Timothy

From the time Timothy was a little boy, his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, had taught him to believe in God. His father, who was Greek, said there were many gods and they lived on Mount Olympus. Sometimes Timothy became very confused, not knowing what to believe!

When Paul of Tarsus came to Lystra on his first missionary trip, Timothy’s mother and grandmother took him to hear about Jesus. Then Timothy’s confusion ended. 

“Father, you must believe. Jesus made the blind see and the deaf hear! He raised a man from the dead! People put him on a cross and killed him for claiming to be God. But Jesus rose from the dead after three days in a tomb. He is the Lord!”

Sadly, the boy’s father was stubborn. He still believed in false pagan gods. 

Timothy went with his mother and grandmother to hear Paul often. The young boy was eager to learn more. After Paul left town, Timothy kept learning more about the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother. 

On Paul’s second trip, he and Silas met Timothy, now a young man who loved the Lord. Many believers in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown, and nearby Iconium knew him and thought well of him. But he wanted to learn more. “Please teach me all you know!” Timothy pleaded with Paul, and Paul was very pleased to become Timothy’s teacher. In fact, he asked Timothy to join him and Silas as a missionary!

Timothy wanted to help spread the gospel. “Yes! Take me with you.”

“I am going to preach in the Jewish synagogues, Timothy. I must prepare you to go there with me.”

Timothy did not want anything to stand in the way of the Jewish people hearing about Jesus. He did everything he needed to do to get ready. 

The Lord called Paul to go and make disciples in many different cities. Silas and Timothy travelled with him. Some of the people listened and believed. Others became upset and threw Paul out of their city. 

After Paul had visited Ephesus several times, he asked Timothy to stay and be the pastor at the church there. Timothy knew the Lord wanted him to stay behind, but he worried. “I’m not as bold as you are, Paul. And I’m younger than other leaders.”

Paul placed his hand on Timothy as he blessed his young friend and encouraged him. “The Lord has planned for you to stay here and preach the gospel. Jesus is with you. He will give you the words to speak and show you the way to be a shepherd to this small flock of believers.”

After Paul left, Timothy preached to the congregation. He visited the sick and helped those who were confused about what to believe. He taught the Scriptures. Some people did say he was too young to be their pastor. Timothy worried so much about wanting to be sure he was a good pastor that he was often sick to his stomach. 

Paul wrote, “Remember the Lord, my son. Remember the gift God gave you. Trust in Jesus, and don’t argue with people. Just obey God and teach what is true.”

Timothy was glad to hear from Paul. He received another letter. This time Paul reminded him how his mother and grandmother had taught him from the Scriptures since he was a young boy. “All Scripture is from God and teaches us what is right and wrong. It helps us know how to do what God wants us to do.”

So Timothy continued to study Scripture and teach those God had put in his charge. He loved the people in his church as he would a brother or sister, mother or father. 

The young pastor obeyed the Scriptures he had been taught as a child and followed Jesus’s teachings, which he had learned from Paul. He knew that everything he had been taught was true because he could trust those who had taught him. 

 

 

 

Sometimes children have only one parent, grandparent, or friend who believes in Jesus. If it hadn’t been for Timothy’s mother and grandmother, he may never have learned the truth about Jesus. How do you think Timothy felt when his father wouldn’t believe in Jesus? Why do you suppose Timothy was so interested in going with Paul? How did Timothy learn to help the people in his church? How did Paul encourage Timothy to keep on teaching people about Jesus?

 

Timothy learned as much about Jesus as he could, and then he taught others. Can you name some people who are helping you learn about Jesus? How can you live so that others know you love Jesus? Have you ever felt like you were too young to teach about Jesus? Timothy shows us that no one is too young to tell others about the love of Jesus. Not everyone will believe us, but we need to tell people anyway. What can you say to your family and friends about Jesus?