Timothy | |
|---|---|
 Icon of Saint Timothy | |
| Bishop, Martyr | |
| Born | Lystra,Galatia,Roman Empire[1] or Derbe, Galatia, Roman Empire[2][3] |
| Died | unknown (The Acts of Timothy dates Timothy's death to c. AD 97 [aged 79/80]) Ephesus,Asia, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodoxy Anglicanism Lutheranism |
| Feast | January 22 (Eastern Christianity) January 26 (Catholic Church,Lutheranism,Anglican Communion) January 24 (some local calendars and pre-1970General Roman Calendar) 23Tobi (Coptic Christianity)[4] 27 Tobi (Relocation ofRelics –Coptic Christianity)[5] Thursday after fifth Sunday after feast of the Holy Cross (Armenian Apostolic Church)[6] |
| Attributes | pastoral staff[7] |
| Patronage | Invoked against stomach and intestinal disorders |
Timothy (Greek:Τιμόθεος,Timótheos, meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God"[8]) was an early Christianevangelist and the firstChristianbishop ofEphesus,[9] whom theActs of Timothy relates died around the year AD 97.
Timothy was from theLycaonian city ofLystra[10] or ofDerbe[2][3] inAsia Minor, born of aJewish mother who had become a Christian believer, and aGreek father. TheApostle Paul met him during hissecond missionary journey and he became Paul's companion and missionary partner along withSilas.[11] TheNew Testament indicates that Timothy traveled with Paul the Apostle, who was also his mentor. He is addressed as the recipient of theFirst andSecond Epistles to Timothy in theNew Testament,
Timothy was a native ofLystra or ofDerbe inLycaonia (Asia Minor).[12] WhenPaul andBarnabas first visited Lystra, Paul healed a person crippled from birth, leading many of the inhabitants to accept his teaching. When he returned a few years later with Silas, Timothy was already a respected member of the Christian congregation, as were his grandmotherLois and his motherEunice, both Jews. In 2 Timothy 1:5,[13] his mother and grandmother are noted as eminent for their piety and faith. Timothy is said to have been acquainted with the Scriptures since childhood. In 1 Corinthians 16:10,[14] there is a suggestion that he was by nature reserved and timid: "When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord".[15]
Timothy's father was a GreekGentile. Thus Timothy had not beencircumcised and Paul now ensured that this was done, according to Acts 16:1-3,[16] to ensure Timothy's acceptability to the Jews whom they would be evangelizing. According toJohn William McGarvey:[17] “Yet we see him in the case before us, circumcising Timothy with his own hand, and this ‘on account of certain Jews who were in those quarters.’” This did not compromise the decision made at theCouncil of Jerusalem, thatgentile believers were not required to be circumcised.[10]
Timothy became St Paul's disciple, and later his constant companion and co-worker in preaching.[18] In the year 52, Paul andSilas took Timothy along with them on their journey toMacedonia.Augustine extols his zeal and disinterestedness in immediately forsaking his country, his house, and his parents, to follow the apostle, to share in his poverty and sufferings.[19] Timothy may have been subject to ill health or "frequent ailments", and Paul encouraged him to "use a little wine for your stomach's sake".[20]
When Paul went on to Athens, Silas and Timothy stayed for some time atBeroea andThessalonica before joining Paul atCorinth.[19]1 Thessalonians 3:1–6 suggests that from Corinth, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonika to enquire about the community's continued faith, reporting back that it was in good shape. Timothy next appears in Acts during Paul's stay in Ephesus (54–57), and in late A. D. 56 or early 57 Paul sent him forth to Macedonia with the aim that he would eventually arrive at Corinth. Timothy arrived at Corinth just after Paul's letter1 Corinthians reached that city.[21]
Timothy was with Paul in Corinth during the winter of 57–58 when Paul dispatched hisLetter to the Romans.[22] According to Acts 20:3–6,[23] Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia just beforePassover in 58; he left the city before Paul, going ahead of him to await Paul inTroas.[24] "That is the last mention of Timothy in Acts", Raymond Brown notes.[25] In the year 64, Paul left Timothy at Ephesus, to govern that church.[19]
His relationship with Paul was close. Timothy's name appears as the co-author on2 Corinthians,Philippians,Colossians,1 Thessalonians,2 Thessalonians, andPhilemon. Paul wrote to the Philippians about Timothy, "I have no one like him."[26] When Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend Timothy for a last farewell.[18]
That Timothy was jailed at least once during the period of the writing of the New Testament is implied by the writer ofHebrews mentioning Timothy's release at the end of the epistle.[27]
Although not stated in the New Testament, other sources have records of the apostle's death. The apocryphalActs of Timothy states that in the year 97 AD, the 80-year-old bishop tried to halt a procession in honor of the goddessDiana by preachingthe Gospel. The angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, andstoned him to death.[18]
Timothy is venerated as an apostle, saint, andmartyr by theEastern Orthodox Church, with his feast day on 22 January. TheGeneral Roman Calendar venerates Timothy together withTitus by amemorial on 26 January, the day after theFeast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. From the 13th century until 1969 the feast of Timothy (alone) was on 24 January, the day before that of the Conversion of Saint Paul.[28] Along with Titus andSilas, Timothy is commemorated by theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America on 26 January. Timothy's feast is kept by theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod on 24 January.
Timothy is honored on the calendars of theChurch of England and theEpiscopal Church (withTitus) on26 January.[29][30]
In the 4th century, the relics of Timothy were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople and placed in theChurch of the Holy Apostles near the tombs of Andrew and Luke.[18] Later on in the 13th century, the relics seem to have been taken to Italy by a count returning from the crusades, and buried around 1239 in theTermoli Cathedral.[31] The remains were rediscovered in 1945, during restoration work.
Timothy is invoked against stomach and intestinal disorders.
There are two letters to Timothy attributed toPaul the Apostle, theFirst Epistle to Timothy and theSecond Epistle to Timothy. These – along with theEpistle to Titus – are called thePastoral Epistles, and are considered pseudepigraphic by some modern scholars, includingBart Ehrman,Raymond Collins, andDavid E. Aune.[32][33][34]
The author of this epistle writes to Timothy concerning the organization of the church and Timothy's own leadership within the body. Major themes include the use ofThe Law,[35] warnings againstfalse doctrine such asEncratism, instructions for prayer,[36] roles of women in the church, qualifications for leaders of the church,[37] and the treatment of widows, elders, masters, youth, and church members in general.[38]
According to the letter, Paul urges Timothy not to have a "spirit of timidity" and not to "be ashamed to testify about our Lord".[39] He also entreats Timothy to come to him before winter, and to bring Mark with him. Paul clearly anticipates his being put to death and realities beyond in his valedictory found in 2 Timothy 4:6–8.[40] He exhorts his spiritual "son" Timothy to all diligence and steadfastness in the face of false teachings, with advice about combating them with reference to the teachings of the past, and to patience under persecution,[41] and to a faithful discharge of all the duties of his office,[42] with all the solemnity of one who was about to appear before the Judge of the quick and the dead (God).
TheActs of Timothy (Acta Timothei) is a work of New Testament apocrypha, most likely from the 5th century. The Acts tell how Paul had consecrated Timothy as bishop duringNero's reign on the occasion of a visit toEphesus which they made together. Then, underNerva, Timothy suffers a martyr's death during apagan festival.[43][44] Timothy "attempts to put an end to the wild and violent goings-on but himself falls victim to the orgies."[45][46]
The Acts of Timothy contain almost as much material aboutJohn the Evangelist, who was also a resident ofEphesus as they do about Timothy.[47]
Saint Timothy, (born, Lystra, Lycaonia [now Lusna, Tur.]
Timothy was a native of either Derbe or Lystra, cities near to each other
Saint Timothy, (born, Lystra, Lycaonia [now Lusna, Tur.])
Media related toSaint Timothy at Wikimedia Commons
