'But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy
shortly unto you, that I also may be of good
comfort, when I know your state. 20. For I have no
man like-minded, who will care truly for your
state. 21. For they all seek their own, not the
things of Jesus Christ. 22. But ye know the proof
of him, that, as a child serveth a father, so he
served with me in furtherance of the gospel. 23.
Him therefore I hope to send forthwith, so soon as
I shall see how it will go with me: 24. But I
trust in the Lord that I myself also shall come
shortly.'--PHIL. ii. 19-24 (R.V.).
Like all great men Paul had a wonderful power of attaching followers to
himself. The mass of the planet draws in small aerolites which catch
fire as they pass through its atmosphere. There is no more beautiful
page in the history of the early Church than the story of Paul and his
companions. They gathered round him with such devotion, and followed him
with such love. They were not small men. Luke and Aquila were among
them, and they would have been prominent in most companies, but gladly
took a place second to Paul. He impressed his own personality and his
type of teaching on his followers as Luther did on his, and as many
another great teacher has done.
Among all these Timothy seems to have held a special place. Paul first
found him on his second journey either at Derbe or Lystra. His mother,
Eunice, was already a believer, his father a Greek. Timothy seems to
have been converted on Paul's first visit, for on his second he was
already a disciple well reported of, and Paul more than once calls him
his 'son in the faith.' He seems to have come in to take John Mark's
place as the Apostle's 'minister,' and from that time to have been
usually Paul's trusted attendant. We hear of him as with the Apostle on
his first visit to Philippi, and to have gone with him to Thessalonica
and Beroea, but then to have been parted until Corinth. Thence Paul
went quickly up to Jerusalem and back to Antioch, from which he set out
again to visit the churches, and made a special stay in Ephesus. While
there he planned a visit to Macedonia and Achaia, in preparation for one
to Jerusalem, and finally to Rome. So he sent Timothy and Erastus on
ahead to Macedonia, which would of course include Philippi. After that
visit to Macedonia and Greece Paul returned to Philippi, from which he
sailed with Timothy in his company. He was probably with him all the way
to Rome, and we find him mentioned as sharer in the imprisonment both
here and in Colossians.
The references made to him point to a very sweet, good, pure and
gracious character without much strength, needing to be stayed and
stiffened by the stronger character, but full of sympathy, unselfish
disregard of self, and consecrated love to Christ. He had been
surrounded with a hallowed atmosphere from his youth, and 'from a child
had known the holy Scriptures,' and 'prophecies' like fluttering doves
had gone before on him. He had 'often infirmities' and 'tears.' He
needed to be roused to 'stir up the gift that was in him,' and braced up
'not to be ashamed,' but to fight against the disabling 'spirit of
fear,' and to be 'strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.'
The bond between these two was evidently very close, and the Apostle
felt something of a paternal interest in the very weakness of character
which was in such contrast to his own strength, and which obviously
dreaded the discouragement which was likely to be produced by his own
martyrdom. This favourite companion he will now send to his favourite
church. The verses of our text express that intention, and give us a
glimpse into the Apostle's thoughts and feelings in his imprisonment.