Argument

Timothy too was one of the apostle Paul’s disciples. Luke bears witness to this young man’s extraordinary qualities when he tells us that he was “well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16, verse 2). He became a disciple and a teacher at the same time, and he gave this remarkable proof of his good sense. He heard Paul preach without insisting on circumcision, and he knew that Paul had once opposed Peter on that very point; yet he chose not only not to preach against it, but to submit to that rite himself. For Paul, we are told, “took him and circumcised him” (Acts 16, verse 3), though he was a grown man, and so he entrusted him with the whole arrangement. [a]

Paul’s affection for him is proof enough of his character. Elsewhere he says of him, “You know his proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the good news” (Philippians 2, verse 22). And again he writes to the Corinthians, “I have sent you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord” (First Corinthians 4, verse 17). And again, “Let no one despise him, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am too” (First Corinthians 16, verses 10 and 11). And to the Hebrews he writes, “Know that our brother Timothy has been set free” (Hebrews 13, verse 23). Indeed, his love for him shows everywhere; and the miracles that are worked even now still bear witness to Timothy’s standing.

Someone may ask why he addresses letters to Titus and Timothy alone. Silas was a man of proven worth, and so was Luke, for he writes, “Only Luke is with me” (Second Timothy 4, verse 11). Clement too was one of his companions, of whom he says, “with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers” (Philippians 4, verse 3). Why, then, does he write only to Titus and Timothy? Because he had already put these two in charge of churches, and particular places had been assigned to them, while the others were in attendance on him. [e]

For Timothy was so outstanding in virtue that his youth was no obstacle to his promotion. That is why Paul writes, “Let no one despise your youth” (First Timothy 4, verse 12), and again, “the younger women as sisters” (First Timothy 5, verse 2). For where there is virtue, everything else is unnecessary, and nothing can stand in the way. That is why, when the apostle discusses bishops, he requires many things of them but makes no particular mention of age.

And if he speaks of a bishop as “the husband of one wife” and “keeping his children in submission” (First Timothy 3, verses 2 and 4), he does not say this as though a bishop must have a wife and children. He says it so that, if any men should happen to be advanced to that office from life in the world, they would be men who knew how to govern their household and their children, and all the others entrusted to them. For if a man lived in the world and also fell short in these things, how could he be entrusted with the care of the church?

But you will say: “Why does he address a letter to a disciple who has already been appointed to the office of teacher? Shouldn’t he have been fully trained for his office before he was sent?” Yes; but the instruction he needed was not the kind that suits a disciple, but the kind proper to a teacher. So you will notice that all through the letter Paul fits his instructions to a teacher. Right at the beginning, for instance, he does not say, “Pay no attention to those who teach otherwise,” but, “Charge them not to teach any other doctrine” (First Timothy 1, verse 3).