Paul’s ‘true son in the faith’ and trusted companion in ministry, Timothy was the child of a Jewish mother and Greek father from Lystra. Paul recruited the young man on his second missionary journey and he became Paul’s most reliable co-worker. Despite his youth and apparently timid nature, Timothy was entrusted with leading the important church at Ephesus. Paul’s two letters to him contain some of Scripture’s most beloved instructions on pastoral ministry, faithfulness, and persevering through hardship.
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.1 Timothy 4:12 · Berean Standard Bible
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
A vision pulls Paul into Europe. A businesswoman named Lydia, a possessed slave girl, and a midnight earthquake in a Philippian jail follow in rapid succession.
To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Paul writes to his protégé with practical wisdom for leading a church — choosing leaders, handling conflict, staying faithful when the work gets hard.
To Timothy, my beloved child: I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.
Written from a Roman dungeon, this is likely Paul's final letter. It reads like a father passing the torch to a son — tender, urgent, unshakable.
BibleKey's family tree is a pan-and-zoom canvas across every era — tap any person for their story, then jump straight into the chapter.
BibleKey connects the people, the passages and the meaning — in one place.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad