Jeff Jenkins says that every preacher needs three other preachers in his life.  A Paul – an older preacher who has “been there.” He keeps you from quitting! A Barnabas – who can laugh with you, sharpen you and encourage you. A Timothy – into whom you can pour your life, experience and encouragement.
In this article I wish to focus primarily on Philippians 2:19-24. Philippians 2 highlights two of Paul co-workers: Timothy & Epaphroditus. Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote the letter to the Philippian church. While he was in Rome the church at Philippi had sent him a gift of support. It was sent to him by the hand of Epaphroditus (Phil.4:18). Paul wrote to thank them for the gift, to inform them of his present situation and to give them the encouragement that he knew they needed.
In Paul’s long list of co-workers and associates no one shines brighter than Timothy. Timothy was with Paul in Philippi (Acts 16), Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:14), in Corinth and Ephesus (Acts 18:5; 19:21-22), and with him in prison in Rome (Phil. 1:1, 7). Timothy was associated with Paul in writing 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, Colossians and Philippians. Timothy was the type of helper that when Paul needed to send someone to a church, and he could not go himself, Timothy was willing and able to go.
Timothy resonates with gospel preachers today. Many of us, like Timothy, have undergone various struggles in order to be God’s evangelist. The road is not always easy. After warning Timothy of difficult times to come Paul said, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). Such counsel is taken seriously be preachers today, or should be!
How many times have we needed someone to urge us to “rekindle the gift of God that is in you…” (2 Tim. 1:6). We can’t be sure of the nature of the gift. Gifts can be neglected. They need to be used. For us, the need comes when the zeal for preaching dies out in our hearts.
We look to Timothy for encouragement in reaching those with the gospel who can, in turn, pass it on to others: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Churches everywhere are declining in numbers, many closing their doors for good. Is it in some measure because we have failed to teach the next generation?
The fact that Timothy came from a racially/religiously mixed home might resonate with some (Acts 16:1-3). He was “the son of a Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek” (v. 2). Such a reality should never be a detriment to anyone. You can’t help your heritage. Timothy’s spiritual training came from two women: Eunice and Lois (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15). Isn’t it interesting that we have their names? It’s almost like we know them personally.
How are we doing in preparing young people for service in the kingdom? One reason people don’t know God’s word is because they were not taught it as children. Many homes are lacking cohesion and spirituality – they are bruised and bleeding! Some congregations are culturally connected, but spiritually empty.
From 1 Timothy 5:23 we learn that Timothy was afflicted with a stomach ailment. Paul referred to it as a frequent problem. Do you deal with a frequent or chronic ailment of some kind? Many people do. Timothy did not let physical limitations keep him from service in the kingdom. Some brethren use physical limitations as an excuse to glide along in life. Others do the best they can regardless of the challenges. Perhaps we can learn something from Timothy.