- Timothy’s name means “honoring God” or “precious to God.” Timothy evidenced both of these meanings in his life and work.
- Timothy lived in and was probably born in Lystra, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). His mother was Jewish, and his father was Greek. He was well-thought-of in this city.
- He was taught the Scriptures by his mother Eunice and his grandmother, Lois.
- Timothy probably heard Paul speak during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:6). It is likely at this time that Timothy, his mother, and his grandmother came to faith in Jesus.
- Timothy joined Paul’s team on Paul’s second journey.
- Before they left, Paul decided to have Timothy circumcised. As a Jew, he should have been circumcised as a babe. To avoid controversy and eliminate any reason for Jews not to believe, Paul had him circumcised. (On the other hand, Titus, a Greek disciple, was not circumcised.)
- Timothy was probably shy, or at least soft-spoken. Paul encourages him to “fan into flame” his gifts. I don’t think it’s necessary to see him as timid, or fearful, however. Paul also encourages him to drink a little wine, instead of only water. It may be Timothy wanted to distance himself so much from the drunken worship of Artemis that he refrained from all alochol. But water was notroiously inreliable, so people usually added a little wine to kill the bacteria.
- Paul called Timothy his “son in the faith” in the faith. Their relationship couldn’t have been stronger. When Paul was close to death, he wanted to see Timothy most of all. While neither history nor Scripture records Timothy’s response, we can be assured he rushed from Ephesus to see his spiritual father once more.
- Timothy joined Paul’s team on Paul’s second journey.
- Paul trusted Timothy without hesitation. He left him behind in Thessalonica to instruct the young church when Paul and Silas were forced to leave, and sent him back there at least one other time. At other times, Paul sent him to Macedonia and Corinth. He spent many years in Ephesus, overseeing all the congregations there.
- Church tradition says Paul made Timothy the bishop of Ephesus in 65.
- Church tradition also states he was martyred in 97 in Ephesus, where he was brutally beaten to death by a mob for protesting against the orgiastic worship of the goddess Artemis.
