|
|
St. Timothy, Disciple of the Lord
St. Timothy,
Disciple of the Lord
What we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it.
Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a “mixed” marriage, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother, Lois, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year 47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul, he became one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local Churches which Paul had founded.
Timothy was with Paul in Rome during the latter’s house arrest. At some period Timothy himself was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church of Ephesus.
Timothy was comparatively young
for the work he was doing. (“Let no one have contempt
for your youth,” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:12a.)
Several references seem to indicate that he was timid.
And one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines was
addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water, but have a
little wine for the sake of your stomach and your
frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).
This entry appears in the print edition of Saint of the Day and is the property of and is used with the kind permission of:
