The profile of Timothy

1. Timothy is the son of an unbeliever Greek and a believer Jewess — Acts 16:1-3.

2. He was reared by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice — 2 Timothy 1:5. Both were supergrace believers representing two generations of supergrace believers. Consequently Timothy had a fantastic spiritual heritage.

3. Timothy was circumcised by the apostle Paul under unusual circumstances — Acts 16:3.

4. He was ordained to the ministry in 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:5.

5. He went to Philippi with the apostle, along with Luke — Acts 16:12. He remained to supervise the main Philippian church. Timothy did a great job in Philippi. Those who were there were very responsive to his teaching ministry. He was himself at the time a believer advancing.

6. He was left behind a second time with Silas at Berea — Acts 17:14. Since the Bereans were positive to doctrine, again for the second time he had a great ministry.

7. Having joined Paul at Athens he next went to Thessalonica, according to 1 Thessalonians 3:2.

8. From there he was sent to Corinth, and there he failed. For the first time he came up against negative believers, he came up against reversionism, and 1 Corinthians 16:10 tells us that he was a total failure. He was too soft, too weak to handle the Corinthians. This failure foreshadows his failure at Ephesus. Timothy was not tough enough with bullies, he lost control of the local church; thus becoming disillusioned with people he moved into reversionism when he got to Ephesus.

9. He shared Paul’s first roman imprisonment — Philippians 1:1; 2:19; Colossians 1:1; Philemon 1.

10. Afterwards he started out with Paul on his fourth missionary journey. He was left behind at Ephesus where he failed miserably.