No More Compromise

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.