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Week Fifteen, Day Five

Acts 16: 1-5

After a three-to-five year absence, Paul returned to the neighboring towns of Derbe and Lystra. So successful was Paul in converting these cities that, two centuries later, the Roman Emperor Diocletian had the city destroyed and buried. Many of the residents fled to France, taking the church with them.

It was during the first missionary visit to Lystra that people mistook Paul and Barnabas for Zeus and Hermes. It also was here that Paul was stoned and left for dead. This time, he returns to find the church they had established flourishing. Of note, he meets a young man named Timothy and makes him his disciple. While nothing sexual is implied by the text, this was an age and a region where older men often took young men under their wings as students or apprentices. Were this any text other than the Bible, we would be discussing just what kind of relationship Paul had with Timothy.

Again, there is nothing to indicate that it was sexual, but it is enlightening to be aware that the Church's sex-negative attitude is what keeps this conversation or consideration from ever happening. In any other Greek text from that day, we at least would consider this possibility, but I'm not sure that even I am brave enough to say any more.

One thing that is interesting about this is that young Timothy's mother was Jewish and his father was Greek. Because of his father, Timothy apparently was not circumcised as an infant. The text says that Paul decided that needed to be done. Some translations indicate that Paul actually did the circumcision. The challenging thing is that Paul has just fought the conservatives in the Church to win the right for Gentile Christians not to have to be circumcised. The text says that it is because Timothy's mother was Jewish that Paul thought he needed to perform this ritual for the sake of his work among Jewish Christians. This is interesting because Timothy is the product of a mixed marriage, and even circumcision would not win him acceptance among orthodox Jews of that day.

Paul's discipleship of Timothy will continue and will find its way into other New Testament books as well. Later, Paul will even make mention of Timothy's mother and grandmother. Timothy will accompany Paul as a missionary, will be his emissary, and, in the end, will accompany Paul to Rome for his execution. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he called Timothy a “beloved son.” Life is forever changed for Paul, for Timothy, and for the Church by the relationship that is born on Paul's second visit to Lystra. They first time he is stoned. This time he finds a young friend and disciple for life. If I'd been Paul, I'm not sure I'd have gone back to see what God had in store.

Blessings,

Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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