Paul's Hypocrisy?

[ICXCNIKA]

Oh I was much less delicate about it

Circumcision is always done by a rabbi or some other religious official. So whoever circumcised Timothy could vouch for him - I suppose they could provide a written document like our baptismal certificate if necessary.

I think the Collegeville (sp) commentary says that any Jewish man could perform circumcision.

 

[NotWorthy]

Ah yes the tolerant Jewish relgiion for the stuff we catholics get about the Inquistion and the fake Pius XII controversy they forget about how historically intolerant their religion is.

Intolerant for following Holy Scripture?

 

[rwoehmke]

The idea of Jewishness passing only through the mother’s line is a recent development, devised by the Rabbi’s to ensure the continuation of the Jewish race in the face of atrocities and policies of systematic rape of Jewish women by gentile soldiers in Central and Eastern Europe.

In the Old Testament, the genealogies of both mother and father are important, as in the re-establishment of the levitical service in the Book of Ezra for example.

Didn’t the Nazi’s accept this line of decent during the 2nd WW? That would hardly be considered very recent.l

 

[guanophore]

I think you are making a number of assumptions, some of which are plainly false.

Paul was a hypocrite because look what the text says so “he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area,”

Paul was not a hypocrite. Paul knew that 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God." 1 Cor 7:19

He taught that; "18 If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. " Rom 12:18-19

He wanted to avoid scandal, and since the act of circumcision was immaterial, it was of no concern to him to have it done (I agree it was probably more material to Timothy !

It was just this kind of incident Paul hoped to avoid:

Acts 21:26-30
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them.

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Troph’imus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut."

Paul did not do this, but causing scandal and riot over misunderstandings in no way furthers the gospel. It is better to be cirucumcised, avoid meat offered to idols, pray with the head covered, or otherwise blend in with the culture, so long as such actions do not compromise the gospel. There is nothing hypocritical about this.

He was doing it for the Jewish establishment not because he wanted to please Timothy’s Jewish mother who obviously didn’t care that much that she never circumcised him prior.

The first part of this is simply erroneous. There was no “Jewish establishment” in Lystra. This was a Greek area that contained diasporic Jews. At most, there were pious Jews and a synagogue, with a leader. These were country folk, and actually probably quite removed from “the Jewish establishment”.

Secondly, you don’t know Timothy’s mother “obviously didn’t care”. It was not possible for a woman to “have circumcised” a son. Timothy would have needed a male to represent him in the service, and if his father was aGreek, this would not be permitted. Another family member could do it, a relative, but there may not have been one near. On the contrary, Paul commends the faith of his mother, and grandmother:

" 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lo’is and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you." 2 Tim 1:4-6

at this point it really shoudn’t matter who his mother was

If you read the text, it was not the mother’s heritage that was the problem, it was the father’s!

Timothy was Jewish but on the otherhand we was not a practicing Jews but a Christian convert

If his mother and grandmother were faithful, long before Christianity appeared, it is very likely that he was a practicing Jew. The fact that he had not yet been circumcised may not have impacted his faith practices, since he took after his mother’s side of the family.

the Jews whom Paul was trying to impress were mandating this so you have to say Paul is a hypcorite here.

There is a big difference between “trying to impress” and avoiding unnecessary scandal.

Paul was a very humble man and said he was the lowest rank of apostle and not worthy of the title in other passages he does not pull Rank with Peter but goes to him for teaching and ruling requiring authority

Paul never went to Peter for teaching, or for rulings of authority. In fact, he states the opposite:

 

[guanophore]

Paul never went to Peter for teaching, or for rulings of authority. In fact, he states the opposite:

" Before I was born, and had called me through his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. "Gal 1:15-17

"6 And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) - those, I say, who were of repute added nothing to me; 7 but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8(for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles), 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised; " Gal 2:5-10