Timothy Paul’s Protégé, Part 2

With their small size and preference for solitude, honey badgers are surprisingly known as one of the world’s most fearless animals—defending themselves against hyenas, pythons, and even whole prides of lions! Likewise, Timothy may not have looked like much, but he proved to be an enduring force for God.

From Paul’s two epistles to Timothy in the New Testament, many surmise that Timothy was a mild-mannered, even timid man. Paul spends some of one letter encouraging the younger disciple to boldness and bravery: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). In the other letter, he seeks to strengthen what some may have seen as a weakness: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

What must it have been like for such a gentle soul in the days of hardship that followed the apostle to the Gentiles and his companions?

During his travels with Paul, Timothy visited several early churches as a messenger for the apostle, bringing comfort and encouragement by his preaching of the doctrine (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19–23; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 1 Timothy 1:3). When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, Timothy became a source of comfort to the apostle himself. During this time Paul wrote several letters—to the Philippians, to the Colossians, to Philemon— addressed from himself and from Timothy.

Paul’s second epistle to Timothy is the apostle’s last known epistle, written shortly before his death. In it he gives earnest advice to the younger disciple: “Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3); “continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of” (3:14), “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2:15); “[p]reach the word” (4:2). Spread the gospel; study the Scriptures; remain faithful to God.

Did Timothy follow Paul’s guidance after the death of his beloved mentor? Foxe’s Book of Martyrs tells us that indeed Timothy became the bishop of Ephesus and held that position during the great persecution of the early Christian church until his martyrdom in AD 97. His time under Paul prepared him to stand firm in his faith to the end.

Reflect: Have you ever been under fire for your faith? Is being meek the same as being weak?

Key Bible Texts

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5 KJV)