Saint Timothy
Timothy | |
|---|---|
Icon of Saint Timothy | |
| Bishop, Martyr | |
| Born | Lystra, Galatia, Roman Empire or Derbe, Galatia, Roman Empire |
| Died | unknown (The Acts of Timothy dates Timothy's death to c. AD 97 [aged 79/80]) Ephesus, Asia, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodoxy Anglicanism Lutheranism |
| Feast | January 22 (Eastern Christianity) January 26 (Catholic Church, Lutheranism, Anglican Communion) January 24 (some local calendars and pre-1970 General Roman Calendar) 23 Tobi (Coptic Christianity) 27 Tobi (Relocation of Relics – Coptic Christianity) Thursday after fifth Sunday after feast of the Holy Cross (Armenian Apostolic Church) |
| Attributes | pastoral staff |
| Patronage | Invoked against stomach and intestinal disorders |
Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus (Greek: Τιμόθεος, Timótheos, meaning "honouring God" or "honoured by God") was an early Christian evangelist and the first Christian bishop of Ephesus, whom the Acts of Timothy relates died around the year AD 97.
Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra or of Derbe in Asia Minor, born of a Jewish mother who had become a Christian believer, and a Greek father. The Apostle Paul met him during his second missionary journey and he became Paul's companion and missionary partner along with Silas. The New Testament indicates that Timothy traveled with Paul the Apostle, who was also his mentor. He is addressed as the recipient of the First and Second Epistles to Timothy. While included in the Pauline epistles of the New Testament, First and Second Timothy are considered by many biblical scholars to be pseudoepigraphical and not written by Paul.