A New Creation Named Timothy
Scripture Reading — Acts 16:1-5
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. . . .
In the United States, where I live, it is common for people to have parents and grandparents from different countries or ethnic backgrounds. A neighbor or coworker might have ancestors from India, Africa, and Europe, for example.
This wasn’t as common in ancient times, and that is why the writer of Acts points out that Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. In his home community Timothy was unique in that way. Because of that, Timothy may have struggled to find a community in which he truly belonged. Was he Jewish? Was he Greek? Timothy became a believer in Christ, and the community of believers spoke well of him.
When Paul and his missionary companions came along, they invited Timothy to come with them. As they discipled Timothy, they likely made clear that his faith, the faith given to him by God and by which he was “in Christ,” made him part of a growing, deeply bonded, and truly beautiful community: the church. Timothy, like them, was a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), part of a growing gathering of new creations.
Today, if you meet other Christians, take note that together you are part of that growing gathering. Keep your eyes open for what lies behind the faces, the eyes. You’ll be seeing new creations. With you, they are signposts of God’s renewal in this world, pointing to his new creation.
Lord, help us to see all believers in Jesus as new creations, your handiwork, signposts of glorious things to come. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
About the author — Dave Den Haan
Dave Den Haan is an ordained minister who works for Thrive, the Christian Reformed Church in North America agency that equips and encourages congregations. His main focus is to serve churches experiencing conflict and challenge. Before working with Thrive, Dave served as a pastor to two congregations, one in Minnesota and one in Michigan. He and his wife, Connie, have three married children and two grandchildren.
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