The life and work of St. Paul

BEGINNING OF THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOUKNET. 259
and the non-circumcision of her son, indicate an absence of strict Judaism
which, since it was not inconsistent with " unfeigned faith," must have made
them more ready to receive the Gospel ; and Paul himself bears witness to
their earnest sincerity, and to the careful training in the Scriptures which
they had given to their child.
"We are led to suppose that Eunice was a widow, and if so she showed a
beautiful spirit of self-sacrifice in parting with her only son. The youthful
Timothy is one of the best known and most lovable of that little circle of
companions and followers chiefly Gentile converts who are henceforth
associated with the wanderings of St. Paul. Of the many whom Paul loved,
none were dearer to him than the young disciple of Lystra. Himself without
wife or child, he adopted Timothy, and regarded him as a son in all affec-
tionate nearness. "To Timothy, my son;" "my true son in the faith" such
are the terms in which he addresses him; 1 and he reminds the Philippians
how well they knew " that, as a son with a father, he had slaved with him for
the Gospel." 2 And slight as are the touches which enable us to realise the.
character of the young Lystrenian, they are all wonderfully graphic and consistent.
He was so blameless in character that both in his native Lystra and
in Iconium the brethren bore warm and willing testimony to his worth. 8 In
spite of a shyness and timidity which were increased by his youthfuluess, he
was so entirely united in heart and soul with the Apostle that among his
numerous friends and companions he found no one so genuine, so entirely unselfish,
so sincerely devoted to the furtherance of the cause of Christ.* He
was, in fact, more than any other the alter ego of the Apostle. Their know-
6 and one whose yearning and often lacerated
ledge of each other was mutual ;
heart had such deep need of a kindred spirit on which to lean for sympathy,
and whose distressing infirmities rendered necessary to him the personal
services of some affectionate companion, must have regarded the devoted
tenderness of Timothy as a special gift of God to save him from being
crushed by overmuch sorrow. And yet, much as Paul loved him, he loved his
Churches more ; and if any Church needs warning or guidance, or Paul him-
eelf desires to know how it prospers, Timothy is required to overcome his
ko men. Brasilia and Berenice married Gentile princes, but compelled them first to
accept circumcision. The omission of the covenant rite in the case of Timothy may have
been owing to the veto of the child's Greek father.
1 1 Tim. i. 2, 18 2 2 Tim. ii. 2.
; PhiL ii 22, Wov'Aevow TO evayyAiof.
3 Whether Timothy belonged to Lystra or to Derbe is a matter of small importance,
but that in point of fact he did belong to Lystra seems so clear from a comparison of Acts
xvi. 1, 2 ; xr. 4 ; and 2 Tim. iii. 11, that it is strange there should have been so much
useless controversy on the subject. The notion that " Gaius " in Acts xx. 4 could not bo
"
of Derbe," because there is a Gaius of Macedonia in xix. 29 (who may or may not be
that there could not be a Mr.
the Gaius of Rom. xvi. 23 1 ; Cor. i. 14), is like arguing
Smith of Monmouth and another Mr. Smith of Yorkshire ; and the transference on thia
ground of the epithet Asp/Solos to Ttj*60o
frivolity.
4 Phil. ii. 20, ovStva. yap e\a> \.<
favTJpy '&frov(riv, ov TO ITJCTOU Xptorov.
|0 2 Tim. iii 10, 2i 8J irop
in the absence of all evidence of MSS. is mere