When we think about missions in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul is often the first name that comes to mind. But standing close beside him is Timothy, a young disciple whose life shows us how God raises up missionaries through mentorship, faithfulness, and a heart for the gospel.
Timothy first appears in Acts 16:1 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him…”
Here we see the beginnings of a missionary calling. Timothy was shaped early by his mother and grandmother’s faith (2 Timothy 1:5), but it was Paul who drew him into mission. As the late R.C. Sproul noted, discipleship in the New Testament was never merely about learning information—it was about apprenticeship. Paul modeled the gospel, and Timothy walked beside him, learning to embody and proclaim it.
Over time, Timothy became Paul’s “beloved child” in the faith (1 Corinthians 4:17) and a trusted co-laborer. Paul describes him in Philippians 2:22, “But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.”
Author and pastor John Piper has pointed out that mission is always about passing on not only the message of Christ but also one’s very life. That is what Paul did with Timothy—he shared both gospel truth and gospel-shaped living. Timothy, in turn, became not just Paul’s assistant, but a missionary leader, shepherding churches and even enduring hardship for Christ’s sake (Hebrews 13:23).
Author and pastor David Platt often emphasizes that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) is fulfilled through ordinary disciples making disciples. Timothy embodies this pattern. What Paul entrusted to him, Timothy was to entrust 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 Timothy 2:2) This is missions at its core—multiplying the gospel from one life to another, from one generation to the next.
Former SBC President JD Greear has said, “The church doesn’t have a mission; the mission has a church.” Timothy’s story reminds us that mission is not reserved for the boldest apostles but extends to faithful disciples shaped by the gospel and sent out for the sake of Christ. Timothy’s willingness to follow Paul, to learn, to suffer, and to lead shows how God raises up missionaries through the ordinary means of discipleship.
Like Timothy, we are called not only to receive the gospel but to join in God’s mission of making Christ known to the nations.
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