Τιμόθεος

Τιμόθεος, ου, ὁ (freq. found Aristoph., X.+; ins, pap, LXX; Jos., Ant. 12, 329–44) voc. Τιμόθεε 1 Ti 1:18; 6:20. Timothy, a friend, traveling companion and co-worker of Paul. Ac 16:1ff tells us that he lived in Lycaonia, prob. in Lystra, and was born of a polytheistic father and a monotheistic mother (named Eunice acc. to 2 Ti 1:5). Paul had him circumcised (Ac 16:3) before taking him on one of his important journeys (2 Cor 1:19; Ac 17:14f; 18:5), and used him permanently as an associate (συνεργός Ro 16:21). He is named as the ‘co-writer’ of six letters (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Th 1:1; 2 Th 1:1; Phlm 1). He was active in Thessalonica (1 Th 3:2, 6; s. the subscr. to 2 Th), Corinth (1 Cor 4:17; 16:10), and then again in Macedonia (Ac 19:22) as Paul’s envoy. He also accompanied him on his last journey to Jerusalem (Ac 20:4). Later he shared Paul’s imprisonment (cp. Phil 2:19 and also the introductions of the imprisonment epistles except Eph). In 1 and 2 Ti he is mentioned in the salutations (1 Ti 1:2; 2 Ti 1:2) and also 1 Ti 1:18; 6:20 (s. above, beg.); 2 Ti subscr. refers to him as overseer. Finally he appears once more in the NT, Hb 13:23. He is mentioned nowhere else in our lit.—AJülicher, RE XIX 1907, 781–88; FPölzl, Die Mitarbeiter des Weltap. Pls 1911, 136ff; ERedlich, St. Paul and His Companions 1913; WHadorn (s.v. ὑπηρέτης); JAlexander, The Character of Tim.: ET 25, 1914, 277–85 (against him GFindlay, ibid. 426); Pauly-W. VI A ’37, 1342–54; Kl. Pauly V 851f; BHHW III, 1988–91; WOllrog, Paulus u. s. Mitarbeiter ’79; PTrümert, Die Paulustrad. d. Past. ’78. On the composition and language of the Pastorals s. PHarrison, The Problem of the Pastoral Epistles 1921; BEaston, The Pastoral Epistles ’47; comprehensive comm. by CSpicq ’47; MDibelius and HConzelmann, The Pastoral Epistles (Eng. tr.) ’72; JWhite, New Testament Epistolary Lit. in the Framework of Ancient Epistolography, ANRW II/25/2 ’84, 1730–56. S. also WKümmel, Einleitung²¹ ’83 —DELG s.v. τιμή. LGPN I. M-M. TW.