TIMOTHY

Timothy had a Gentile father (Acts 16:1) but a Jewess mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5). He learned the Old Testament from a young age from them (2 Tim. 3:15).

Paul hand-picked Timothy to serve with him. He joined Paul on his second missionary journey at Lystra where he was reported to be effective in ministry (Acts 16:2); he had possibly been converted  during Paul’s previous visit to Lystra (Act 14:6); his self-denying character is shown by his leaving home at once to accompany Paul. To obviate Jewish prejudices (1Co 9:20) in regard to one of half Israelite parentage, and to make Timothy more useful amongst the Jewish population, Paul circumcised him, "for they knew all that his father was a Greek." In contrast Titus, a Gentile on both parental sides, was not compelled to be circumcised (Gal 2:3).

Thereafter they were almost inseparable. Wherever Paul went, he took Timothy. Wherever Paul could not go, he sent Timothy (1 Cor. 16:10). During Paul's long stay at Ephesus, Timothy "ministered to him" (Act 19:22), and was sent before him to Macedonia and to Corinth "to bring the Corinthians into remembrance of the apostle's ways in Christ", 1Co 4:17;1Co 16:10.

With the exception of Galatians, Ephesians, and Titus, Timothy is a joint “sender” of all Paul’s letters. He was therefore at Rome with Paul during his imprisonment, when the apostle wrote his epistles to the Colossians (Col 1:1), Philemon (Phm 1:1), and Philippians (Phi1:1).  

Paul had numerous colleagues and friends but none of them were quite as close as Timothy. Note his view of Timothy in Phil 2:10-23. For Timothy, Christian love was "natural" not forced, nor "with dissimulation" (Phi 2:19-23): "I trust to send Timothy shortly ... for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state”. Timothy was a spiritual “brother”. God brought these two men together and they remained together. Their friendship stuck. Others forsook Paul. When the going got tough, they gave up (2 Tim. 1:15).

What was it that kept Paul and Timothy together? They had nothing in common. Paul was much older than Timothy (Philemon 9). In 1 Tim 4:12 Paul said, “Let no man despise your youth.” Usually, people who have a large age gap do not remain together for very long unless they are relatives.  These two were poles apart in their family background. Paul was a pure blood Jew (Phil. 3:5). Timothy was half Jew, half Gentile (Acts 16:3). They were poles apart in their education. They were not on the same plane. Paul had a graduate degree. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel. There is no record of any formal training of Timothy. So what kept them together? It was service for the Lord, side by side. God breaks down natural barriers between people, and compensates for the differences in culture, education, and financial background.