Intro to 1st Timothy

Respondents [to a survey], who had experienced a mentoring relationship at some point in their careers, whether formal or informal,
were asked to name
the single greatest benefit of the relationship.

In response,
37 percent said
that a mentor provides insight into a particular field or industry.

32 percent said that the mentor
serves as a confidant or advisor, and

16 percent said
the mentor provides encouragement and boosts morale.
That boost in morale can go a long way toward creating a more productive, loyal workforce.

-The Benefits of Mentor Programs May 14, 2003 - Emily Hollis.

Behind the letter to Timothy, we see a relationship between a more senior man (Paul) and his younger partner in the faith (Timothy).
Acts 14 & 16 are important to us as we see a relationship develope into something more valuable than gold.
We see in Acts how Paul came to know young Timothy. Paul was probably instrumental in timothy's convertion story. As Timothy witnessed Paul's devotion to the Gospel facing a stoning for it's sake, we read many followed at this time. Timothy was probably one of those.

When Paul returned to that area we see that the church had already begun to notice the Godly character of this passionate young man.
There is clearly a message here for any young (or not so young) person wanting and willing to serve their lord for the sake of the Gospel, have a good reputation, which is acheived by being strong, honourable, humble and obedient to scripture.
How many of us at this point in our lives can have said of us,
what Timothy's church said of him? (Acts 16:1-3)

When Timothy is leading from the front, Paul write to him encouraging (mentoring) him to stay strong and to continue to be faithful.

It would be good for us to bare this in mind as we read this letter, Paul is writing this from a heart that so wants to encourage a man and church to continue in their partnership in making Jesus known.

Points to Ponder

Summary of the Texts
Acts 14:8-20 & Acts 16:1-5
In these texts we meet Timothy and see how his life intersected with Paul. We also get Paul’s own description of his relationship with Timothy, which will help us understand the personal nature of the letters that Paul wrote to him.
This is important because, if we neglect to know the author and recipient of 1 and 2 Timothy, it is likely that we will misunderstand the motivation and meaning of what is written.


Questions for Group Discussion
• God used Paul to bring Timothy to faith.
Who did God use to bring you to faith?
Who are you presently trying to bring to faith in Jesus?
• How were you convicted by Paul’s zeal for evangelism in Lystra?
• Why were Paul and Timothy so close,
and what can we learn from this about how to build spiritual friendships?
• Do you have any experiences in which Christians have become so dear to you that they become a second kind of family in addition to your blood relatives?
Who are some of these people?
• Have you ever had a relationship with someone older or younger than you, in which you were either like Paul or Titus—in a relationship of encouragement?
What did you learn from it?