Acts 16:1-3

Paul and Silas came to the city of Derbe and then went on to Lystra, the hometown of a believer named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish follower of Jesus, but his father was not a Jew. Timothy was well known and highly respected among all the believers of Lystra and Iconium. Paul recognized God’s favor on Timothy’s life and wanted him to accompany them in ministry, but Paul had Timothy circumcised first because of the significant Jewish community living in the region, and everyone knew that Timothy’s father wasn’t a Jew.