Who was Timothy in the Bible?

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 in godliness, having known the holy Scriptures from childhood, and Paul mentions the sincere faith both of his mother and of his grandmother Lois.

Converted by Paul on his first missionary journey, Timothy was found on his second journey to have been well spoken of by the Christians at Lystra and Iconium (Acts 16:1). The work in the young man was real. It had stood. It bore fruit. And never afterwards had anyone reason to doubt his conversion.

They had not to go far before finding a new companion in Timothy of Lystra; one who was to fill the gap left by the disagreement with Barnabas. If Paul lost the fellowship of Barnabas as a friend and brother, he found in Timothy, as his own son in the faith, a sympathy and a fellowship which only ended with the apostle's life.

The apostle resisted the circumcision of Titus, yet allowed the circumcision of Timothy (Acts 16:1-3)… To avoid needless offence to the Jews Paul circumcised Timothy, but to preserve the liberty of the Gospel he firmly resisted the efforts of false brethren to have Titus circumcised.

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… 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. Heb. 13:23.

In his concern for the Thessalonians Paul sent Timothy back to them to establish and to comfort them (1 Thess. 3:1-2, 6). Timothy had a real care for these new converts and the necessary wisdom to meet them in their difficulties.

Timothy was very unlike Simon Peter; he was not naturally courageous, but timid, and because of this was in danger of shrinking from the conflict to which God had called him. He needed to be encouraged, and Paul strengthened him with the words, "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power" … If natural bravery and strength cannot help in spiritual warfare, natural timidity in itself is no hindrance.

If weak in himself, Timothy was to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Paul had proved for himself the sufficiency of Christ's grace… What then is natural timidity or weakness of body when the grace of Christ is our resource?

The natural pride of the heart may think that much light is a safeguard against error. It is well for us to learn, by the example of the Ephesian assembly, that the fact of a company being enriched with truth, and enjoying the highest ministry, is no guarantee against false doctrine. Timothy, then, was to charge some that they teach no other doctrine than the great doctrines of the grace of God.

It did not need superior intellect to counteract this, but the faithfulness that honours God; not the communication of new truth, but applying to heart and conscience the truth which had been communicated before.

He bore testimony of him, that when all were seeking their own, he had no one like-minded with himself but Timothy, Phil. 2:20; and when Paul's course was nearly run, he found in Timothy one to whom he could commit the work… The apostle warned and admonished him, exhorted and charged him, with the affectionate warmth of a spiritual father, and even cared for the health of his body.