Timothy ( dr. Greek Τιμόθεος , lat. Timotheus ; c. 17 - c. 80 ) - an apostle of seventy , a disciple of the apostle Paul , the first bishop of Ephesus .
| Timothy of Ephesus | |
|---|---|
| Τιμόθεος | |
 Apostle Timothy . Orthodox icon | |
| Name in the world | Timothy |
| Birth | OK. 17 years Lystra , Galatia , Roman Empire |
| Death | OK. 80 years or 97 years [1] Ephesus , Asia , Roman Empire |
| In the face | Apostles of the Seventy, Holy Martyrs |
| Day of Remembrance | in the Orthodox Church on February 4 (January 22 according to the old style); in the Catholic Church - January 26, traditionalist Catholics - January 24 |
| Asceticism | preached the gospel with the Apostle Paul in Thessaloniki , Corinth , Philippi, and Ephesus |
Timothy was, according to the Acts of the Holy Apostles , the son of a Jewish woman who converted to Christianity, and Hellenes; in the Second Epistle to Timothy, the name of his mother, Evnik, and his grandmother (also Christian), Loid, are reported. Timothy lived in the city of Lystra in the province of Lycaonia . He was probably converted under the influence of the sermon of the Apostle Paul in Lystra during his first journey ( Acts 14: 5-22 ), circa 48 - 49 .
On his second trip, Paul again visited Lystra and this time took Timothy with him ( Acts 16: 1-3 ). Timothy was one of the most faithful and beloved disciples of the apostle, Paul calls him " my beloved and faithful son in the Lord ," " our brother and servant of God ." Timothy, despite his youth, carried out a number of important instructions of the apostle - he preached to the Thessalonians ( 1 Thess. 3: 1-6 ), instructed the Corinthians in the faith ( 1 Cor. 4:17 ). Sending Timothy to the Philippians, Paul says of him: “ for I have no one who is equally diligent who would sincerely care for you ... his faithfulness is known to you because he, as the son of his father, served me in the gospel ” ( Phil. 2:19 -23 ).
Freed from his first imprisonment in Rome , the apostle Paul made a trip to the East with Timothy and made Timothy a bishop in Ephesus . When Paul was again detained in Rome , Timothy visited him in custody. After the death of Paul in 67 , Timothy returned to Ephesus. There is no reliable information about his last years, the legend reports that he, like his teacher, died a martyr about 80 years .
Two pastoral epistles of the apostle Paul are addressed to Timothy ( 1st epistle to Timothy , 2nd epistle to Timothy ), which were included in the New Testament.
Timothy was also mentioned in the first verses of the 2nd Corinthians , the Epistles to the Philippians , the Epistles to the Colossians , the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians, and the 2nd epistle to the Thessalonians, and the Epistle to Philemon , which most likely means that Timothy wrote down these messages from words of Paul. It is possible that he was a co-author of some of them.
According to church tradition, Timothy in 80 died a martyrdom from the Gentiles. His relics were transferred to Constantinople in the 4th century .
The memory in the Orthodox Church takes place on February 4 (January 22 according to the old style), as well as January 17 (January 4 according to the old style) on the day of the Council of the Apostles from seventy, in the Catholic Church on January 26 .
Notes
- ↑ Mario Sgarbossa , “I Santi ei Beati della Chiesa d'Occidente e d'Oriente”, II edizione, (Edizioni Paoline, Milano, 2000), pag. 59