Paul and Timothy

How do you mentor your successor?

Timothy was born and raised in Lystra, the city in Galatia, (central Turkey), where Paul was stoned by a hostile crowd, dragged outside the city and left for dead; Acts 14:21. A dangerous warning for the man who would take over responsibility for Paul’s mission throughout the regions around the Aegean Sea.

Although the word ‘timid’ is derived from his name, there is little from what we know about Timothy to indicate he deserved such a description.

He travelled extensively. He was often at the cutting edge of Paul’s mission. He was with Paul at Philippi, during the astonishing awakening in Thessalonica, then at the cosmopolitan city of Corinth and later at Ephesus, where the new ministry of multiplying church-planting took hold throughout the region. Paul often sent Timothy to sort out difficulties in churches.

Paul describes him as ‘my dear son’ and ‘my true son in the faith’.

But why did Paul commission Timothy over others to lead the mission after his death?

We see Paul’s answer in a comment he wrote to the Philippians that while ‘everyone else looks out for their own interests … Timothy has proved himself … because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel’.

Timothy was Paul’s ‘true son in the faith’, but much more his priority, even over his own interests, was to serve Paul and his gospel mission ‘as a son with his father’. Just as a son or daughter gives everything to ensure the family business succeeds, so Timothy gave 100% to serve Paul and the work of the gospel.

It is when the eyes of our hearts are opened to perceive and see and understand that God gave everything for us at the cross that our hearts are captured, and the only response is to give everything for the Saviour.

The greatest thing we can ever do for those we mentor is lead them into an ever deeper understanding of Christ crucified.

‘I live believing in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’; Galatians 2:20.