Timothy
Paul's 'son in the faith' — young bishop of Ephesus — recipient of two epistles.
Identity
Timothy is the young disciple of Paul — his 'son in the faith' (1 Tim 1:2). Born of a Greek father and a Jewish Christian mother at Lystra in Asia Minor, he joined Paul on the second missionary journey and became one of his most trusted companions. Paul left him as pastor of the church at Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3). Two Pauline epistles bear his name.
Name and titles
'Timothy' — Timotheos — means 'honouring God' or 'honoured by God.' Paul calls him 'my dearly beloved son' (2 Tim 1:2), 'my workfellow' (Rom 16:21), 'a servant of Jesus Christ' (Phil 1:1), and 'a man of God' (1 Tim 6:11).
Historical period
- c. AD 25 (est.) — Born at Lystra, Asia Minor.
- c. AD 47 — Converted during Paul's first visit to Lystra (implied 1 Tim 1:2).
- c. AD 49 — Joins Paul at Lystra on the second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-3).
- c. AD 49-52 — With Paul at Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth.
- c. AD 53-57 — With Paul during the third journey.
- c. AD 57-60 — With Paul in Caesarean and Roman imprisonment (Col 1:1; Phlm 1).
- c. AD 62-63 — Left by Paul at Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3); receives 1 Timothy.
- c. AD 66-67 — Receives 2 Timothy — Paul's last letter, from prison in Rome.
- Tradition — Later bishop of Ephesus; martyred, tradition says, resisting a pagan procession (Eusebius, Church History III.4.5).
Scripture appearances
- Acts 16:1-3 (KJV) Timothy joins Paul at Lystra.
- Acts 17-20 (KJV) Present throughout the second and third journeys.
- Romans 16:21 (KJV) 'Timotheus my workfellow.'
- 1 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV) Paul sends him to Corinth.
- Philippians 2:19-22 (KJV) 'For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.'
- 1 Timothy 1:2 (KJV) 'Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.'
- 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV) 'Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.'
- 2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV) '…the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.'
- 2 Timothy 4:9 (KJV) 'Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me.' — Paul's last request.
Connected Places
Connected People
- Paul — his father in the faith.
- Eunice — his Jewish Christian mother.
- Lois — his grandmother, the first Christian in the family.
- Christ Jesus — his Lord.
Salvation history role
- The bridge from the first apostolic generation to the second.
- The proof that Christian faith is transmitted through households — 'first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice' (2 Tim 1:5).
- The recipient of Paul's most personal counsel on Christian pastoral ministry.
Christian tradition
- Feast: 26 January (with Titus) in the Western tradition; 22 January in the Byzantine East.
- Traditional site of his martyrdom: Ephesus.
- Patron of ministry to young Christians.
Household reflection
Timothy teaches the household that Christian faith is a family heirloom — Lois to Eunice to Timothy. Grandmothers matter. Mothers matter. Fathers matter. Three generations built Timothy.
The verse for every young Christian in the house: 'Let no man despise thy youth' (1 Tim 4:12).
Room connections
Where this entry meets the household in the wider house of CrossAIHub.
- Read (Library) — Read 1 and 2 Timothy together — the pastoral epistles in short compass.
- Pray (Chapel) — Pray Paul's blessing 'The Lord be with thy spirit' (2 Tim 4:22) over every young Christian in the house.
- Family (Kitchen Table) — On his feast (26 January), remember Lois and Eunice — the household's first Christian mothers.
- Sing (Choir Room) — Sing 'Faith of Our Fathers' (Frederick Faber, 1849).
- Learn (Workshop) — Study the qualifications for church leadership (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1).
Further reading
1 and 2 Timothy in the KJV.
Acts 16-20.
Eusebius, Church History III.4.
Elsewhere in the Atlas
- Paul
- Ephesus
- Philippi
- Christ Jesus
- Return to the atrium — the Atlas's main room.
Continue Your Journey
Where else this page opens into the household library.