Was Paul Inconsistent with Timothy and Titus?

Was Paul Inconsistent with Timothy and Titus?

Paul replicated himself in furtherance of his ministry and delegated ministry responsibilities in his missionary efforts. As Paul moved around the map planting churches and equipping existing churches, he equipped fellow ministers to carry on his work in the Gospel.  Some of Paul’s most notable fellow ministers included Timothy, Titus, Tychicus, and Onesimus.  Paul’s relationships with Titus and Timothy, might lead one to believe that he was inconsistent.  What brings this inconsistency into question is the fact that Paul had Timothy circumcised and left Titus uncircumcised.  The argument of this post is that Paul was not inconsistent in his handling of this issue, and the underlying issue is the furtherance of the Gospel.  How is someone being circumcised or someone abstaining from circumcision a Gospel issue?  Follow along as this particular issue in Gospel centrality is explained.

Timothy was born to a diverse family.  His father was a Greek and a Gentile (Acts 16:1).  Timothy’s mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5) is mentioned first in Luke’s account which symbolizes the importance of their relationship and the impact Timothy’s mother undoubtedly had on him (Acts 16:1-3). Paul also describes in his letter to Timothy that he recognizes his sincere faith that was developed in him by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5).  Lois and Eunice are biblical examples that still encourage modern day believers to disciple their children and to train them up in the Lord.  Lois and Eunice also illustrate the importance of women ministries and the impact Godly women have on the church.

Due to Timothy’s good reputation among the brothers, Paul desired to take Timothy with him on his missionary journeys (Acts 16:3).  Paul took Timothy and had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3).  Paul on the other hand, did not have Titus circumcised even though he was a Greek (Gal. 2:3).  The clue to unlocking this conundrum is found in the context of the passages and Paul’s overall objective of furthering the Gospel.   

Paul’s rationale for circumcising Timothy is captured by Luke in his historical account in the book of Acts.  Luke recorded in Acts, “Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek” (Acts 16:3).  Notice here the rationale was due to the fact that the Jews in that area knew Timothy’s father was not Jewish.  In this context, Paul realized that Timothy not being circumcised was a potential hindrance for sharing the Gospel.  Paul explains in his letter to the Corinthians that his underlying motives for conducting his life are governed by his desire to further the Gospel.  In 1 Corinthians 9:20 Paul states, “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…I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:20-22).  In this context, Timothy’s circumcision aided his evangelism efforts and had no bearing on his salvation (Rom. 4:1-12).

On the other hand, in the case of Titus, Paul once again had the Gospel in mind and, in particular, the issue of salvation on the basis of faith.  Paul had encountered a group that asserted that one had to be circumcised, or be a proper Jew, in order to be saved (Acts 15:1-2 Gal. 2:2; 7).  Circumcision was a physical sign of the covenant God had established with the Hebrews and was a requirement of Mosaic Law (Gen. 17:11-14).  This requirement of circumcision in order to be saved caused a great argument between Paul (and Barnabas) and the circumcision party (Acts 15:1-2).  A quick reading of Romans reveals that Paul based salvation on faith in Christ, and Paul used Abraham’s faith before circumcision to prove this theology (Rom. 4:1-12). Paul and Barnabas brought this argument to the Jerusalem council for consideration (Acts 15:1-21).  This Jerusalem council was made up of elders, Apostles, and the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:4).  This council determined that Gentiles who turn to God in faith should not be troubled with circumcision (Acts 15:19) or have this yoke placed on them (Gal. 2:4).  This determination was in line with Paul’s assertion that faith alone saves a person and brings them into a relationship with God (Gal. 3:7-9).  The underlying notion is that the Gospel is inclusive to all people who have faith and relies on the exclusive sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death on the cross.  That is why Paul can then say that Titus was not forced to be circumcised in this context (Gal 2:3).            

Paul in his handling of Timothy and Titus was not inconsistent, but was consistent with furthering the Gospel in those contexts.  The Gospel was central for Paul in his actions and his decisions, this should be an example to modern believers.  One should constantly analyze their decisions and actions in relation to the Gospel.  The modern believer’s goal should be the same as Paul’s, furtherance of the Gospel. 

References for Further Study:

D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), “Galatians”.

Lea, Thomas and David Black, The New Testament: Its Background and Message (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group).