TIMOTHY (tIm'o-thn (Gr. TrihMeor, tim-oth' eh-os, honoring God), a young Christian of Derbe, grandson of Lois, and son of Eunice, a Jewess, by a Greek father, who was probably a proselyte (Acts xvi:i; xx:4).
He seems to have been brought up with great care in his family, and to have profited well by the example of the 'unfeigned faith' which dwelt in the excellent women named in 2 Tim. i :5 ; iii :Is.
(1) Conversion and Circumcision. The tes timonials which Paul received in Lycaonia in favor of this young disciple, induced the Apostle to make him the companion of his journeys and la bors in preaching the Gospel, for which purpose he circumcised him (Acts xvi:2, 3; I Tim. iv : 6). He became his most faithful and attached colleague ; and is frequently named by Paul with truly paternal tenderness and regard.
(2) Paul's Companion. He accompanied Paul to Macedonia, to Philippi, to Thessalonica, and to Berea, where he left him and Silas to con firm the converts (Acts xvii:14). When at Athens, he directed Timothy to come to him (A. D. 52), and thence sent him back to Thessalonica, from whence he afterwards returned with Silas, to Paul at Corinth (Acts xviii :5), where he con tinued with the Apostle, and is named with Silas at the beginning of the two epistles to the Thes salonians.
(3) Journeys to Macedonia. About A. D. 56, Paul sent Timothy with Erastus into Macedonia (Acts xix :22), and directed him to call at Corinth, to refresh the minds of the Corinthians in the truth. Some time after, writing to this church (1 Cor..iv :17), he recommends to them the care of Timothy, and directs them to send him back in peace.
Timothy returned to Paul in Asia, who there stayed for him, whence they went together into Macedonia and the Apostle joins Timothy's name with his own in the Second Epistle to the Cor inthians, which he wrote from this province, about the middle of A. D. 57. He also sends his com
mendations to the Romans, in the letter which he wrote to them from Corinth, the same year, or about A. D. 58 (Rom. xvi :21).
(4) At Rome. Though it does not appear, by the Acts, that Timothy was with Paul the two years in which he was prisoner at nor during his voyage to Rome ; yet he had accom panied him in his journey to Jerusalem (Acts xx :4), and it is certain he was in Rome when the Apostle wrote to the Philippians, to the Colos sians, and to Philemon, because he is named in the titles of these epistles, which were written A. D. 6o, 6r, 62. The year following, when Paul wrote to the Hebrews (Heb. xiii :23 ; A. D. 64), he tells them that Timothy was come out of prison ; but he mentions no circumstances, either of his imprisonment or delivery.
(5) Last Years. When the Apostle returned from Rome (A. D. 64), he left Timothy at Ephesus (I Tim. i :3), as the overseer of that church. The first of the two letters addressed to him was written from Macedonia, about A. D. 64 or 65 (I Tim. v :23). The Apostle recom mends him to be more moderate in his austerities, and to drink a little wine, because of the weakness of his stomach, and his frequent infirmities. After Paul came to Rome (A. D. 65), he wrote to him his second letter, which is full of kindness and tenderness for this his dear disciple, and which is justly considered as the last will of the Apostle. He desires him to come to Rome to him before winter, and to bring with him several things that had been left at Troas (2 Tim. iv :9-13). The tradition is, that Timothy retained the charge of the church at Ephesus till his death, and event wally suffered martyrdom in that city, under Domitian or Nerva.