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.
Race and religious background are not important in the Kingdom. You don’t have to be from a certain group in order for God to use you. This is evident in this passage. Timothy came from a mixed household. His mom was in rebellion against the rules for Jews. She was not supposed to marry a non-Jew, and yet she did. At some point she had become a Jesus-follower. But his father was neither a Jew nor a believer, and yet this did not disqualify Timothy from being used by the Lord. Others knew about his mixed background and they had problems with it. What I find interesting is that Paul makes a cultural accommodation so that this stumbling block does not prevent them from hearing the Gospel. People who knew of Timothy’s mixed background would immediately dismiss everything he would say. This would close the door on ministry for Paul. So instead of allowing a non-important issue to cloud the presentation of the Gospel, Paul has Timothy take on the outward appearance of being a Jew. This takes away the excuse for not listening to the Gospel. Sometimes people have external barriers to hearing the Gospel. Maybe it is piercings and tattoos. Maybe it is being overweight. During the 60’s it was the length of your hair. These outward things prevented people from receiving the message of grace. I would probably not be accepted in a group of bikers. I don’t dress like them, and I don’t ride a motorcycle. There would be an immediate barrier raised. “Who is this outsider?” So if I were going to reach bikers, I would probably adopt some of their outward appearances. Or I would find a biker who was a believer and have them talk on my behalf. Don’t let some non-essential get in the way of sharing the Gospel. Compromise is OK with non-essentials.
The Arnold Journey 