Timothy
Acts 16:1-5
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
4 As they travelled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Who is Timothy?
Timothy is chosen as a young man to accompany Paul on his second missionary trip. He went on to become one of Paul’s most trusted companions. Timothy comes from a mixed-race background: his mother was Jewish and his father was Greek. Despite being incarcerated in prison for his faith, Timothy continued to preach the gospel and share the good news of Jesus, even though this put him in grave danger
Timothy grew up with his mother and grandmother teaching him the foundations of the Jewish faith. This meant he was extremely well-versed in the Old Testament scriptures and had been taught about the coming of the Messiah. It is likely that he heard Paul preaching in his village on his first missionary trip and his whole family accepted Jesus as the Messiah. He accompanies Paul on his second journey and becomes his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Over the course of their companionship, Paul serves as a mentor to the young Timothy and sends him out to various churches to lead and to help them. Despite his youth, Timothy holds great wisdom and is equipped through his faithfulness to carry out God’s plan; he was instrumental in spreading and maintaining the integrity of the early Christian church.
Timothy reminds us of the importance of discipleship in our lives, both to be disciples ourselves and to make disciples of others. Timothy teaches us that we are all called by God, no matter what our age, experience or background. Yet we also see that it takes time to mature into a strong leader and that God prepares us for our roles as we undertake them; all we have to do is step out in faith. Timothy's upbringing shows us the importance of being ready to accept Jesus into our lives, whether this is for the first time or the four hundredth time! We learn how important it is to acknowledge that our lives have a purpose and a calling and that we should be ready to follow that. Most importantly, however, Timothy shows us the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who build us up and keep us accountable for our actions and the example we set for others.