Timothy was one of the friends of Saint Paul. He was probably born in Lystra, in Asia Minor. His father was Greek, and his mother was Jewish but had become a Christian (Acts 16:1). He is thought to have converted to Christianity when Paul made his first missionary journey and talked with him. However, Paul never discusses their first meeting and Timothy is said to be a “disciple” when he met Paul at Lystra (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy joined Paul on his second journey. References in the New Testament indicate that he was Paul’s trusted friend until Paul’s death.
The First and Second Epistles to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus are known as the Pastoral Epistles. This is because they contain advice to pastors concerning church government, church officers, teaching, and Christian faithfulness and endurance. Critics debate whether or not Paul actually wrote these epistles. Some believe that a later author wrote them, using Paul’s ideas. This would explain why the Pastoral Epistles do not give much information about the character and deeds of the original Timothy. The epistles may have been written between A.D. 90 and 110, or even later.
