Our text today comes just after the famous Jerusalem Council (see Acts 15:1-35). At this meeting, the Apostles in Jerusalem decided that Christians did not have to obey all the laws laid down by Moses in the Old Testament. It would be enough if they would, “abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” This was good news! Christians would not need to follow all the dietary, cleanliness, and other laws observant Jews were expected to observe. This was especially good news for Gentile converts because they could continue eating pork (a major source of protein in the Greek and Roman diet) and did not have to be circumcised.
Good News in hand, Paul and Barnabas decide to visit the young churches, sharing and encouraging them to follow the way of Jesus.
Paul and Barnabas have been friends for years, fellow co-workers in the mission field, planting and nourishing churches everywhere they went. But this time, they have a serious falling out. Barnabas wants to take Mark with them. Paul won’t have it. He has been against Mark ever since Mark deserted them on their last trip. Eventually, the disagreement becomes so sharp that the old friends separate. Barnabas and Mark go one way. Paul and Silas (new BFFs) go another.
Why did these comrades in ministry go their separate ways? Was Mark’s behavior really that bad? Did Paul not believe in second chances? Was Paul or Barnabas, or both, having a really bad day? We don’t know.
What we do know is that sometimes even the best of friends have a rupture in their relationship. It’s sad, but it happens. When it does, the best we can do is try to mediate. And if that fails, we should pray for God’s grace to bring about a reconciliation between all the parties.
Paul and Silas go their way, spreading the Gospel. As they do, they meet Timothy, a bright young man they decide to take with them on their journey. But Timothy is a hybrid. He has a Jewish mother but a Greek (non-Jewish) father. For some reason, we don’t know why, Timothy was never circumcised.
Because he knows he is going to encounter stiff resistance from Jewish Christians who are still following the Mosaic laws, Paul has Timothy circumcised.
Wait a minute, we say! That can’t be right! The message of the Jerusalem Council was that we don’t have to be circumcised anymore. Elsewhere, Paul rails against the practice of circumcision and boldly declares that Jesus will have nothing to do with those who allow themselves to be circumcised (see Galatians 5:2-6.)
Why, when he is so set against it, does Paul have Timothy circumcised? Is Paul breaking under pressure from the Jewish Christians? Or is he simply bending in the face of reality? We don’t know. Only Paul knows for sure.
It would be easy to cast aspersions at Paul. Denounce him for being too headstrong and not showing God’s grace to Mark. Call him a hypocrite for what he did to Timothy. But we weren’t there. We don’t know what was going through his mind. We can regret his behavior, but we would be wise to grant him some grace. Perhaps we should remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge or you, too, will be judged.”
Our text today reminds us that even Apostles can go through a rough patch. Sometimes they get hopelessly mad at old friends and relationships of years are broken in hours or minutes. Sometimes they face hard realities of ministry and must walk the fine line between bending and breaking.
May we extend God’s grace to Paul and to all those who came before us in our faith. And may those who come afterwards extend that grace to us.
God’s peace to all,
Pastor Ken.