Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

TIMOTHY

(Gk. Timótheos)

1. Commander of the Ammonite forces. He was repeatedly defeated in a series of battles against Judas Maccabeus and his brothers (1 Macc. 5:6-7, 11, 34, 37-39; 2 Macc. 8:30-33; 9:3; 12:2-25).

2. A close coworker and emissary of Paul. The first recorded encounter between the two occurs when Paul enters the Lycaonian town of Lystra (Acts 16:1-5) during his second missionary journey. Timothy, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish-Christian mother, is already a respected member of the Christian community. Paul wishes Timothy to accompany him on his mission to the churches, but is said to have had Timothy circumcised first, for the sake of the Jews, who knew that Timothy’s father was a Gentile (and also, presumably, that his mother was a Jew). The reason for Timothy’s circumcision is difficult to understand in view of Paul’s stance regarding the Judaizers’ insistence that Titus be circumcised (Gal. 2:3). The question is partly one of identity: was Timothy considered primarily a Jew or a Gentile? Timothy’s Jewish mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois (2 Tim. 1:5), are said to have been faithful Christians and influential in his spiritual development, bringing him up in the knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:15). And yet the family was evidently not so observant of its Jewish heritage as to have had Timothy circumcised as an infant. The role of Timothy’s gentile father in his upbringing, and his response to Timothy’s circumcision, are not mentioned, perhaps indicating that the man was deceased by the time of the events described in Acts. The author of Acts at least seems to have held that Timothy would have been considered a Jew on account of his mother, and that his lack of circumcision would have suggested, wrongly, that Paul showed no respect for Jewish custom (Acts 21:21).

From Lystra, Timothy accompanies Paul and Silas (Silvanus), first throughout the neighboring towns, and then further west into Macedonia, circulating to the churches the decisions rendered by the elders of the church in Jerusalem, and evangelizing new territories. Apparently Timothy’s role increases in authority as he and Silas become Paul’s emissaries in Beroea (Acts 17:14) and elsewhere in Macedonia (19:22).

Timothy’s legitimacy and trustworthiness as Paul’s authoritative representative are underscored in the Pauline Epistles (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10-11; Phil. 2:19-22; 1 Thess. 3:1-6). Timothy is sent by Paul to the churches not only to gather information concerning their welfare, but to further the work of the gospel among them, to remind them of Paul’s teaching, to encourage them to endure in the face of persecution, and in many ways to serve as Paul’s selfless emissary. In addition, Timothy is described as the co-sender of Philippians, 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonias, and Philemon, as well as Colossians and 2 Thessalonians. Paul’s language in describing Timothy emphasizes the special relationship of trust which developed between the two over the course of their association (1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:22; 1 Thess. 3:2).

That Timothy is the named recipient of the Pastoral Letters that bear his name (1-2 Timothy) attests to his reputation during the 1st century as an important follower and close coworker of Paul, although he is characterized in the letters as somewhat inexperienced and in need of encouragement. In the first letter, Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus to deal with false teachers and to establish proper patterns of worship and of community order. The second letter, written ostensibly during Paul’s imprisonment (possibly in Rome), is primarily a letter of exhortation and encouragement, in the style of a final testament. Paul warns Timothy to avoid becoming entangled in controversies, but to continue to be bold in opposing false teaching and to uphold the traditions handed on to him. In contrast to the first letter, Timothy is here urged not to remain in Ephesus, but to return to Paul as soon as possible. A reference to Timothy in Heb. 13:23 suggests that he was at one time imprisoned, but later released.

Bibliography. F. F. Bruce, The Pauline Circle (Grand Rapids, 1985); C. Bryan, “A Further Look at Acts 16:1-3,” JBL 107 (1988): 292-94; S. J. D. Cohen, “Was Timothy Jewish (Acts 16:1-3)?” JBL 105 (1986): 251-68; M. M. Mitchell, “New Testament Envoys in the Context of Greco-Roman Diplomatic and Epistolary Conventions: The Example of Timothy and Titus,” JBL 111 (1992): 641-62; W. D. Walker, “The Timothy-Titus Problem Reconsidered,” ExpTim 92 (1980-81): 231-35.

See Pastoral Epistles.

Jane S. Lancaster

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

TIMOTHY

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)