Lechem Panim #188 “Lois and Eunice Release Timothy” (Acts 16:1-5) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to the show today. In our study of Acts chapter 16 we have been taking a look at Paul’s setting out from Antioch on a second missionary journey; one that was aimed at strengthening all the churches that had been founded on his first missionary journey. And so naturally he wants to take Barnabas with him, as Barnabas had been with him on that first missionary journey and was such an encouragement to him; that’s what his name means, “son of encouragement”, which was given to him by the apostles. But Barnabas insists that John Mark also come. Paul doesn’t think that is a good idea because of how John Mark had abandoned them on their first missionary journey; and so they have a sharp disagreement about this and end up splitting up. Barnabas and John Mark go to Cyprus (which is where Paul and Barnabas had entered Asia Minor on their first trip, but with Barnabas and John Mark going, Paul chooses instead to enter Galatia from the opposite direction, traveling through Syria and Cilicia. And that may seem like an arbitrary decision (and may have been to Paul); but we will see in a few moments how God was at work in that in a huge way. Now [Syria was the region around Antioch, and the neighboring region of Cilicia contained Paul’s home city of Tarsus. {And so} Many of its churches had no doubt been founded by Paul himself. {And} As Paul and Silas traveled through those areas, they were busy with their priority, strengthening the churches.] Now as they [crossed the rugged Taurus Mountains through the Cilician Gates north of Tarsus, the missionaries came to Derbe and to Lystra. Paul and Barnabas had visited these cities on their first missionary journey (Acts 14:6ff.), and Lystra had been the scene of some remarkable events. It was there that Paul had healed a lame man (14:8–10). In response, the astonished crowd proclaimed the two missionaries gods (14:11–18). Following that, Paul had been stoned nearly to death by jealous Jews from Antioch and Iconium (14:19).] Now if it were me, I’d be a little nervous coming back to Lystra. But as for Paul, the mission of reaching people always trumped concerns for his own personal safety. Like we talked about recently, he always felt that weight of glory; that burden for people who were lost or who needed Jesus. And so unless God said otherwise, he was going to go.

Timothy— Now it is sometimes when we choose to show courage to obey God even in the midst of fear or danger that God often rewards us. And we definitely see that here; because while they are [At Lystra, the missionaries were joined by a certain disciple named Timothy.] And this young man Timothy (who was probably in his late teens or early twenties at this time) would come [to play a key role in Paul’s life, eventually becoming his right-hand man (1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Thess. 3:2; Phil. 2:19).] He would also be  Paul’s “true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2; cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Tim. 1:2)]. And this was primarily because [he had been led to Christ by Paul when the apostle visited Lystra on the first missionary journey.] But it was also because of how Paul continued to pour into his life during the many years that followed. And for Timothy this was such a blessing because the way the his father is described in the imperfect tense (“was”) rather than the present suggests that he had already passed on. And so Timothy (a young man still in great need of a father figure) was blessed to find one in Paul. Now Timothy’s father had been a Greek, while his mother (Eunice) was Jewish. And so [Timothy had access to both cultures—an important qualification for missionary service at that time.]

Lois & Eunice— But another thing I don’t want to overlook is the fact that his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were also both believers (2 Timothy 1:5). And that just reminds me that behind most successful men are righteous mothers and grandmother’s who have equipped, trained and prayed their men into they eventually end up in. And I can attest to that personally. My mom has been and still is a constant source of encouragement to me. And my grandmothers (both of whom are still living) are constantly praying for me; and only eternity will show how many pitfalls I have avoided; how many physical and spiritual attacks have been driven back; and even how much of my ministry itself I owe to all three of these mighty women of God ministering to me. Now we don’t know Eunice’s story or Lois’ story. But what we do know is that they no doubt were in Lystra during the time of (and may have even witnessed) Paul and Barnabas’ persecution and Paul’s near death by stoning. And yet here they seem willing, amazingly, to allow Timothy to join with Paul in his ministry. And so if we knew nothing else about them, that alone would tell us that here were women of faith and obedience; women who also felt that “weight of glory”; and the reason we know their names today is because of their faithfulness to release this young man Timothy into the dangerous calling of following God.

Paul Chooses Timothy— Now because Timothy had been mentored and discipled by Lois and Eunice, he no doubt carried over into his own life their righteous character. Because we read in verse 2 that: He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. And Paul sees great potential in him and therefore chooses him as a disciple. And so [After being commissioned by the elders of the local assembly of believers (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6), he joined Paul and Silas, and the course of his life was set.]

A Providential Blessing— Now remember earlier I talked about how it is significant that Paul and Silas entered Asia Minor from the opposite direction; because if they had followed the same route as they did on the first missionary journey, they would not have come to Lystra until the very end of their trip. But God’s providence was at work in an amazing way as Timothy (because they came to Lystra first) now can be of help to them for their entire trip. And so God is showing that even when he calls us into difficult circumstances, we often find His greatest blessings in and during those situations.

Stepping Out To WBS— You know, in looking back at when God called me to go to seminary, I remember I wanted to wait, partially because the idea of seminary seemed way too daunting to me. I imagined myself surrounded by scholarly geniuses who would leave me in the dust. But my grandparents (because my family was in China during that time) were staying in my parents’ home, which was near Asbury College where I had been attending. And I visited them and told them of my intention to wait awhile. But (just like Eunice and Lois did with Timothy) they encouraged me not to wait. They even drove me down from Kentucky to Jackson, Mississippi to visit Wesley Biblical Seminary to kind of warm me up to the idea of starting seminary right away. And after receiving assurance that this was God’s will for my life and that it wasn’t totally beyond me and I could do this, I enrolled for that fall. And that was a big step of faith for me. And reflecting back, I think about how I never would have met and married Tanya had I chosen to wait. And so I would have missed out on who was without doubt God’s greatest blessing in my life. I don’t know who is Paul and who is Timothy in her and my relationship, but what I do know is that my life suddenly got a whole lot better after I met her. Even my grades made a marked improvement after she came into my life; because of both her belief in me and also her constant stream of encouragement, which has never stopped. Well, Timothy was kind of like that for Paul; and Paul was that for Timothy. God knew the right time and place to bring them together.

Timothy’s Circumcision— Now immediately following Timothy’s appointment to this ministry, Paul has Timothy circumcised. And some have criticized Paul for this, saying that he ended up falling into the same heresy he had fought against at the Jerusalem Council; that circumcision was necessary for salvation. However, nowhere does it say or imply that he did this in order that Timothy might be saved. Rather, it says in verse 3 that he did this because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. You see, circumcision was the number one condition that was seen as absolutely necessary for every Jew. And if Timothy did not become circumcised, all the Jews that they would meet on their missionary endeavors would assume that Timothy was renouncing his Jewish heritage; and that would place a stumbling block in the way of reaching those Jews with the message of Christianity, which remember is a fulfillment of Judaism. Also keep in mind that Paul always started his ministry in the local synagogues; and if Timothy wanted full access to those synagogues, he needed to be circumcised. And so it had nothing to do with salvation, but rather doing what is necessary in order to reach people for Jesus. Listen to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, because it really encapsulates Paul’s thinking on this…

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (ESV)— 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

The Meaning Behind The Action— Now having said this, I want to point out that later Paul did refuse to circumcise Titus (Gal. 2:3). And why was that? Because [Titus, unlike Timothy, was a full-blooded Gentile. {And} To have circumcised him would have been to capitulate to legalism. And what this reveals to us is that something might be okay to do in one culture and wrong in another; or right in one situation and wrong in another. It’s not always the action itself, but what the meaning is behind that action. Kind of like kicking a door down. That is wrong to do if you are trying to break into somebody’s house to rob them. But it is a good thing to do if their house is on fire and you are trying to save them. And so with Timothy, Paul saw circumcision as a means of avoiding unnecessary offense; but in refusing to circumcise Titus, Paul was showing that we cannot and must not compromise on any of the essential doctrines and teachings of scripture. In one circumstance circumcision is a means of helping to save people; in the other it is a practice that will rob people of the essential teaching of the Gospel, which is that salvation is by grace through faith alone. And that message (along with the council’s admonition that the gentiles live by love in being sensitive to the Jews and their ways) they are communicating to all these cities, which we see in that it says in…

Acts 16:4-5 (ESV)— 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Sold Out— Now what we can’t miss in our study today is this passage’s emphasis on what these early Christians were willing to lay on the altar for the sake of the Gospel. Timothy was willing to leave his entire old life to embrace a ministry that was permeated with danger and uncertainty. And (perhaps even more amazingly) Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were willing to release him into that ministry. They were like military moms and wives, releasing their men into danger for the sake of a greater cause. But that is what it means to be a Christian; to lay it all down for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. I hope that you and I will be just as faithful. Let’s remember that we are called to be 100% sold out to Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.