saying, I'm adapting myself to any way I need to in order to
preach the gospel. Now look at what he says next.
He says, under the Jews, I become as a Jew, that I might gain the
Jews. To them that are under the law
is under the law, that I might gain them that are under the
law. To them that are without the law is without law. being
not without law to God, but unto the law of Christ, that I might
gain them that are without the law, to the weak become I as
weak, that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some." Now, this obviously does
not mean To the adulterers, I become an adulterer so I can gain the
adulterers. Or to the thieves, I go ahead and start robbing
banks so they can relate with me and I can preach the gospel
to the thieves. You know he's not saying that,
but what he is saying is I will adapt myself to any way so men
can hear the gospel. I will surrender my rights. Did Timothy surrender his rights?
He didn't have to be circumcised. But he willingly submitted himself
to this to make it easier for men to hear the gospel. Now what
that's called is love. Love to men. I like what Paul,
or what Scott Richardson said. He said, we're in the people
business. Yes, we're preaching the gospel. And that's all we're
preaching. And we're not going to change
the message in any way. But didn't the Lord say, follow
me and I will make you fishers of men. Now that is what Paul
is talking about. Proverbs 1130 says, he that winneth
souls is wise. Now I realize that's been so
butchered by what they call soul winners, because if you know
the gospel, you know you can't. make someone save. You preach
the gospel to them, but only the Lord can save someone. And
there's such flesh in proselytizing. Oh, I want to be used by God.
Why do you want to be used by God? Well, I want to be used
to bring people to the knowledge of Christ. There's so much vanity. There's so much flesh. There's
so much self-seeking in men's attitude about, oh, I want to
be a soul winner. Why? It's so I can be recognized as
someone greatly used of God and somebody God's hand is on and
I want to be recognized in that. That's a bunch of vanity. That's
all it is. It's sinful flesh. It's seeking
to promote yourself. So I'm not talking about that.
But don't you want to be a true winner of souls? He that winneth
souls is wise. And every one of us should be
described as people who win souls, and we should be willing to adapt
ourselves and give up our rights, like Timothy, in order to preach
the gospel. And I've been asking myself all
week, do I know anything about this? Do I know anything about
it? And my initial response is no.
No. But I want to. Like Paul, and
I know you want to as well. You see, our position in this
world is to persuade men, all men, to believe the gospel. That's our purpose. People you
work with, people you come in contact with, we want to persuade
men to believe The gospel. You know, men don't know the
value of their own soul. They really don't. But the Lord
said, what should a profit a man if he should gain the whole world
and lose his soul? That's a horrible thing to think
about, isn't it? What shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? That's the Lord's words. Now
I wanna close by looking at one other passage of scripture. I'm
not gonna really make comment on it. Turn to 2 Corinthians
chapter five. Beginning in verse 17, therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. I've got a comment on this. What
that means is you've got a new heart that wasn't there before,
and you've got a new history. You've got a new history, and it's all
good. That's not talking about, well, I don't have the same struggle
with sin I used to have, and I don't have the same wicked
desires I used to have. Yeah, you do. They're all there.
You know it. I don't have to convince you
of that. But being a new creature in Christ Jesus, all things are.
You've got a new standing for the law of God. Perfect. You've
got a new heart that wasn't there before. Old things are passed
away. Behold, all things have become
new and all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ and had given to us the ministry of reconciliation. This is what every believer is
to be a partaker of. To wit, here's what it is that
God was in Christ. reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation that we're to bring to the world.
Now then, we are ambassadors of Christ. As though God did
beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God. For, here's why, he hath made
him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. Now, when I see Paul circumcising
Timothy, and I see Timothy willingly submitting himself to that, to
preach the gospel, oh, Lord, make me like that, make me want
to be like that, for Christ's sake. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
gospel. We ask that you would give us a desire for the salvation
of men, not for our own glory, for feathers in our own hat deliver
us from that, but cause us to be ambassadors of thy Son, beseeching
men to be reconciled to God because of the great reconciliation the
Lord accomplished on Calvary's tree. Bless this message for
your glory and for our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
Dwight and company,