Paul Selects Timothy

By Joshua Cooley

Scripture Reading: Acts 15:36-41, Acts 16:1-15, 1 Corinthians 9:19-21, 1 Timothy 6:11-16

Like the United States Marines, the apostle Paul was looking for a few good men.

In Acts 15, having spread the gospel throughout numerous regions across the Roman Empire on his first missionary journey, Paul approached Barnabas, his traveling partner, about revisiting the small home churches they had visited and planted earlier.

There was one problem: Barnabas wanted to take his cousin John Mark (the likely author of the Gospel of Mark) again. That didn’t sit so well with Paul. Mark had deserted them early in the first trip and returned to Jerusalem. Why? Was he homesick? Trepid about persecution? Did he run out of Dramamine during all those long sailing voyages across the Mediterranean Sea? We don’t know.

Regardless, Paul had no interest in teaming up with Mark again. But Barnabas was insistent. The disagreement was so sharp, the two men parted ways—Barnabas sailing to Cyprus with Mark while Paul chose Silas to accompany him. What could have been ministry disaster actually resulted (thanks to God’s providence) in ministry multiplication, with two missionary teams spreading the good news of Jesus instead of one! (Paul and Mark eventually reconciled, as Colossians 4:10, Philemon 1:24, and 2 Timothy 4:11 make clear.)

But Paul wanted people he could trust. Shortly into his second missionary journey, he met a young man named Timothy in the town of Lystra and immediately wanted Timothy on his team. Look at how the Bible describes Timothy: tall, muscular, athletic, dashingly handsome, possessing several advanced degrees, social media influencer, great networking skills, able to close big deals, summer home on Martha’s Vineyard…

Actually, no, that’s not what the Bible says about Timothy at all. Here’s how the Bible describes him: “The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him” (Acts 16:2). In other words, Timothy’s reputation as a humble, faithful follower of Jesus preceded him.

From all accounts, Timothy went on to a long, fruitful ministry. Paul sent him to strengthen churches in multiple towns. Like Paul, Timothy may have even experienced imprisonment for his faith at least once (Hebrews 13:23). Timothy was a man Paul could trust with critical ministry.

Many years later, when Paul wrote to Timothy, he encouraged Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1Timothy 6:11) and “fight the good fight of the faith” (v.12).

Are these the things we’re pursuing? Or are we pursuing our own reputation? Timothy’s reputation preceded him, but that doesn’t mean he was pursuing it. A good reputation as a Christian isn’t something to be chased. Rather, it’s the natural outcome of pursuing Christlikeness.

If Paul were alive today, rounding up a few good men to devote their lives to building up the church and evangelizing the lost, would he choose you? Would he choose me?

May we fight the good fight of the faith well—with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness—knowing that any good reputation we are building should ultimately give exclusive glory to Christ!

Written by Josh Cooley