Timothy, a spiritual son to the Apostle Paul, exemplifies a genuine call to Christian service, rooted in a divided yet deeply spiritual home where his grandmother, mother, and he himself were devoted to God's Word. His life demonstrates the importance of a strong Christian reputation, the power of godly examples like Paul's endurance through suffering, and the willingness to make necessary adjustments for ministry, as seen in Paul's decision to circumcise him for Jewish outreach. Timothy's journey, from his upbringing to his eventual imprisonment alongside Paul, highlights his faithfulness and the profound impact of mentorship and spiritual heritage in shaping a life dedicated to serving the Gospel.
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Good morning. Isn't this a grand, glorious day? I'm so glad it has warmed up a little bit, so I could get a little cheap before I start back into the land of Ways and Snow. The Trontonians wouldn't like me to say that, but that's the way it feels sometimes up there, you know. I used to live considerably north of Toronto. And up where I lived, we didn't measure the snow by inches. We measured the snow literally by feet. Get down around Toronto and Windsor, down into the Buffalo area, and they've had maybe eight inches of snow during the whole winter.
We would have had eight feet of snow by that time. Many, many a time our side drive, because we blew it out, was higher on each side than the car. We'd put a few boards across. We could have had an eagle as a garage for the wintertime. So I'm so happy that it has warmed up a little bit. Shall we read from the book of Acts chapter sixteen? I want to read a number of passages this morning, and I'll turn to them as I need them.
I don't think it is necessary for you all to turn from passage to passage. In all probability, you'll be able to recall them at any rate. But this is the first one, Acts chapter sixteen. Then came Paul to Derby and Listera, and behold, a certain disciple was there named Demopheus. the son of a certain woman which was a Jew with and believed, but his father was a Greek, which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek."
Amos, one of the minor prophets, and saying, by the way, when we speak of major prophets and minor prophets, we're not talking on the level of importance. Nothing in the Word of God is minor as far as importance is concerned. And I think we can say equally that there is nothing in the Word of God that's major in importance. We use these two designations just simply for clarity. The major prophets are the longer books written by the prophets.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, you have four major prophets. So when anybody starts to read from the major prophets, you think of any one of those four books. And then, following Daniel right through to the end of the Old Testament, you have those little short books. And we call them, because they are small and short, we call them the minor prophets. You know, as a young Christian, I had a lot of problems with the minor prophets. I just could not understand what they were writing about, what they were talking about.
because I did not know the historical background. Now, this is a little digression, but I may help some of you who have had the same problems or are having the same problems that I had. All the history of those men, the minor prophets, and all the ministry that they have written and left behind them, it all fits in. chronologically, historically, before you get to the end of Second Corinthians. Did you know that our Hebrew canon, the Old Testament scriptures, ends with Second Corinthians, or Second Chronicles, rather?
That's where it really ends. And that's the way it was in the days of our Lord Jesus. Aren't he bemoaned? the attitude of that generation among whom he sought to serve. He said that every drop of blood that was shed from Abel to Zechariah who actually was murdered within the pretense of the temple. What the Lord Jesus literally to use in Americanism, what the Lord Jesus said, Every drop of blood shed from A to Z will be brought against this generation.
For Zechariah was the last of the Old Testament prophets speaking chronologically. So if you just remember, fit those little books. into the history of God's ancient people before you get to the end of Second Chronicles. For, I repeat again, the Hebrew canon of Scripture ends with Second Chronicles. Well, Amos, one of the minor prophets, he said, How can two walk together except to be agreed? I think I could paraphrase and say, well, how can two Christians walk together except they be a Greek?
Oh, you say because they're Christians. Well, maybe so. But after all, they're human, aren't they? They are all, every one, of like passions as the rest of us. There is such a thing as a personality clash. Now how much of this comes into the relationships between the Apostle Paul and John Mark? I don't know. But I know, having spent all these years in the work of the Lord, well over fifty of them now, that even among the Lord's servants at times there are personality clashes.
And personally, I have come to believe that it's far better to separate in peace and live constantly in irritation. I find it delightful when I'm invited to the conference. where there are men of a similar mind together. And there is no personality irritation between that. Well, said Amos, how can two walk together except they be agreed. I know we were looking at John Mark and the things that contributed to his dreadful mistake.
He was a very, very capable man. The Gospel according to Mark is one of the finest books on literature that we have. An excellent work. He must have been most capable. And Paul, as we saw, said that he was profitable for the ministry. He had regained Paul's approval and he was profitable to minister the word of god i would suggest that john mark was a much more capable man than timothy timothy becomes the substitute for john mark the place that john mark vacated when he turned on his uncle barnabas and paul eventually was filled by young Timothy.
And I think you'll have to admit that what Amos said was certainly true in the intimate relationships between the Apostle Paul and Timothy. In writing to the Philippines, Paul could say, I have no man like-minded. No personality clash there. And says, Paul, as a son, he has served with me in the Gospel. We hear a great deal about Father and Son banquets now, and again, certain parts of the year. Well, here was the Father and Son relationship, and the spiritual Father had to say, I have no man like-minded.
He served as a son with me in the Gospel. I would like to look at a few of the highlights in the biographical sketch that the Spirit of God has given to us in the New Testament. I want to think first of all of this home life. And we have that, as far as my thinking is concerned, trying to lay out these references in a chronological order. We have it in the first verse of chapter sixteen. We read these words that Timothy was the son of a certain woman which was a Jewish assembly. A convert of Jewish.
Down in Bolivia, I had dinner one evening with a beloved couple, Dr. Brown and his dear wife. Dr. Brown was commanded by the assemblies in England and his wife by the assemblies in Australia. And they met in the jungle and were married and have lived a greater part of their years of service in the jungle. An excellent couple they are serving the Lord. She is a Jewess. She told me this, she said, you know, I trained as a nurse in England before I ever came out here.
And I used to pray that the Lord would send me back to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. as a missionary. That was my prayer, that was my exercise. And then she would add with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, and look what he did for me. He sent me to the lost tribes of Bolivia. Well, there she labored for the Lord and served him in that way. Timothy's mother was a Jewess, but she believed. But look at the next statement. the only time his father is mentioned.
But, but, I heard a brother say that the buts of Scripture were all lovely golden hinges upon which the doors of truth swung open or swung closed. I can highly subscribe to that idea. It sounds very, very lovely. But if we're going to compare this but to any metal, I would have to say that it was coal, gray, drawn steel. But his father was a Greek and a believer. Now, the only reference to his father is that he was a Gentile.
A Jew was married to a Gentile. You know, that's a risky matter. It's a poor foundation upon which to build married life, starting out with a religious disagreement. I don't know. I wondered as I sought to piece this together, I wondered if this poor man eventually left home, left his wife, left his son, went elsewhere. or there is no other reference to Him, whatever. No wonder in the Word of God we're warned against the unequal yoke.
And I think our young people ought to be reminded of this much more frequently than is common among us. There have been so many who have formed an unequal yoke and have literally broken their hearts. Well, this was the home in which Timothy was reared. It was a divided home. Sad, but it was a divided home. Not only was it a divided home, but there is something very, very nice about it. For in writing to Timothy, this is what Paul says to him, When I call to remembrance the unfaithful faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother those, and thy mother Eunice.
And I am persuaded that in thee also. Not only was Timothy's home, a divided home, as far as religious matters were concerned, and probably much more divided through the gospel than it ever had been. But it was a Christian home. And Paul speaks about dear old Grandma Lose, that she was the first to believe the gospel. She was the first to hear and accept the truth of the gospel as it was ministered to her.
I have almost thought, as I have read over this fifth verse repeatedly, that it was Grandma Lose. that pointed Mother Eunice to the Lord Jesus. And in turn, the two pointed Timothy to the Lord Jesus. So, although a divided home, it very definitely was a Christian home. And then she adds something more that throws a great deal of light on the home, boyhood home of Timothy. but continue thou the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I'm going to suggest... that not only was it a divided home, not only was it Christian, but it was a spiritual home. There are many of our homes, and they're Christian all right. The Bible is there, and there's a desire to attend church services, and we go forth feeling... Rather, shall I say it, proud of ourselves because of the Christianity that surrounds our homes. But there is many a Christian who is not spiritual.
The Apostle Paul divides mankind into three groups. He speaks of the natural man, and he speaks of the carnal man, and then he speaks of the spiritual man who discerns all things. The natural man is the unconverted man, the man that knows nothing of the grace of God as far as his life is concerned. Then the carnal man is one who is a Christian, who has been saved. But he's not living in fellowship with God, and maybe not living in fellowship with God's people.
A Christian, but a carnal, a fleshly Christian. And then there is the spiritual man who, through the indwelling Spirit of God, has an unusual quality and gift that enables him to discern all things. And so, in reading from the third chapter of Second Timothy, I would suggest that this home was a spiritual home. And their young Timothy was taught the things of God. We have a man in Canada by the name of John Deacon Baker, or Deacon Bacher, as they call him out in the Northwest.
Right now, over eighty years of age, he is a tremendous power in the Canadian Parliament. He is writing... three volumes, a triology on his life, his memories. I had the first volume in my hand a few weeks ago, and I was so sorry I couldn't read it, read a little faster than what I do. But there was something that rested my attention. I knew of it because his father and mother were neighbors of relatives that I had out in Saskatoon. And when there was an unusually good speaker in the Assembly in Saskatoon, my relatives used to inform old Mr.
and Mrs. Stephen Baker, and they would take them to the Assembly. They were Baptists, but they would go anywhere if they got a bite for their soul. Now, John in his memoirs makes a reference to that, and he says this, after commending his father and mother, holding them publicly in high esteem. John Baker says, Nathan Baker says, prayers were said, and the Bible was read every day in my boyhood home. a spiritual home.
And I think Timothy could have used the very language of John Stephen Baker. Prayers were said, and the Bible was read every day of as much of the Bible as they had. And so, here's Timothy's, shall we say, home background? It was a divided home. His mother was a Christian. His father was not. It was a Christian home, grandma, mother, and himself. They were all Christians, but it was a spiritual home for God and His Word were given a prominent place in that home.
I wonder how he was saved. I think we did make mention yesterday that in all probability he was pointed to the Lord Jesus by the Apostle Paul, and John Mark was pointed to the Lord Jesus by the Apostle Peter. In dictating his first letter, Peter sends salutations from the little town of Babylon down in Egypt, back into those areas where Paul had expended himself. My conviction is that Peter outlived Paul.
I think it is consummate nonsense to speak of Paul and Peter being arrested together and taken to Rome and tried and sentenced to death. Peter, because he was a Jew being crucified and Paul because he was a Roman citizen as we saw being decapitated. I think that's just sheer nonsense. This is Rome in her dreamy worst. I feel that Peter outlived Paul. And I feel that the first letter of Peter, if you just look at the beginning of it, was sent to those areas in which Paul had expended himself.
Bethanyum. Asia. There were many, many churches that had been founded by the Apostle Paul. He was the father of so many, but he's gone. Peter, an old, old man, sits in a room in Babylon, and he dictates a letter to comfort them and to strengthen them in their bereavement. And he dictates that letter to the one whom he calls my son Marcus. or Marcus my son. So I feel that John Mark was led to the Savior by Peter. But if we pay attention to how the two epistles, First Timothy, Second Timothy, began, you'll come to the conclusion that Timothy had been pointed finally to the Lord by the Apostle Paul.
Paul speaks of him as my own or my genuine son in the faith. And then at the beginning of the second letter, he speaks of him in very endearing terms to Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace. I don't know exactly when, and that after all is not too important. But I am assumed that when Paul and Barnabas went into the province of Galatia, you know, when they went into Galatia, there was nothing surrounding them but paganism, nothing more.
And among those pagans, they preach Christ and Him crucified with the outcome that many of them hearing, believed, and were saved. So that when they withdrew after three years from the province of Galatia, they left behind them at least four churches. And these four are the churches to which the epistle to the Galatians was written. Antioch of Persidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derby. How unfortunate that there were those who perverted the truth of God in that province, but I'm delighted that Paul took it in hand to write the epistle to the Galatians in order to correct.
the errors that had been propagated there. And I think maybe at the beginning of their service in the province of Galicia, they won dear old grandma loss to the Lord. You know, I'd like to let my imagination just say, go out on rain at times and I think of Lois listening to Paul and finally believing it. She was the first one saved in that family. And I think in all probability Before they withdrew after those three years in the province of Galatia, young Timothy was led to the Savior.
Grandma and mother, they sowed the incorruptible seed of the Word of God in a young heart. And Paul reaped the harvest. We were saying yesterday, there is no one man who does all the work to win a soldier Christ. At the very best, we can only be a link in the chain and sometimes a very long chain. At any rate, whether we are right in our imagination or not is not too important, but this is important. Timothy became a member of the Divine Family. Paul was his spiritual father.
And he was Paul's own genuine son in the faith. I want to think with you for a little while of his call to ministry, of his call to serve the Lord properly and fully. I think there are three things at least that we have to consider. And one would wish that they could get some of these things across to our young people, because I do believe there are some of our young people very much exercised in regard to the work of the Lord. I think of a young man up in Canada who came to me on one occasion and said, You know, Mr.
Gunner, I would like to serve the Lord, but I just don't know how to go about getting a letter of commendation from my brethren. And I believe there are a number, and that is just where they are. They just don't know how to go about getting a letter of commendation from their brethren. Now, there are three things in Timothy's call to Christian service. So turn back to the Book of Acts, if you're following the readings. I'm reading from chapter fourteen and verse nineteen, and there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium.
who persuaded the people and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. How be it, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby. A dreadful experience. And Paul never forgot about this experience. In fact, in writing his very last word, by inspiration, he reminds Timothy. He reminds Timothy of the persecution and the affliction that he received at Lystra and Derby.
But what a wonderful example young Timothy had in Paul. I don't know whether Timothy was a spectator of this or not, but he certainly knew everything about this ordeal, because I repeat again, in the last letter that he ever wrote, Paul reminds Timothy of the persecution that he adored in Listerin Derby. There Paul had an example of courage, an example of faith or faithfulness. And it was because of that example, I think, that he was ready to take a further step.
When Robert Moffat went back to Britain from Africa, and gave his missionary report, there was a little boy sitting there listening to him. That little boy's name was David Livingstone. And he grew up and he grew up to be a real man of God. And I am sure he must have had in mind the wonderful example of Robert Moffitt. David Livingstone comes back after his first period of service in Africa, comes home on furlough, and he too gives his missionary report, and there's a little boy sitting there listening to him.
That little boy was Frederick Arnott. The example of these men who gave all, who surrendered everything to the will of God, made a deep impression on those young men. Moffett deeply impressed Livingstone. Livingstone deeply impressed Arnoth. And I am sure it has been that way all the way down through the years. The example of God's servants have deeply impressed some of our young people who have eventually forsaken all in love to Christ and gone forth to serve him.
So the first thing in his call that I understand is the example. Now going back to the sixteenth chapter, I'm going to read something more that I feel must be taken into consideration as we think of his call to Christian service. Then came he, that is Paul to Derby and Lister, and behold, a certain disciple was there named to Malthus. the son of a certain woman which was a Jew and believed, but his father was a Greek, which was well reported off by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Timothy, by godly life, had a remarkable reputation. even as a young man, he is held in high esteem, so high that the Apostle Paul calls attention to it. And anyone who seeks to serve the Lord Jesus, yes, they may be following a great example, but do they have this reputation? Is there life such as to commend itself to the brethren?
Well, that's what Paul is working on right now, and he sees that there is a young man there who is well reputed of the brethren. Verse three says, Him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews? which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek. And here is one of the great problems of apostolic times. Why in all the world did the Apostle Paul circumcise Timothy and not circumcise Titus?
Now, a lot of thinking goes into this matter, and I know there have been a lot of stumblings, too, about this matter. Why did Paul circumcise Timothy, but he did not circumcise Titus? Timothy, because of his mother, was a Jew. And do you see what Paul has to say here? And as they went, I know, him would Paul have to go forth with him and took him circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters if Timothy was to serve the Lord and preach the gospel of divine grace among the Jews he would be much more readily accepted as a Jew than as he was and Paul had him circumcised in order that he be acceptable to a Jewish audience, that he be ready and willing to enter the synagogue and rise up on the Sabbath day and read the Scriptures and give the interpretation of the Scriptures.
His service at that early day of his life was definitely to the Jews, and that is why he was circumcised. But Timothy, or Titus rather, was not a Jew. Titus was a Greek. I don't know whether any of you have ever read this in certain writings. The Titus in all probability was a brother of Dr. Luke. And that could easily be, if that were true, that explains why Luke's name never appears in the book of Acts, and the name of Titus never appears in the book of Acts.
But there are many real spiritual students of the Word of God, and they believe that Titus was a brother of Dr. Luke. At any rate, he was a Gentile. It was quite unnecessary for to make an adjustment in connection with Titus, as had been made in the case of Timothy. He was a Greek. And he could go anywhere and everywhere, as far as the gospel was concerned. There was nothing to hinder him. There was nothing to prejudice him against the word. But had Timothy not been circumcised, of course, that would have stirred up a prejudice against him, and in all probability, against the Apostle Paul.
So just accept this explanation. Timothy was circumcised because his early ministry was among the Jewish people. Titus never was circumcised because he was a Greek. and circumcision on his part was altogether unnecessary. Now here are three things that I see in connection with the call of Timothy. First of all, precepts may lead, but examples draw.
And what he saw in the life and in the suffering of the Apostle Paul drew him into service for the Lord Jesus. The second thing so necessary was his reputation as a Christian. He was well reported off by the brethren. And the third thing, he was willing to make any necessary adjustments to make his ministry acceptable to the Jewish people. I think that we need to stop at times and go over these things.
They're very simple. They're right on the surface. And let us remember that these things ought also to be true in modern day. And so there we have the call of Timothy to the Gospel. It's rather interesting that four men entered Philippi. You may not be able to arrive at that conclusion very readily, but if you read Acts, fifteen and sixteen, you'll find that there was Paul and Silas all right.
But Dr. Luke was there. And so was Timothy. He also was there. The four men entered Philippi. When you say, if the four men entered Philippi, why were two imprisoned and the other two not? Well, again, I have the idea that Luke... practice medicine in the city of Philippi. And he was no mean physician. Timothy, after all, was very young at this time, and he was certainly the minor on the team.
And somehow or another, he also escaped imprisonment. But the four of them, when you read this book correctly, all went to Philippi. And from Timothy's entrance into Philippi, with Paul and Silas, right through to the end, Paul could say, he served as a son with me in the gospel. Timothy went everywhere with him. And Paul had such tremendous confidence in Timothy that he sent him on one occasion to teach the Corinthians.
But they were used to a man like Paul, and they just wouldn't take it from this young man. Paul had to write and say, Now look, Timothy, let no man despise thy youth. But he had to withdraw from Corinthians. And Paul said, Well, I have another man that I can send up there to Corinth. And he may be able to make some adjustments there, teach and correct. And so when Timothy failed, he sent Titus. And when Titus came back from Corinth, was Paul ever delighted?
But he was so depressed and so discouraged he had determined to meet Titus at a certain location, and Titus on that date did not appear in that place. And Paul tells us in writing to the Corinthians that he was cast down. Nice to see that some of these great heroes, after all, were really human. He was cast down. And then he says, Oh, what an uplift. By the coming of Titus and by the report he gave me of your behavior.
But Timothy serves along with Paul to the very end of his days, and the end of my time is almost up. But I want to take you to the epistles of the Hebrews just in closing. This may help some in their interpretation of the Word of God. There always will be. There always will be differences of opinion among Bible students. There is a good saying, and I think we should keep it in mind, in doctrine, dogmatism, in prophecy, toleration.
I think that is a good saying. In doctrine, dogmatism. but in prophecy in similar subjects, toleration the one with the other. I say that because of the epistles of the Hebrews. There have been many conjectures as to who the writer was, and you will notice the King James translators, they ascribe it to Paul, which is very, very questionable. Now, I'll express my own opinion. I believe that the epistle to the Hebrews, as far as the matter, as far as the content is concerned, is Paul's.
But as far as the language and the study was concerned, it's Luke. There is a rather interesting comparison among Luke's Gospel, the Book of Acts, and the Epistle to the Hebrews. The vocabulary in many, many instances, is the same. The style is just so simple and so similar. So it would appear to me for many other reasons Another reason is the many nautical terms that we find in the epistle to the Hebrews.
And two men never traveled more in those ancient times than did Paul and Luke. And it would be very easy for them to observe, absorb, some of the vocabulary of the sailors, and it's crept into the writings of the epistles of the Hebrews. But look at the end of this epistle. Know ye that our brother Timothy is sent at liberty, with whom if he comes shortly, I will see you. Had we taken time to look at second Timothy, the fourth chapter, we would see that Paul sent for Timothy and asked Timothy to bring John Mark with him.
At my preliminary hearing, said Paul, no man stood by me. Luke alone is with me. And he seems to say, and there's pathos in that last letter of Paul, he seems to say, Oh, Timothy, I'd like to see you again. I sense that the end is near. Come. I want to see you, Timothy, and come and bring John Mark. I have thought in my mind that on that fateful day, When the soldiers of Nero led the Apostle Paul out through the gate of the city, on to the green swab beyond, that group of soldiers, and that condemned man were followed by three of Paul's friends, Dr.
Luke, Titus, and Timothy. The result of all their association with Paul led to the imprisonment of Timothy, the young man so delicate, so He found himself in prison because of his intimacy with the great prisoner there, Paul. But says, Luke, in closing, the official to the Hebrews, Know ye not that our brothers and Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I shall see you.
I'm coming along with him. And so here is the curtain drawn on the lifetime service of Timothy. There are just so many high spots that we haven't been able to touch at all. And I feel that in the case of Timothy, we have a remarkable parallel to a genuine call to Christian service today. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for such men as Titus and Timothy and Luke, these friends of Paul.
They were such a blessing in his life, and therefore they become a blessing in our lives. As Timothy sought to serve the in devotion and faithfulness, grant that we too might thus be able to serve. We thank thee once more for this lovely day, and we invoke the blessing of thy presence upon us, in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.