Chapter 30—Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
After a time Paul again visited Lystra, where he had been greeted
as a God by the heathen; where the opposing Jews had followed on his
track, and by falsehood and misrepresentation had turned the reverence
of the people into insult, abuse, and a determination to kill him. Yet
we find him again on the scene of his former danger, looking after the
fruit of his labors there.
He found that the converts to Christ had not been intimidated by
the violent persecution of the apostles; but, on the contrary, were
confirmed in the faith, believing that through trial and suffering, the
kingdom of Christ would be reached.
Paul found that Timothy was closely bound to him by the ties of
Christian union. This man had been instructed in the Holy Scriptures
from his childhood, and educated for a strictly religious life. He had
witnessed the sufferings of Paul upon his former visit to Lystra, and
the bonds of Christian sympathy had knit his heart firmly to that of the
apostle. Paul accordingly thought best to take Timothy with him to
assist in his labors.
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The extreme caution of Paul is manifested in this act. He had
refused the companionship of Mark, because he dared not trust him
in an emergency. But in Timothy he saw one who fully appreciated
the ministerial work, who respected his position, and was not appalled
at the prospect of suffering and persecution. Yet he did not venture to
accept Timothy, an untried youth, without diligent inquiry with regard
to his life and character. After fully satisfying himself on those points,
Paul received Timothy as his fellow-laborer and son in the gospel.
Paul, with his usual good judgment, caused Timothy to be circum-
cised; not that God required it, but in order to remove from the minds
of the Jews an obstacle to Timothy’s ministration. Paul was to labor
from place to place in the synagogues, and there to preach Christ. If
his companion should be known as an uncircumcised heathen, the
work of both would be greatly hindered by the prejudice and bigotry
of the people. The apostle everywhere met a storm of persecution.
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