A young man who converted to Christianity and worked with the apostle Paul. His name means “one who honors God.”
Timothy first appears in Acts 16:1–3 as Paul’s disciple who was “the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father” (verse 1). He was a third-generation Christian after his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois (2 Timothy 1:5).
The apostle Paul was like a spiritual father to Timothy. Paul refers to Timothy as “my true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul may have helped Timothy convert during his first or second missionary journey.
Timothy was the son of a Greek (or gentile) father and was not circumcised. Circumcision is the practice of removing a small part of skin from the male sex organ. This practice was important to the Jewish people and showed that they were a part of God's people. When Paul decided to take Timothy with him on his second missionary journey, he had him circumcised to avoid any problems in their missionary work among the Jews.
Timothy had a good reputation among the believers at Lystra and Iconium (Acts 16:2). He worked with Paul and became his assistant on Paul's second missionary journey at Lystra. Timothy traveled with Paul into Europe after Paul received a vision about Macedonia.
When Paul decided to go to Athens, he left Silas and Timothy at Berea to establish the church there (Acts 17:14). Timothy and Silas eventually joined Paul in Corinth (18:5). He then appears with Paul in Ephesus on his third journey (19:22), from where Paul sends him into Macedonia ahead of himself. Timothy is last mentioned in Acts 20:4. He is included in a group going with Paul to Jerusalem to bring an offering for the Christian Jews there.
Paul mentions Timothy often in his letters. His name is included in the greetings that introduce 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. He was in Corinth on the second journey when Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He was at Ephesus on the third journey when Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. He was also in Rome during Paul’s first time in prison there. This is when Paul wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Timothy is the recipient of 1 and 2 Timothy.
In the greetings at the end of Paul's letter to the Romans (16:21), Timothy is listed along with others who send their good wishes to the believers in Rome. In 1 Corinthians 4:17 and 16:10, Paul praises Timothy as he sends him with a message to Corinth (see also Philippians 2:19–23; 1 Thessalonians 3:2–6). In 2 Corinthians 1:19, Timothy, like Paul and Silas, proclaimed the good news about Jesus Christ. Paul put Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus and wrote him two pastoral letters to help him succeed as a leader.
In Hebrews 13:23, the author (who was probably not Paul) tells his readers that Timothy had been released from prison and that he hoped to come with Timothy to visit them. Therefore, we know that Timothy was in prison at some point in time.