Timothy Timotheus
Timothy Timotheus [1]
A young man whom Paul calls "my own son in the faith." His mother Eunice was a Jewess and his father a Greek. He had evidently been brought up piously, having known the holy scriptures from a child, and Paul mentions the unfeigned faith both of his mother and of his grandmother Lois. Paul, wishing to take Timothy with him, circumcised him because of the Jews. From Lystra he accompanied Paul into Macedonia, but he and Silas stayed behind at Berea. They joined Paul at Athens, and Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica, and brought his report to Paul at Corinth. Acts 17:14; 1 Thessalonians 3:1,2 .
During Paul's stay at Ephesus Timothy was with him, and was sent to Corinth, but was again with Paul in Macedonia when the Second Epistle to the Corinthians was written. He was also with Paul when the Epistle to the Romans was written from Corinth. When Paul returned to Asia through Macedonia, Timothy waited for him at Troas. Acts 20:3-5 . He was with Paul at Rome when he wrote his epistles to the Colossians, Philemon, and to the Philippians. At some unknown place and time Timothy suffered imprisonment, for scripture records his release. Hebrews 13:23 . Paul besought him to remain at Ephesus to warn the brethren against false teachers, 1 Timothy 1:3; and in the Second Epistle he begs him to use diligence to come to him, to bring with him Mark, and the cloak he had left at Troas, the books and the parchments.
Thus to the end of Paul's life his dearly-loved Timothy was a help and comfort to him, and he availed himself of his devoted labours. He bore testimony of him, that when all were seeking their own, he had no one like-minded with himself but Timothy, Philippians 2:20; and when Paul's course was nearly run, he found in Timothy one to whom he could commit the work, instructing him as to the order of the house of God, and his behaviour in it. The apostle warned and admonished him, exhorted and charged him, with the affectionate fervour of a spiritual father, and even cared for the health of his body, advising him to take a little wine for his frequent infirmities. The last word to him in his epistles is "The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit: grace be with you."
Timothy may be regarded as the typical servant, who remains after the decease of the apostles, unto the coming of the Lord. Paul looked for the continuance of the truth which he had taught through such.
