Who was Timothy in the Bible? He was born in the first century in Lystra, a small town in what is now central Turkey. His father was Greek, and his mother was Jewish. Eunice, his mother, and Lois, his grandmother, had taught the Jewish scriptures to him (2 Tim 1:5; 3:15). Paul probably taught him about Jesus on his first mission trip and considered Timothy a son in the faith. 1 Timothy 1: 2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. [1]
On his second mission trip, the churches spoke well of Timothy (Acts 16:1-2), and Paul noticed his giftings and asked Timothy to join his mission trip. Timothy joined Paul as a mentee and co-worker on his missionary trips. Because the Jews would consider Timothy a “half-breed” because of his Greek father, Paul had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). This allowed Timothy to enter the synagogues freely.
Timothy’s Hand’s On Training
Paul involved Timothy in all areas of ministry. Timothy helped plant the churches of Paul’s second and third mission trips. Paul also used Timothy as his representative. He was sent to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage the believers in their faith (1 Thess 3:2) and to Corinth to remind the church of what Paul had taught and modeled regarding the Christian life (1 Cor 4:16–17). He also went to Macedonia (along with Erastus) to prepare the way for Paul’s arrival (Acts 19:22) and to Philippi to gather news for Paul and to encourage the church there (Phil 2:19–24).[2]
Paul seems to have written the first letter to Timothy after the events of Acts. Paul had been released from the Roman prison and traveled to the churches to encourage them. The church in Ephesus was struggling with false teachings and residual beliefs from paganism. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus while continuing. 1 Timothy 1: 3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. [3]
This would be a difficult assignment as Timothy needed to make corrections. Paul knew Timothy well enough to know that he tended to be easily intimidated. Because of this, Paul wrote a letter to encourage Timothy in his duties. We still benefit from Paul’s advice today.
Mentoring Today
We are familiar with formal education in our culture today. Mentoring is when someone shares their knowledge, skills, and experience to help another person to progress.[4] A mentee is a person who receives knowledge from a mentor. Mentoring is a way to teach, often in a less formal setting. I have benefitted from a formal mentoring situation. I gained skills I could not have learned any other way.
Ideally, no matter the age, everyone needs a mentor and, in turn, to mentor another, especially in faith matters. This doesn’t have to be a formal arrangement. You may admire someone and try to emulate them. Peer groups also provide mentoring situations where you can learn.
You also have skills that you can share with less experienced ones. It can be as simple as having a child help you bake or asking a young adult to help organize Vacation Bible School. Like Paul, we must train and pull the younger generation forward, especially in the faith.
Who was Timothy? To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/lead-yourself
[1,3] Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
[2] Belleville, L. (2009). Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews (Vol. 17, p. 11). Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] https://www.pushfar.com/article/what-is-mentoring-definitions/