6) Identity and Timothy

Identity and Timothy (click the arrow to listen)

We looked earlier at how Paul viewed identity. Paul reveals a great deal of himself in his writings and so there were many illustrations we could use. The New Testament has other personal information about significant men and women from which we can learn. Philippians gives us details about some of those individuals, one of whom is Timothy. Timothy seems to be with Paul at the time of writing this letter as Paul was in prison:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:1)

As we saw with Paul, Timothy is also regarded as a servant of Christ. This is his functional spiritual identity. As we look into him and his life, we see how strongly this determined how he lived.

welfare

We looked before at Timothy’s character; but it is worth reminding ourselves of that passage here:

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. (Philippians 2:19-22)

As we shall see, Timothy was the complete servant, both to Christ, to Paul and to the churches that he visited in his leadership ministry. The servant identity is all-consuming. It creates a heart that literally has no time for its own interests. But not seeking his own interests did not mean Timothy neglected his personal welfare. We have insights into how this worked out in his life.

He was brought up in a spiritual atmosphere in the home. He appears to have imbibed the faith with which he was surrounded:

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5)

This was a faith based on the scriptures of the Old Testament. Timothy learned how to nourish his faith and servant-heart through them:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 3:14-15)

As servants who wish to serve effectively, we have to feed our inward souls with the spiritual nourishment of the scriptures. Renouncing self-interest does not mean neglecting what is needful to be a competent servant.

Christian leadership can be extremely demanding. It can lead to people disregarding their own welfare by prioritising the problems of other people over their own human needs. Paul had to teach Timothy this important lesson:

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. (1 Timothy 5:23)

Our bodies are very important and should not be foolishly neglected. The natural instincts and sinful tendencies of our bodies need controlling; but we are not to hate our bodies. Rather we should respect them and ensure they are fit enough for the servant ministry we are called to.

commitment

Perhaps one of the greatest indicators of Timothy’s identity as a servant occurred early on in his ministry of leadership. It was an incident which throws up all manner of possible problems:

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:1-3)

Being circumcised as an adult is not the most pleasant of experiences. It showed Timothy’s commitment. The reasons for doing this needs a little explaining. Paul’s ministry companion was Silas, who was also Jewish. As Timothy had a Jewish mother, the local Jews would have expected Timothy to have been circumcised. Paul had previously encountered a great deal of opposition from the Jews in that region to the gospel message. Paul thought it wise to remove one of their objections (that Paul thought it no longer necessary for Jews to be circumcised) and so this was his plan.

We must judge this in the context of the times and not by our present standards. Circumcision was considered an essential mark of belief in the one God by the Jews. Paul did not insist on this for new believers in Jesus, and it became a real flashpoint in disagreements within the church (this was sorted out when the church met to give an official ruling [Acts 15]). Paul just wanted to present Jesus as the Messiah of the scriptures; and not to be deflected from this message.

focus

This kind of action might well trouble Christians now. Firstly, Paul appears to be acting like a hypocrite because he condemns those who go round circumcising others (Philippians 3:2) yet did it himself. Secondly, Paul might now be accused of imposing his will on a younger person. I don’t accept either of these criticisms; I am sure it was consensual (Timothy didn’t have to join his team). But in terms of wisdom, and our point about being servants of Christ, it would aid the ministry by removing a potential criticism.

You may recall that when we looked at ‘Identity and Paul’, I referred to ‘flexible identity’ (1 Corinthians 9). Through his action, Timothy became a Jew in order to win Jews for Jesus. I can perhaps suggest a modern equivalent. My church background is charismatic with spontaneous worship services. For a number of reasons, I found myself part of an Anglican Church. This had been Anglo-Catholic with incense and other high church paraphernalia. The Rector suggested I train as a Reader. I was keen on the theology and the opportunity to preach. However, it meant I would have to wear clerical robes and that was very difficult. However, in the spirit of having a ‘flexible identity’, I became a ‘robe-wearing Anglican’ in order to win Anglicans. Wearing them took away an immediate block to my ministry and it was generally well-received. I was able to bring the gospel message and the challenge of discipleship.

dedication

Another part of Timothy’s leadership identity on which he concentrated was the need to give a good example to others:

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

As we have seen before, a soldier cannot follow their own interests, but the responsibilities they have been allocated. Paul encouraged Timothy to make this a really significant part of who he was:

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. (2 Timothy 2:3-7)

A soldier is not seeking personal identity but obedient service. The athlete sacrifices everything for the prize: for Timothy that sacrifice was to please his Lord. If you know anything about farming, it requires total commitment to make it work. In some situations, this even means missing out on holidays.

Timothy never seemed to shirk from his commitment as the servant of all. It appears he paid for this with imprisonment at some time in his life:

You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. (Hebrews 13:23)

Timothy is a wonderful example of what it means to live with the identity of a servant. His sincere commitment made him stand out from all the other leaders with whom Paul worked – a remarkable compliment!