A child was born in Lystra in Asia Minor, probably in 36 A.D., and was named Timothy, a word meaning "an honor to God," a name no doubt suggested by his Jewish grandmother Lois or his mother Eunice, and agreed to by his Greek father. The name represents a prayer that the lad would become "an honor to God."

That godly grandmother and mother knew from the "holy Scriptures," the Old Testament, that the Messiah was coming, but in 36 A.D. they did not know that he had already come! However, they had seen to it that the child Timothy, as he grew physically, also was growing in the faith that the Messiah would come (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

According to God’s plan, the father is the head of a household (Ephesians 5:24; 6:1-4). But if a father does not lead his family spiritually, a wife who reveres God will not allow her children to be without spiritual guidance. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, backed by Lois, was forced to be the head of her house spiritually, so that Timothy "from a child" had learned "the holy Scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15).

What a pleasant surprise came to Lois, Eunice, and Timothy when Paul and Silas came to town (probably in 48 A.D.), when Timothy was 12 years old), proclaiming "the good news" (Acts 14:6-7) that the long looked for Messiah had come! Likely, all three were baptized the same day.

From the day of Timothy’s baptism, the joyous Paul could say that Timothy was his "true child in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2), "my beloved child" (2 Timothy 1:2). Paul was his spiritual father, but Timothy did not call Paul by a religious title, "Father" (cf. Matthew 23:9). Paul also called Timothy as "the brother" (Colossians 1:1), "my fellow-worker" (Romans 16:21), a "good minister" (1 Timothy 4:6), and "an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5).

In Timothy’s home town of Lystra it is likely that he and his mother and his grandmother saw Paul stoned and dragged as dead outside the city (Acts 14:19; 2 Timothy 3:11). If so, we know that those three were among the new Christians who "encircled" Paul’s body, and, unbelievably, saw him stand up and walk into the city! (Acts 14:20). We know tears were shed by the new Christians as they watched Paul and Barnabas leave Lystra the next day (Acts 14:20).

It would be about three years (51 A.D.) until Paul would return, this time with Silas (Acts 15:40). However, Timothy had used the time well, and had made such good progress, probably in short sermons, that the Christians of two congregations (Lystra and Iconium) bragged on him to the returning Paul (Acts 16:2).

Though he was only 15 years old, Paul was so impressed that he "wanted him to travel with him" (Acts 16:3). Probably on the last Sunday that Paul and Silas were in Lystra, at the church services, Timothy was called forward, and the announcement was made that the young man would be Paul’s assistant in his travels.

Then the elders laid their hands on Timothy as a gesture of commendation (1 Timothy 4:14). They did not have the power to impart a miraculous gift from the Holy Spirit, but an apostle had that power (cf. Acts 8:18). So Paul stepped forward and laid his hands on the young evangelist and gave him a miraculous gift (2 Timothy 1:6).

Timothy accompanied Paul and Silas to Philippi, to Thessalonica, and to Berea (Acts 17:14). For the sake of safety, the Christians in Berea "immediately sent Paul away" to Athens, and from there Paul sent word back "for Silas and Timothy to come right away" (Acts 17:15).

This they did, but Paul was worried about the new converts back in Macedonia. Though he did not want to be left in Athens alone, he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:1-4) and Silas (probably) to Philippi in Macedonia (Acts 18:5) to strengthen those new congregations.

In the meantime, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where Timothy and Silas rejoined him (Acts 18:1-5). There they became co-authors with Paul of two letters to the Thessalonians. Paul and Silas finished their second missionary trip, by the way of Ephesus, Caesarea, Jerusalem (?), and returned to Antioch in 52 A.D. (Acts 18:18-22). During the next two years it is likely that Timothy returned to Lystra to see his family.

In 54 A.D. Timothy again was Paul’s assistant, this time in Ephesus, where apparently he was very busy (Acts 19:22; 2 Timothy 1:18). During the three year stay in Ephesus (Acts 20:31), on one occasion, Paul sent Timothy back to Corinth to help the church there (1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10). Then, on another occasion, Paul sent Timothy back to Macedonia, probably Philippi, to help the church there (Acts 19:22).

After Pentecost of 57 A.D., Paul joined Timothy in Macedonia (Acts 20:1; 2 Corinthians 7:5). There Timothy became the co-author with Paul of 2 Corinthians. Then he accompanied Paul down to Corinth again for the three winter months of 57-58 A.D. (Romans 16:21; Acts 20:3).

Timothy left Corinth ahead of Paul on a trip back through Macedonia, and waited for him at Troas, where they had the Lord’s Supper together with the church in Troas (Acts 20:7). It is likely, while Paul went on to Jerusalem, that Timothy again visited his family and the Christians in Lystra, or perhaps he returned to Ephesus where with Paul he had labored for three years (Acts 20:31).

Four years later, 62 A.D., Timothy again was with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment, and he became the co-author with Paul of the letters to the Philippians, to the Colossians, and to Philemon. Paul wanted to send Timothy to strengthen the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:18-19). But we do not know if that trip was made.

In 63 A.D. Timothy was again in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). Though now 27 years old, he still was considered a young man, and was warned by Paul not to behave in such a way as to invite criticism (1 Timothy 4:12).

Also, Paul took knowledge of the fact that Timothy was timid, and urged him "to rekindle God’s gift, which is yours by the laying on of my hands"; literally, "stir up the fire" (anazopurein, 2 Timothy 1:6).

Also, Paul advised Timothy, a semi-invalid with "stomach" trouble and "frequent illnesses," to drink "a little wine" as a medical prescription (1 Timothy 5:23.

The details are not available, but about 65 A.D., Timothy had been jailed and released (Hebrews 13:23). The author of the book of Hebrews thought that he might see Timothy (13:23).

In 67 A.D. Timothy was still in Ephesus but his father in the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15) was on death row in Mamertine Prison in Rome, and much wanted his "beloved child" to make the long trip from Ephesus to Rome to visit him (2 Timothy 4:9-10).

On the way he wanted Timothy to stop at Troas and retrieve some "scrolls" and "especially the parchments" (2 Timothy 4:13), thus showing Paul, though inspired, still wanted to study.

Paul’s death sentence was set for the spring of 68, and the winter of 67-68 was ahead. Winters are cold in Rome, and he remembered that he had left a phailones, a thick coat with a hood, at the home of Carpus in Troas, and so he wrote to him to bring that coat (2 Timothy 4:13), and "Do your best to come before winter" (2 Timothy 4:21). We hope Timothy was able to carry out Paul’s wishes.

Tradition says that the apostle John was one of the elders at Ephesus when he was exiled by the pagan emperor Domitian in 93 A.D. to the isle of Patmos. At that time, when Timothy was 57, his sentence was not to be sent into exile, but he was stoned to death and was buried in Ephesus. In 356 A.D. the Christian emperor Constantius transferred Timothy’s remains to Constantinople (Schaff-Herzog).