Soul Brothers

“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, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also” (Philippians 2:19-24).

Who’s your 911 call? Who’s the one person you would buzz when you’re up against the wall? Who’s the one you can’t wait to talk to when you get great news? Who’s your phone-a-friend when you absolutely, positively need something done? Who do you have on speed dial when you need someone to speak some sense into your crazy world? Okay, I know the Sunday School answer is Jesus. But the Lord also calls us to have close friends we can lean on. Following Christ is a team sport. Nobody should be flying solo. We need soul brothers. We need soul sisters.

For Paul, that’s his buddy Timothy. Here in his letter to the church in Philippi, he tells them about his soul brother. Tim’s right there in visiting the apostle in his Roman prison cell while he writes to them (Phil 1:1). He tells the Philippians how he plans to send his best bud to Macedonia ASAP (v19). He can’t wait to hear all of the stuff Jesus is doing through them. If he can’t be there himself, he’ll send the one person who’s most like him (v20). The Timster has no hidden agenda. Unlike some other so-called ministers, he’s not working any kind of angle. He wants God’s best for others (v21). Tim’s legit (v22). He’s the real deal. And Paul hopes his legal troubles are soon in his rearview mirror so he can also join the party in Philippi (v23-24). 

Let’s be honest. If you’ve been anywhere near a church in your life, you’ve heard all about Paul and Timothy’s relationship. Paul is Tim’s mentor. Tim is Paul’s protege. We’re not exactly going biblically where no man has gone before. But it’s never a bad idea to take a fresh look at such a powerful example of one of the great relationships in the entire Bible. It seems like time your turn the page in the NT, you read about the former Pharisee and the young Turk. Let’s look at what the apostle writes to the church in Philippi and how that fits together with what we know about Tim and Paul’s friendship as soul brothers.

The apostle plans to send Tim on his merry way from Rome to Philippi if it fits in Jesus’ agenda (v19). Paul pulls no punches and boldly declares “I have no one like him” (v20). The original text literally reads that he and Tim are “equally souled” (Gr. isopsuchos). It’s the only time word appears in the Bible. It’s Paul’s way of saying they have the same feelings, the same attitude, and the same mind. He thinks like Paul. He’s wired like Paul. They are so much alike, when Tim’s around, it’s like Paul is there. When Paul’s around, it’s like Tim is there. Tim is Paul’s brother from another mother. They are soul brothers. It’s awesome whenever God brings someone into your life who you feel like you’ve known forever. 

So who is this rascal and where did he meet Paul? Let’s start with his name. Names in the Bible have a boatload of meaning and our boy Tim is no exception. Timotheos literally means “honoring God.” He grew up in Lystra, a mid-sized city in Asia Minor, what we now know as Turkey. Dr. Luke tells us that his dad was Greek and his mother Jewish (Acts 16:1). Paul first Tim him during his second tour of the Mediterranean rim. Tim had a great rep among the believers in the multi-site churches of Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium (Acts 16:2). As a result, the apostle asks Tim to ride shotgun on his trip (Acts 16:3). Because of tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers, Paul asks Tim to get circumcised. This was not exactly a same-day surgery in the first century. Wow, talk about commitment to the Gospel!

Timothy is member of Paul’s posse which crosses the sea from Asia to Macedonia and Philippi, taking the Good News to Europe for the very first time (Acts 16:11-12). He has a front row seat for those crazy days in Philippi (Acts 16:12-49). Later Paul trusts Tim and Silas stay behind in Berea telling folks about Jesus when a gang of thugs from Thessalonica hit town looking to rough up Paul (Acts 17:14). Tim is such a trusted dude that Paul sends him on to Macedonia as part of an advance team with Erastus (Acts 19:22). God continues to build relationships between the young Turk and the Philippian church. He’s a key member of Paul’s crew when they discover some Jews have put a hit on the apostle in Macedonia (Acts 20:1-6).

Paul and Philippians “know Timothy’s proven worth” (v22). Time and time again, the apostle taps his protege for important assignments like this trip to Philippi. He sends the Big T to Corinth “to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1Cor 4:17). He gives the Corinthian believers instructions to open their hearts and doors to his associate. “When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am” (1Cor 16:10). When the Thessalonian church needs help, guess who hits the road? “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith” (1Th 3:2). Who has Jesus placed in your life that’s proven their worth? Do others look to you in crunch time? Can you be counted on with critical assignments when the chips are down? 

Another awesome example of Tim’s value to Paul is his presence and input in several of letters to local churches. Near the conclusion of Romans, Paul writes, “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you” (Rom 16:21). He’s with his mentor when he writes to the church in Corinth. The apostle sends them greetings from “Timothy our brother” (2Cor 1:1). They know him well because Tim was with the apostle and Silas when they first heard the Good News (2Cor 1:19). He’s right there again when his spiritual dad knocks out letters to Jesus’ followers in Colossae (Col 1:1), Thessalonica (1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1), and his old pal Philemon (Phm 1). It makes perfect sense that these soul brothers would team up on such important projects.

Paul tells the Philippians how Timothy is “as a son with a father” (v22). The man from Tarsus clearly sees him as his spiritual son. There’s a good chance Paul is the one who first told him about Jesus. The Corinthians read all about Paul’s “beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1Cor 4:16-17). He addresses two different notes to young associate speaking of their father/son relationship. “To Timothy, my true child in the faith” (1Tim 1:2). “To Timothy, my beloved child” (2Tim 1:2). Check out Paul’s other descriptions for him. Tim is “our brother and God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ” (1Th 3:2). “Our brother” (2Cor 1:1; Col 1:1; Phm 1:1). The apostle passes along greetings to the Romans “Timothy, my fellow worker” (Rom 16:21). Paul certainly assembled an amazing team in his career with folks like Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, Dr. Luke, Titus, Tychicus, Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila. But his go-to guy was clearly his soul brother Timothy. Who are the fellow believers you can lean on when the bottom falls out? Turn it around. Can people rely on you? Do folks look to you? Are you on anyone’s speed dial when things hit the fan?

Paul hands the leadership of the growing mega-church in Ephesus off to Timothy. The book of the Bible we call 1 Timothy is the apostle’s instructions to the young pastor (1Tim 1:3). This note is chockfull of all sorts of important guidance of the local church. But Tim is also the last person to hear from Paul before his execution. In 2 Timothy, the apostle pleads “Do your best to come to me soon” (2Tim 4:9). Like a proud papa, he commends the young Turk that he has “followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness” (2Tim 3:10). Paul’s last words in the Bible are his sign off to Timothy. “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2Tim 4:22). We have no idea whether these two soul brothers ever saw each other again on this side of heaven.

The only other mention of Mr. T in the NT is at the end of Hebrews. The author lets his readers know “Timothy has been released” from the slammer. After that, Scripture has nothing else to say about Paul’s protege. There are accounts that he returned to lead the church in Ephesus and was eventually stoned to death when he opposed a festival to honor the Roman goddess Diana. Like his mentor, Timothy stood strong for the Gospel until the end of earthly life. That’s no surprise really. Paul and Tim had were “equally souled” (v20). They began as soul father and son and grew to become soul brothers.

So what do we take away from this amazing relationship? First and foremost, who’s your Paul? Who’s your mentor? Is there someone in your life who is intentionally building into you? If not, is there someone you can reach out to personally? Don’t overlook folks who can coach from a distance. There are loads of authors and pastors available to you through books, podcasts, and other online resources. You don’t stop with simply finding someone to teach and lead you. I need to ask who’s my Tim? Who’s my protege? Look around. Who has the Lord led into your life that you can serve and lead? Make a point of reaching out. Meet for coffee. Read a book together. The next thing you know, you’ve got a soul brother.