{Him would Paul have to go forth with him} (	outon
(8874)hel(8873)en ho Paulos sun aut(9369) exelthein). This one (note
emphatic position) Paul wanted (first aorist active indicative of
	hel(935c) with temporal augment as if from ethel(935c) the old form).
Here was a gifted young man who was both Jew and Greek. {He took
and circumcised him} (lab(936e) perietemen auton). Any one could
perform this rite. Paul had stoutly resisted circumcision in the
case of Titus, a pure Greek ( Ga 2:3,5 ), because the whole
principle of Gentile liberty was at stake. But Timothy was both
Jew and Greek and would continually give offence to the Jews with
no advantage to the cause of Gentile freedom. So here for the
sake of expediency, "because of the Jews" (dia tous Ioudaious),
Paul voluntarily removed this stumbling-block to the ministry of
Timothy. Otherwise Timothy could not have been allowed to preach
ln the synagogues. _Idem non est semper idem_. But Timothy's case
was not the case of Titus. Here it was a question of efficient
service, not an essential of salvation. Hovey notes that Timothy
was circumcised because of Jewish unbelievers, not because of
Jewish believers. {Was a Greek} (Hell(886e) hup(8872)chen). Imperfect
active in indirect assertion where ordinarily the present
huparchei would be retained, possibly indicating that his
father was no longer living.