Timothy

A close friend and helper to the apostle Paul. Timothy was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish mother (Eunice), who was a Christian. His grandmother Lois also was a Christian. Timothy became like a son to Paul. When Paul was in prison or faced other hardships, Timothy was the person he wanted most to see.

Timothy joined Paul in Lystra on Paul’s second missionary journey. After they were driven out of Thessalonica by Jewish persecution, Paul sent Timothy back to help the Christians there. Several times Paul sent Timothy to churches as his representative.

Timothy was with Paul during much of his third missionary journey. During the last years of Paul’s life, Timothy served as a leader over the churches in Ephesus. Two books of the New Testament—1 and 2 Timothy—

are letters that Paul wrote to Timothy at Ephesus. The second letter of Paul to Timothy was probably written while Paul was in prison in Rome, shortly before his death.