|
Paul and Barnabas traveled back to
Antioch with the decree from the leadership in Jerusalem concerning
the Gentiles and decided to undertake another missionary journey.
But in choosing a travel partner, they got into a horrible argument
and angrily went their separate ways. Paul chose Silas instead and
traveled to Derbe where they met Timothy, who was half Jewish and
not circumcised because of his Greek father. In an effort to please
the Jews, Paul circumcised Timothy and contradicted his testimony
and this resulted in more compromise when he was later pressured to
do temple work in Jerusalem. The result of Paul’s appeasement was
prison time, a violent shipwreck, more time in prison and an early
death. But before he died, Paul wrote the letter of Hebrews in which
he showed how the First Covenant had been replaced with a Second
Covenant through Jesus Christ. The New Testament doctrine was set in
stone and the break with Judaism became a fact for the young
Christian church. Understanding this part of Christian history will
make it easier to comprehend Paul’s struggle to break away from
Judaism and the tenets of the New Testament. |
|
