The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

132 the second, of course, charging that even 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23 would not allow Paul to so quickly deny the terms of the decree. 215 A third view is possible, however. If in fact Jewish believers still considered the Law to be relevant for them and the ruling of the council only concerned Gentiles then it is possible that Paul circumcised Timothy because it was the inherently correct action to take. That is, it was a proper example of obedience to the Law. The problem with this view, however, is the phrase describing Paul ' s motive that he circumcised Timothy "because of the Jews" (16:3). It implies that were it not for them, Paul would not have circumcised his young friend. Perhaps more basic to the understanding of this dilemma, however, is the difficult ruling on Timothy's race. Was Timothy a Jew or a Gentile? Cohen asserts on the basis of historical evidence that during the middle of the first century, one ' s race was judged patrilineally. 216 This changed when rabbinic law determined that lineage would be determined matrilineally, but the earliest evidence for this is early in the second century , so that he concludes: Was Timothy Jewish? In all likelihood Luke did not think so. The vast majority 215 " Above all , however , it must have been impossible for Paul , e pecially after the agreements made at the Apostolic Council , to consider circumci ion a a ceremony irrele ant to faith and missionary activity. He could carcely do uch a thing for the ake of the Jew for whom circumcision meant more than that," Gunther Bornkamm, 'The Mi ionar tan f Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 and in Act , " Studie in Luke-Acts, ed . L. E . Keck and J . . Mart n (Philadelphia: Fortre Pre , 1966), 203 . Note Bruce' defen e a h confu e rh t ri f r upport , "Both in hi own days and in more recent day there hav ne er be n la king riti ready to charge the apo tle with incon i tency in thi and imilar matt r ; but th n i t n which ome expect from Paul i that 'fooli h con i tency' which R. W . m r n , in hi E ay on Self-Relian , de cribe a 'the hobgoblin f little mind , ad r d b littl t t m n nd philo opher and divine . ' They will ar h in ain for thi o- 11 d n i t n in th mmd P ul , nd th y will mi the tru , I rg - al hi h br u ht 11 th ti 1t1e of hi li and thought ' int pti it t th ry t t th inter t th g p 1 ( 1 216 h n "W ' Tim th J wi h,"