Acts 16:3

Paul

¹ Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

² The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁴ As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
KJV: Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
WEB: Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
ASV: Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
DARBY: Him would Paul have go forth with him, and took [him and] circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew his father that he was a Greek.
BLB: Paul wanted this one to go out with him, and having taken [him], he circumcised him on account of the Jews being in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

ÅB: Ham ville Paulus ha med seg på reisen, og han tok og omskar ham for de jøders skyld som var på de steder; for de visste alle at hans far var greker.
OTB: Paulus ønsket å ha ham med på reisen, så han omskar ham på grunn av jødene i de områdene, for de visste alle at hans far var gresk.
B1930: Ham vilde Paulus ha med sig på reisen, og han tok og omskar ham for de jøders skyld som var på de steder; for de visste alle at hans far var greker.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Galatians 2:3
Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 9:20
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
Read in context
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
Read in context
Galatians 5:1–3
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
Read in context
Acts 15:40
but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
Read in context
Acts 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.
Read in context
Galatians 2:8
For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.
Read in context