Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
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John Chrysostom
AD 407
Great was the grace of Timothy. When Barnabas departed (ἀ πέστη), he finds another, equivalent to him. Of him he says, Remembering your tears and your unfeigned faith, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and in your mother Eunice. 2 Timothy 1:5 His father continued to be a Gentile, and therefore it was that (Timothy) was not circumcised. (a) Observe the Law already broken. Or if not so, I suppose he was born after the preaching of the Gospel but this is perhaps not so. (c) He was about to make him a bishop, and it was not meet that he should be uncircumcised. (e) And this was not a small matter, seeing it offended after so long a time: (b) for from a child, he says, you have known the Holy Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15 (d) And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep.
Even if, for certain, the apostle had granted pardon of fornication to that Corinthian, it would be another instance of his once for all contravening his own practice to meet the requirement of the time. He circumcised Timotheus alone, and yet did away with circumcision.
