St. Timothy

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St. Timothy was a disciple to St. Paul and his accompanier in his trips of ministry. The first time to be mentioned was in the Holy Book of Acts at the beginning of the second ministry trip (Acts 16:1). He was from Lystra in Galatia of Asia Minor. His father was Greek and his mother and grandmother were righteous Jews (2 Timothy 1:5). And so since his childhood he grew in the way of righteousness and piety “and that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). As he ardently believed in the ministry of St. Paul so St. Paul used to call him his son in the faith (1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Timothy 1:2, and 2 Timothy 1:2). St. Paul chose him as his fellow in his trips and his helper in the ministry because of his righteousness and gifts. St. Paul circumcised him to prepare him for the ministry among Jews. He went with St. Paul to Phrygia, Galatia, Taroas, Philippi, Ephesus, Macedonia, and Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:1, Romans 16:21, Acts 20:3-4). He followed St. Paul in his last trip to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:3). He was with St. Paul in his imprisonment in Rome as he was mentioned in the Holy Epistles that St. Paul wrote from jail (Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:1, and Philemon 1:1).

He was ordained a Bishop for Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:18) and so St. Paul wrote two Holy Epistles to him about the duties of the priests in the ministry. St. Paul praised him for his wisdom and righteousness (2 Timothy 1:4, 1 Timothy 5:23). St. Paul called him “my fellow worker (Romans 16:21)”, “Our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the Gospel of Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:2)”, “A true son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2)”, “the beloved son (2 Timothy 1:2)”, and “my beloved and faithful son in the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:17)”.

It is mentioned by tradition that St. Timothy lived to a very old age and was martyred in Ephesus 97 AD by pagans.