Who is Timothy?

The passage for January is Philippians 1:1-2:

    Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
    To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
    Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text. Today we will discuss...

Who is Timothy?

While, not an apostle, Timothy plays a big role in the New Testament and early church.
We first meet Timothy in the book of Acts, Chapter 16. Timothy is described as the son and grandson of a Christian mother and a Christian grandmother who lived in Lystra (in modern-day Turkey).

Timothy's father is simply described as a Greek and the text does not tell us if his father was ever converted. Timothy's mother and grandmother, though, were likely converted during an earlier visit by Paul to Lystra.

In Acts 16:2 we are told that the brothers (Christians) in Lystra thought well of Timothy and there was something about Timothy that drew Paul to choose him as a student - later to be molded into a church leader.

In Acts 16 and 17, Timothy is with Paul and Silas during a string of church-planting mission trips - including to Philippi, Thessolonica and Berea. From Berea, onward, Paul would send Timothy out on different assignments, usually to check on the welfare of the young churches.

Eventually, Timothy would become the leader of the Church in Ephesus. There, Timothy was charged to guard the truth and to lead the believers with a protective look-out against the wolves who would come in and try to lead the Christians astray through false doctrine.

He was also tasked with the responsibility to raise up new leaders who would follow in the footsteps of the Apostles and pass on the truth to the next generation - teaching the next generation to do the same. This is the main point that we would like you to think on as you think about Timothy now.

When you read Timothy's name here in verse one, reflect on the importance of discipleship in the history of the Christian church.

If the church would ONLY have had the Apostles and their writings, with no one to pass the knowledge down to the next generation, then the church might never have been know after the first century after Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

Instead, with a love for the Word in place and a desire to see the church multiply throughout the world, Paul also charged Timothy to take "...what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses (and) entrust (it) to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."  (2 Timothy 2:2)

This is the pattern for passing the Truth down from one generation to the next and charging them to do the same. It went:

From Jesus to Paul and the Apostles

From Paul to Timothy

From Timothy to Faithful men (and women)

From Timothy’s faithful students to others...

..And the pattern has continued to just a short time ago when someone began teaching YOU the Truth of the Gospel and how to live it out.

Now, it is your turn to take the Gospel to the next generation, who will then be able to teach others also... and so it will go until the return of our King.

Timothy is mentioned later in the letter to the Philippians, so we will revisit him then (in chapter two which we will cover in July). For now remember this simple Discipleship method that has served the church well "Be A Disciple - Make A Disciple" (Repeat)

Disciple: one who is increasingly worshiping Jesus in all of life, being changed by Jesus, and obeying Jesus' commands.

Discipleship: leading others to increasingly submit all of life to the empowering presence and Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Definitions by Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt - Soma Communities)

Discipleship Made Simple:

Be One - Make One