Tag Archives: Timothy

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 4)

Ancient flint knife used in circumcision rituals

Today, for the very last time, we are going to, once again, turn our attention to the calling of Timothy as it is narrated in the fourteenth and sixteenth chapters of Acts.  For those of you who have not been following along with this series, I would highly recommend that you take the time to look through the first three posts before continuing any further.  “Why?” you ask.  Because the three posts that have preceded this post lay the groundwork for everything that I am about to discuss today; and without that groundwork, very little of what I say will make sense to you.

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 1)

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 2)

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 3)

Now, presuming that we are all on the same page, I want to turn now to the account we see in Acts 16.  Two years following the violently explosive events of Acts 14, Paul returns to the city of Lystra, where he finds a young outcast by the name of Timothy.

“[Paul] also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek.  The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 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 Greek.”[1]

As you have seen, thus far, there are no incidental words in Scripture.  God doesn’t waste ink.  If it’s there, it’s there for a reason.  And our task, as 21st century interpreters of the text, is to unpack that reason, which has sometimes been buried beneath the sands of time.

So why does Paul ask Timothy to be circumcised?[2]

This is actually a massive question that can only be answered if we understand a bit about the history of the times.  Starting around 167 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes banned the traditional practice of circumcision and attempted to forcibly convert the Jewish population to Hellenism.  This, of course, happened in conjunction with other anti-Jewish acts such as: forcing Jews to eat un-kosher meat, compelling them to sacrifice pigs to various Roman gods, and setting up idols in the Second Temple.  These laws were so severe that if parents were found to have circumcised their child, the parents and infant were both hanged in the public square.[3]

Needless to say, many Jews were highly offended by these laws, and in 164 BCE, the Maccabean Revolt gave birth to the Hasmonean dynasty – an independent Jewish monarchy that was no longer under the thumb of foreign leadership.  But alas, the damage had been done.  Jewish society itself was split.  Some were tired of being Jewish and simply wanted to plug in to the greater Hellenized culture that surrounded them and afforded them new opportunities to thrive in society.  Others “doubled down,” and gave birth to movements such as the Zealots.  And thus, Jewish society, by the time of Jesus and Paul, had actually become highly fragmented by a raging, internal culture war.

At the center of this culture war was the act of circumcision itself. You ask, “Why?”  Well, many of the Hellenized Jews had taken to participating in the Greco-Roman games that were always conducted in the nude.  So when the Jewish men were in the arena, everyone could see that they had been circumcised.  But Roman culture despised circumcision, viewing it as an act of barbarism.[4]  So, many Jewish men began to hide their Jewish heritage by attempting to physically alter their circumcised genitalia.[5]  This, of course, added fuel to the fire that was already raging.

But lest we think that this issue was merely a matter of Jewish heritage and Roman culture in conflict, there was a second storm brewing.  In the aftermath of the death and resurrection of King Jesus the Messiah, the newly formed Christian community was charged with the task of bringing “The Gospel” to the ends of the earth.  What this meant, of course, is that the Abrahamic Covenant was about to be fulfilled.  All the nations of the earth were going to be blessed by the redemptive actions of Jesus the Christ.  But this raised a new set of questions for the fledgling Christian community.  Should Gentiles obey the Mosaic Law?  Should they be circumcised?  Should they only eat kosher meats?

These questions (and others), lead the leaders of the early church to convene the Council of Jerusalem around 50 CE.  Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, went on record as saying that any attempt to ask the Gentiles to conform to Jewish Law was a rejection of the Gospel message itself.  Paul was so adamant in his position that in Galatians 5:12, he writes:

“Why don’t these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!”

This is not a man that is mincing his words.  Paul sees the demand for Gentiles to be circumcised as a direct challenge the Gospel itself and yet, when we look back to the account of Timothy, we are faced with the Apostle asking Timothy to be circumcised.  Why?  Well look at the text:

“[Paul] also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek.  The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 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 Greek.”[6]

Timothy is an outcast in a Jewish world caught in the throws of a culture war.  His mother is seen as a prostitute.  He is seen as an illegitimate, half-breed bastard.  He’s been mocked and left on the outside for the better part of the 10-12 years of his life.  So what is Paul doing here?

Notice how the passage tells us that Timothy’s father was Greek.  Then it tells us that Christians spoke well of him.  But then it goes back to remind us that everyone “knew that his father was Greek.”

Paul knows this society.  And he knows how people view mamzers.  So he has a choice. He can send Timothy into the world uncircumcised, or, he can ask this young boy who has been hated and mocked his whole life to live out The Christ’s call to love one’s enemies.   If we listen close, we can hear Paul speaking even now:

“I am indeed free from everyone; but I have enslaved myself to everyone, so that I can win all the more.  I became like a Jew to the Jews, to win Jews.  I became like someone under the Law to the people who are under the Law, even though I’m not under it myself, so that I could win those under the Law.  To the lawless, I became like someone lawless (even though I’m not lawless before God, but Under the Messiah’s law), so that I could win the lawless.  I became weak to the weak, to win the weak.  I have become all things to all people, so that in all ways I might save some.  And I do it all because of the gospel.”[7]

Still having trouble seeing the connection?  Let me try to put it to you this way.

“Tim … I need to ask you to do something that is really hard.  It’s gonna hurt …  In fact, when people your age have this done to them, they typically lie around for days, in pain …  But here’s the deal, Tim.  I need you to be circumcised.  I know you have been mocked and ridiculed by the Jewish community.  I know that you been denied circumcision your whole life.  And I know – I know! – that circumcision has nothing to do with the Gospel or with submitting your life to the Lordship of the Messiah.  I know that, Tim!  But these people – they don’t know that.  They don’t understand.  So we’re going to make them understand by showing them what it is to live according to the Kingdom.  And in the Kingdom, we forgive those that persecute us.  When they stone us – like they stoned me two years ago – we make the hard choice to come back.  We make the hard choice because these people are lost.  And without the Messiah, Tim … without the Messiah, they always will be lost.  So I need you to show them what it means to forgive, Timothy.  I need you to do this so that they have no reason to reject you.   I want you to come with me; and I want you to help me take the Gospel to every synagogue in every nation until we reach the ends of the earth.  What do you say, Tim?  Can you do that for the sake of your Savior?”

What do you think?  Can you see how this kind of ministry is radically different than the sorts of ministry that we often offer to our youth in the 21st century?  And if so, do you have any thoughts on how this model might apply in youth ministry today? 

[1] Acts 16:1-3.

[2] While the text clearly states that Paul “took” Timothy, this should in no way be interpreted as an act that was against Timothy’s will.  There are too many other references in Scripture that bear witness to the affection that these two have for one another, for this passage to be read in any way other than Paul having asked Timothy to be circumcised.

[3] 1 Maccabees 1:46-67.

[4] According to the Babylonian Talmud, the Roman consul Titus Flavius Clemens was executed by the Roman Senate in 95 CE for the crime of circumcising himself and converting Judaism.

[5] The Apostle Paul warns against this practice in 1 Corinthians 7:18.  For those that are wondering how this is even possible, you may click on the following link that will take you to the Wikipedia article: “Foreskin Restoration.”  Warning: detailed diagram is present.

[6] Acts 16:1-3.

[7] 1 Corinthians 9:19b-23a.

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 3)

This the present day site of Lystra, located in modern Turkey. Although it has barely been excavated, the ruins of a Temple to Zeus have been discovered on the site.

Today, we’re going to pick up our discussion about the calling of Timothy and the nature of youth ministry.  But before I do that, I want to suggest that you take a few moments to read through the first two posts in this series.  Because if you haven’t read these posts yet, you might find yourself feeling like you’re on the outside, looking in on a conversation you only partly understand.  So why don’t you take a look at the links below and than come right back to join us.

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 1)

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 2)

All right, everyone caught up?  Good.  Now let’s take a look at where we are, right now, in terms of our discussion.  We know that Timothy was ostracized for his mixed, racial heritage.  We know that people would have shunned his mother as a “prostitute.”  We know that he was considered to be a fatherless “bastard.”  We know that he wasn’t circumcised on the eighth day of his life, and we know that he couldn’t go to either the local Tabernacle or to the Temple in Jerusalem.  We know that he was considered to be an “outsider” amongst the community of God; and we know that he was only 10 to 12 years old when all of this was going down.

The question is: why does a kid like Timothy agree to follow Paul?  You see, Paul is going to ask Timothy to do a really difficult thing, and I imagine that it would have been much easier for Timothy to simply blow him off, dismissing him as another hateful figure in society.  But Timothy doesn’t do that.  Instead, he chooses to do this really hard thing; and today, we’re going to explore the question, why?

In order to answer this question, we need to back up for a moment and look to a short story found in fourteenth chapter of Acts.  Near the end of his first missionary journey, Paul has traveled through Cyprus and Antioch, where both the Gentiles and the Jews have been riled up by the idea that Jesus is the Messiah.  The tension is mounting, so both Paul and Barnabas bolt from Iconium and take to the hills in and around Lystra and Derbe.

Now, here’s where the story starts to get really interesting.  You see, in that region of the world, there is a very unique tree called the Linden Tree.  It’s the only place that this tree naturally grows, and interestingly enough, it is also at the center of an ancient Greek myth that forms the background of our story.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Ancient Myth of Baucis and Philemon

As the herald of the Greek gods, Hermes often accompanied Zeus on his visits to earth.  On one such occasion, the two gods disguised themselves as mortals and traveled across Phrygia.  Sadly, they were offered no hospitality in any of the homes they visited until they came across upon the humble house of Baucis and her husband, Philemon.  The elderly peasants welcomed the two strangers, offering them what little refreshments they had on hand.

As Hermes and Zeus ate their meals, the hosts noticed that instead of the wine flask becoming empty, it was magically refilling itself so that it never ran out.  Realizing that they were in the presence of the divine, the old man and woman trembled and began to pray.  At this, the two gods revealed themselves to the couple and thanked them for all their kindness.

Linden Tree from the region of Lystra

“For bestowing honor upon strangers, you will be rewarded,” spoke Zeus, “but I cannot say the same for the inhospitable country you reside in.”  The two gods then lead Baucis and Philemon to the top of a nearby hill.  When the couple looked down upon the countryside, they saw that their town had disappeared under a massive lake that had magically sprung up to swallow the land whole.

To add to their surprise, they saw that their simple hut had been transformed into a glorious temple.  To extend his thanks even further, Zeus promised to grant them any favor they desired.  Philemon told the god that he and his wife wished to spend the rest of their lives acting as priests in the new temple.  And because of their great love for one another, Philemon also asked that when it came time for the couple to die, one should not live a day longer than the other.  For just as they were together each day during life, they desired to remain together in death as well.  Zeus granted the old man’s wish, and the two tended the temple for many years until one day, in their very old age, each saw the other start to sprout leaves.  With only enough time to say farewell, the husband and wife were transformed into a Linden Tree, both growing from the same trunk.  Here they remained together, intertwined for all eternity, just as Zeus had promised.  And from the time of their transformation to the time of Paul’s coming to Lystra, people traveled for miles to come and pay homage to the faithful couple by hanging wreaths of flowers on the branches of the Linden Trees that covered the land.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now, let’s get back to our story in Acts 14.

“There was a man sitting in Lystra who was unable to use his feet.  He had been lame from his mother’s womb, and had never walked.  He heard Paul speaking.  When Paul looked hard at him, and saw that he had faith to be made well, he said with a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’

Up he jumped, and walked about.

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted loudly in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

They called Barnabas ‘Zeus,’ and Paul, because he was the main speaker, ‘Hermes.’  The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and wreaths to the city gates.  There was a crowd with him, and he was all ready to offer a sacrifice.

But when the apostles, Paul and Barnabas, heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd.

‘Men, men,’ they shouted, ‘what on earth are you doing?  We are just ordinary humans, with the same nature as you, and we are bringing you the wonderful message that you should turn away from these foolish things to the living God, the one who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them …’

Even by saying this, they only just restrained the crowds from offering them sacrifice.”  (Acts 14:8-15, 18)

Do you see what’s happening here?  The people of Lystra believe that Zeus and Hermes have returned to the region, much as they came in the time of Baucis and Philemon.  But what is clearly a critical situation actually becomes much worse as the story continues to unfold.

            “But some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul.”  (Acts 14:19a)

Now let’s stop for a moment because you need to understand two things to really comprehend what is happening at this moment.  First, I want you to take a look the map to your right.  Do you see the city of Antioch and the city of Lystra?  These cities are separated by about 90 miles of rough, mountainous terrain.  So when the author of Acts tells you that “some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over,” this is not some casual, flippant statement.  The average human being can walk 3 miles per hour on flat, easy terrain.  So on a good day, the average person could potentially walk 30 miles.  But remember, this is tough, untamed wilderness that they are walking through.  So when we say that some Jews came from Antioch, which is 90 miles away, we’re talking about a group of people so enraged by the work of Paul and Barnabas, that they are willing to travel four to five days – one way! – just to try to kill them.  This is why the crowd turns. This is mob mentality where the confusion of the Lystrans is fueled by the hatred of Antiochian Jews, which in turn gives way to violence.

“[Having just stoned Paul], they dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.”  (Acts 14:19b)

Now you see, most of us in the 21st century think that stoning is just a bunch angry guys whipping rocks at some poor, helpless chap.  But in reality, stoning is much more controlled and nuanced than that; and it is in the nuances of the act that we discover the truly extraordinary power of this story.

In the ancient Jewish world, if a man was believed to be guilty of a certain crime, he was stoned.  This process would begin with two witnesses taking the allegedly guilty party to the top of a cliff that was at least 10 cubits (18 feet) high.  Two paces from the edge of the cliff, the “guilty” party was asked if he wanted to repent.   If he did repent, he was believed to be forgiven by YHWH.  If he didn’t repent, he wasn’t forgiven by YHWH.  It was as simple as that.  But in either case, the people proceeded with the act of stoning as a form of punishment.  In other words, you were stoned if you did, and stoned if you didn’t.  The only real difference at that point in time had to do with your standing before God.

Now, at this point, the witnesses brought you to the edge of the cliff and stripped all of your clothes from your body.[1]  Next, your hands were tied behind your back by the first witness who testified against you.  After that, the second witness would step forward and push you over the edge.  Needless to say, many people died from the initial impact with the ground.  But, in the cases were the “guilty” party survived, everyone in the community who believed the individual to be guilty was given the opportunity to select one rock – any size – and hurl it down upon the “guilty” man.

But here’s the turning point of the whole story.  If the “guilty” party died, the Jews believed that the justice of God had been carried out in the proper fashion.  On the other hand, if the “guilty” party survived, the Jews believed that the angels of YHWH had protected the individual and that he was not guilty after all.  At that point, the “guilty” party became a free man and was allowed to go on with his life.  Now read the account again:

” … Even by saying this, they only just restrained the crowds from offering them sacrifice.  But some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul.  They dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.  The disciples gathered around him, however, and he got up and went into the city.  The next day, he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.  They preached in Derbe, and made many disciples.  Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.”   (Acts 14:18-21)

After being stoned by the Jews … Paul survived.  And in his freedom, he elected not to run from the hatred, not to flee from those that persecuted him, but elected to return to Lystra, to Iconium and to Antioch.  And it was at Lystra that Paul finds Timothy in Acts 16.  And what was the message Timothy heard?

Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the hearts of the disciples, and urging them to remain in the faith.  They warned them that getting into God’s Kingdom would mean going through considerable suffering …  (Acts 14:21b-22)

Can you see it?  At the outset of this post, I asked a very simple question:  why would Timothy do the hard thing that Paul was about to ask him to do?  Why would Timothy follow Paul?

Could it be, that in Paul, Timothy saw someone who was hated just as he himself was hated?  Could it be that when Timothy saw Paul return, not once, but twice, he finally saw a different way of living – a way of living that truly embraced the loving of one’s enemies? And what does this mean for us?  Could it be that if we are to reach this next generation, we are going to have to live in a way that truly demonstrates a costly, counter-cultural discipleship?

[1] Think back to the stoning of the first martyr, Steven.  Who is holding his clothes?  And what does this tell us about his involvement with Steven’s martyrdom?

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 2)

Yesterday afternoon, I introduced you to the world of the half-breed Timothy, bastard son of the Jewish disciple, Eunice, who herself was seen as a prostitute by the community around her.  It was an ugly world to be sure; and if you haven’t taken the time to read about it, I would highly suggest that you do so now before continuing forward with this discussion.

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (part 1)

Today, I want to continue forward in our exploration of the remarkable life of Timothy because I believe that there are staggeringly beautiful gems to mine down in the deep shafts of “incidental words.”  So why don’t we start by talking about the age of Timothy.  Read with me the words of the Apostle Paul found in 1 Timothy 4:12:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in what you say, how you behave, in love, faith and holiness.”

The word I want to focus upon here is the word “young” (from the Greek word: neotes).  From the use of this word, we can rightfully conclude that Timothy, at the time of this letter, is somewhere between the age of 25 to 33.[1]  But there’s more to this puzzle.  Notice how Paul is advising Timothy not to allow anyone to look down upon him because of his youth.  Why is he doing that?  Well the answer is really rather simple.  In Jewish culture, men were not allowed to take leadership positions until the age of 30.[2]  So in all probability, Timothy is actually younger than 30 at the time of this writing, which explains Paul’s warning to him.

This is the Lytra Tell located in the modern state of Turkey.

Now the pieces are beginning to fall into place.  From history, we know that the First Epistle to Timothy was written sometime between 65 and 66 AD.  We also know, from history, that Paul’s second missionary journey (when he first found Timothy) began in 49 AD.  So if Timothy was under the age of 30 at the time when Paul advises him not to allow anyone to look down upon him for his youth, then we can rightfully conclude that Timothy was roughly 10 to 12 years old when Paul first encounters him in the small, out-of-the-way town known as Lystra.

Don’t gloss over that.  Timothy was 10-12 years old when Paul first looked at him and said: “In the Messiah, there is neither Greek nor Jew, Timothy.  Everyone is equal.  All the social layers and the hatred that this world constructs … it means nothing in Jesus, Tim.  Nothing!”

To me, this is utterly fascinating.  A few days ago, I walked you through the ages of the disciples chosen by Jesus and we concluded that all of them, with the exception of Peter, were under the age of 20.  Now, when it comes time for Paul to chose his disciples, he continues the tradition of his day and the tradition of Jesus; and he selects another “kid.”

Why is it that when it came time for the Kingdom of God to be announced throughout the ancient world, Jesus the Messiah and the Apostle Paul chose “children?”  And why is that much of our youth ministry is centered around keeping our “kids” safe and making sure that they are thoroughly entertained and not bored?

Somewhere along the way, there has been a radical disconnect between the potential that Jesus and Paul saw in “children” versus the immaturity that we see and foster through a prolonged adolescence that we currently extend into the late 20s.  Is it time for us to be begin to respect the capabilities of our “kids” by challenging them with deep, insightful teaching that actually equips them to become true disciples in this world?  Is it time for us to give them the best of our teachers as opposed to giving them the newly-minted seminary grads that are merely putting in time before they can become senior pastors themselves?  Is it time for a sea-change in how we do youth ministry?

[1] The Greek word neotes merely suggests youth.  But, the word is also used by Luke in his account of the “Rich Young Ruler.”  When we look at the parallel account of the “Rich Young Ruler” found in Matthew’s Gospel, we see that Matthew uses another word to describe the age of the ruler: neaniskos.  This word is a bit more specific, and it actually suggests a man anywhere from his mid-20s to his early 30s.

[2] The Code of Jewish Law (O.C. 581:1) instructs Jewish gatherings to look for certain qualities in those that would lead the services on the High Holidays.  Amongst these qualities is a minimum age of 30 because, as the Mishna Brura explains, a 30-year old is humble, soft-hearted, and capable of actually “praying from the heart.”

A “Bastard” in a Fatherless Age … (Part 1)

Today, I want to continue our discussion of youth and ministry by looking at a seemingly harmless little passage at the beginning of Acts 16.  Read with me for a moment:

“[Paul] also came to Derbe and to Lystra.  A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek.  The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 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 Greek.  As they went through the towns,they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey.  So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.”

Now, are you ready for the story behind the story?  Here’s how it works.  When you and I read this account, we see some odd biographical details that don’t mean a whole lot to us.  We know that Timothy is part Greek, so we know that he has not been circumcised and we know that Paul, for reasons we will not discuss today, needs for him to be circumcised.  We also know that after this, Paul travels around with Timothy, and that the churches are growing stronger every day.  And that’s as far as most of us in the 21st century get because we don’t understand the ancient Jewish culture.

So today, I’m going to unpack a bit of that ancient culture for you; and to make sure that I have your complete and total attention, I’m going to put this in words that you understand.  Assume for a moment that you are an African American kid.  How would you feel if I said to you:

“Your Mama’s nothing but a two-bit whore!  And you – you’re nothing but a nigger! Now get out of here, you little bastard!”

Offended yet?  Good!  You should be!  “Nigger” is an offensive word.  It’s a word that is filled with hate!  It’s a word that should have no place in our culture.  It’s a word that spits on the “image of God” that is placed in hundreds of millions of people around the globe.  Now how about someone calling your mama a “whore?”  Are you comfortable with that?  How about being called a “bastard?”  How does that feel?  How does that sit with you?

You see, in order to really understand what is happening at the beginning of Acts, you need to understand what the author is saying when he tells you that Timothy’s mother was a Jew and that his father was a Greek.  In the ancient world, this means that Timothy is a mamzer (From the Hebrew word: ממזר‎).[1]  But what does that mean?  If I had tried to explain the meaning of that word using “clean” English, it would have meant nothing to you.  But when I tell you that this word mamzer has all the power of the hatred that filled my example above, you can begin to truly understand the remarkable nature of this passage.

So what did it mean for Timothy to live as a mamzer in his society?  Well, for starters, it meant that everyone around him viewed his mother as a prostitute.[2]  It meant that every one around him saw him as “defective,” “corrupted,” and “spoiled” by “strange, alien” DNA.[3]  He was a half-breed in a society that lamented half-breeds; and he was a bastard child with no legitimate father willing to call him his own.  In a world where the Jews were wrestling with what it meant to be “outsiders” themselves, Timothy was the ultimate “outsider.”

  • Unlike other Jewish children, Timothy wasn’t circumcised on the eighth day of his life because he really wasn’t part of the community.  (Genesis 17:12)
  • Unlike other Jewish children, Timothy wasn’t allowed to go to the Tabernacle or the Temple because mamzers were forbidden.   (Deuteronomy 23:2)
  • Unlike other Jewish children, Timothy was cut off from his people because his mother’s failure had left him on the outside of the covenant.  (Genesis 17:14)
  • And lest Timothy think that things would somehow get better for his children, he lived with the knowledge that this status would be passed on to his children for 10 generations to follow.  (Deuteronomy 23:2)

Yes … Timothy was the ultimate outsider, reviled by a religious community whose leadership had called down curses upon those who were inter-marrying and giving birth to mamzers (Nehemiah 13:23-27).   So what do you think it meant for him, when he first heard the words of the Apostle Paul:

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith … There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female– for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”  (Galatians 3:26-28)

What do you think, reader?  What does this mean for us as Christians?  Are we to be looking for the ones that conform to our expectations?  Or are we to be looking for the ones that are broken, and marred with jagged scars?  Do our youth ministries make a place for kids like these?  Or do we want them to “get better” before they come to us?  Are we ready to deal with the ramifications that come from ministry to kids with pain?  Are we ready for the disruption? Or do we simply want to do life with a little interruption as possible?

[1] Mamzer is also sometimes spelled mumser based upon the Yiddish variation.

[2] The Greek Septuagint translated ממזר as the “son of a prostitute” (from the Greek: ek pornes), while the Latin Vulgate translated it as de scorto natus meaning “born of a prostitute.”

[3] According to the Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, mamzer is derived from the root m-z-r, meaning “spoiled or corrupted.”  As per the Talmud, mamzer is a blended noun that joins mum (meaning “defect”) and zar (meaning “strange” or “alien”)