TIMOTHY.  [English from Latin Timotheus, from Greek Timotheos = "venerating or worshipping God"].
    A Christian convert, first met with by Paul on his second missionary journey at Derbe or Lystra—apparently the latter town.  Timothy's father was a Greek, while his mother was a Jewess.  Paul heard so good an account of him from the Christians at Lystra and Iconium that he wished to have him as a travelling companion, and had him circumcised on account of the connection he had through one of his parents with the Jewish race (Acts xvi. 1-3).  His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were pious women (2 Tim. i. 5).  When Paul had to depart abruptly from Berœa, owing to the opposition of the Jews from Thessalonica, Silas and Timothy were for a little left behind, but were soon instructed to come with all speed to the apostle, then at Athens (Acts xvii. 14, 15).  They seem, however, not to have reached him till he had passed on to Corinth (xviii. 5), and Silvanus (the same as Silas) and Timothy joined with the apostle in sending from that city the first and second epistles to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. i. 1; iii. 2, 6; 2 Thess. i. 1).  Timothy and Erastus were sent to Macedonia from Ephesus during Paul's third missionary journey (Acts xix. 22).  They afterwards accompanied him from that province into Asia Minor, apparently to Ephesus (xx. 4, 5), from which place the apostle wrote the Corinthian Church a few commendatory words regarding Timothy (1 Cor. xvi. 10, 11), whom also he associated with him in his second letter to the same quarter (2 Cor. i. 1).  Timothy's salutations are sent with Paul's to the Roman (?) Church (Rom. xvi. 21).  He seems to have been afterwards for a time with Paul in Rome, for he is associated with him in three epistles from that city: viz., those to the Philippians (Phil. i. 1), to the Colossians (Col. i. 1), and to Philemon (Philemon 1).  In these letters Paul calls Timothy "my fellow-worker" (Rom. xvi. 21); "our brother" (2 Cor. i. 1; Col. i. 1; Philemon 1—all R.V.); also "our brother and God's minister in the gospel of Christ" (1 Thess. iii. 2—R.V.); and "my beloved and faithful child in the Lord" (1 Cor. iv. 17); "my true child in faith" (1 Tim. i. 2—R.V.); and "my child Timothy" (18).  These expressions show the great affection Paul had for Timothy.  They also suggest that there was a considerable disparity in age between the two, and further that Paul was Timothy's spiritual father.  In Heb. xiii. 23 we find the words: "Know ye that our brother Timothy hath been set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you."  This implies that shortly before he had been in confinement; doubtless for the cause of Christ.  The first and second epistles to himself give the last authentic intelligence regarding his career. (The Sunday School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894)