Timothy
A disciple from Lystra, son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, who joined Paul on his second journey and became a trusted assistant and envoy. He is named as co-sender of six of the letters, and two are addressed to him.
Timothy was a disciple at Lystra, well spoken of by the believers there. His mother was a Jewish believer and his father a Greek, and Paul circumcised him before taking him on his travels (Acts 16:1–3). 2 Timothy names his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5). He was with Paul and Silas in Macedonia and at Corinth, and Paul used him as his envoy: he sent him back to Thessalonica, and later from Ephesus to Corinth and to Macedonia (1 Thessalonians 3:1–6) (1 Corinthians 4:17) (Acts 19:22). See Paul Carries the Gospel into Europe.
Paul calls him “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord” and writes that he has no one else like him (1 Corinthians 4:17) (Philippians 2:19–22). Timothy is named with Paul in the opening of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon (2 Corinthians 1:1) (Philippians 1:1) (Colossians 1:1) (1 Thessalonians 1:1) (2 Thessalonians 1:1) (Philemon), and 1 and 2 Timothy are addressed to him, the first placing him at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:2–3). Eusebius, in the early fourth century, reports as tradition that he was the first bishop of Ephesus (Eusebius, Church History 3.4.6).
In the timeline
- about AD 49 to AD 52, estimated datePaul Carries the Gospel into Europe
With Silas and Timothy, Paul crosses from Asia Minor to Macedonia and founds churches at Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth. Acts brings him before the proconsul Gallio at Corinth, whose year of office an inscription at Delphi puts at about AD 51–52.
- about AD 50 to AD 60, estimated dateThe Letters of Paul
In the course of his missions Paul writes letters to the churches he has founded and to others. On the usual dating they are older than the Gospels. They came to be collected and read alongside the Scriptures.