保羅在路司得初遇提摩太 — 使徒行傳讀經隨筆 第16章

保羅在路司得碰到了一個門徒，名叫提摩太，他的母親是猶太人，父親是希臘人。路司得和以哥念的弟兄都稱讚提摩太，給他好的見證。保羅想帶著他一起出去傳主的福音，但是那些地方的猶太人都知道提摩太的父親是希臘人。很可能是為了讓這些猶太人接納提摩太，好在他們中間傳主耶穌的道，保羅就給提摩太行了割禮。可見，行割禮與不行割禮正如保羅在哥林多前書裏所說都算不得什麽，目的都是為了傳揚和堅固主耶穌的福音，而不是為了守律法。提摩太後來成為保羅傳道和堅固神的道的得力助手。保羅離開提摩太後，前後兩次信寫給他，要他幫助教會堅守主的福音。

徒16:1 保羅來到特庇、又到路司得．在那裏有一個門徒、名叫提摩太、是信主之猶太婦人的兒子、他父親卻是希利尼人。
He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.
徒16:2 路司得和以哥念的弟兄、都稱讚他。
The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
徒16:3 保羅要帶他同去、隻因那些地方的猶太人、都知道他父親是希利尼人、就給他行了割禮。
Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
徒16:4 他們經過各城、把耶路撒冷使徒和長老所定的條規、交給門徒遵守。
As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.