Physical Evidence

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

PHYISCAL EVIDENCE

Acts 16:1-5

16:1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

NIV

Here is the issue of circumcision for a reason other then doing so to become a Jew. Timothy was already Jewish through his mother’s line, however, because his father was not Jewish, being a Greek, was not circumcised nor did he have his son, Timothy circumcised. The fact after meeting Timothy, Paul wanted to take him along on the mission trip. The exact reason for wanting Timothy to go with them is left to our imagination, other then some folks speaking well of Timothy. Paul must have saw something special about Timothy and as we know, several letters were written as co-authors, Paul and Timothy. Because Paul first visits the synagogues in the cities when he arrives bringing the good news about Jesus to the Jews first, he needed to have his complete group circumcised, which now included Timothy. If Timothy was not circumcised the Jews would consider him and whoever is with him to be unclean, and thus refuse them entrance to speak. We think the idea that we are to learn here is that it could be necessary to meet some requirements to serve the Lord. However, these requirements may or may not be of some physical evidence, such as the right education, which is generally the denominational requirement to receive the right to become a minister. However, in order to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, it only takes faith, with no physical evidence of all, except the reflection of the Lord’s glory as we are being transformed into his likeness, with ever-increasing glory. So then, just as Paul needed Timothy to reflect the Jewish tradition, we need to reflect God’s glory. Sometimes, it appears we do more reflecting on our aches and pains, infirmities, illness’s or some trouble, than we do reflecting His glory. It is not that we don’t have various problems from time to time, but how we live through them is the issue. If we are stuck in them, always focused on our situation, then we can be certain there is no glory being reflected. We also cannot ignore certain situations, particular illnesses, or other physical infirmities. However, if we live through them as people of faith, believing God, who cares for us, who provides for us, who heals us, and we focus on our Lord, believing He is able and willing to work in our lives, then as with Timothy, being seen as one of them because of his physical evidence, the people we come in contact with should see the physical evidence of the glory of God within us.