Acts 16:3 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Acts 16:2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Acts 16:3 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.

Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "paul", "forth", "took", "circumcised", "jews", "quarters", "knew", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "paul" and "forth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Which was well reported of by the..." into verse 4's "And as they went through the cities...", so "paul" and "forth" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "paul" and "forth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.