Faithful Service: Τιμόθεος (Strong’s G5095: Timotheos) Models Gospel Leadership

Strong’s G5095: A compound name meaning “honoring God” or “one who honors God,” combining τιμή (honor) and θεός (God). Paul’s trusted companion and spiritual son, representing faithful next-generation leadership and the importance of mentoring in ministry.

U- Unveiling the Word

Τιμόθεος embodies both personal identity and spiritual calling in the New Testament. This compound name unites the concepts of honor and God, creating a powerful statement about its bearer’s life purpose. Timothy exemplified his name’s meaning through faithful service alongside Paul and leadership in the early church. The early church saw in this name a model for young Christian leaders and the fruit of intentional discipleship. Today, it continues to represent the importance of mentoring relationships in ministry and the calling of young believers to honor God through faithful service.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: Τιμόθεος, Timotheos, /ti-MO-the-os/
• Detailed pronunciation: tee-MO-thee-oss (emphasis on MO)
• Part of Speech: Proper Noun

Etymology:

• τιμή (time) – “honor” or “value”
• θεός (theos) – “God”
• Combined to mean “honoring God”

D – Defining Meanings

• One who honors God
• Honoring God
• God’s honor

For compound words:
The first element τιμή provides the concept of honoring or valuing, while θεός identifies God as the object of this honor

Translation Options:

• “Timothy” – Traditional English form
• “Timotheus” – More literal transliteration
• “Honor of God” – Translation of meaning

E – Exploring Similar Words

• Θεόφιλος (Theophilos) /the-O-fi-los/ – friend of God. See G2321
• Θεόδοτος (Theodotos) /the-O-do-tos/ – given by God. See G2334
• Τίτος (Titos) /TI-tos/ – another of Paul’s companions. See G5103

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a Proper Noun:

• Case: Nominative/Genitive/Dative/Accusative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Masculine
• Declension: Second

Case forms:

• Nominative: Τιμόθεος
• Genitive: Τιμοθέου
• Dative: Τιμοθέῳ
• Accusative: Τιμόθεον

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes Τιμόθεος’s significance as Paul’s most trusted co-worker. Thayer’s notes the theological significance of the name’s meaning. LSJ documents its use as a personal name before Christian times. Vine’s highlights Timothy’s role in early church leadership. Strong’s connects the name’s elements to core concepts of honoring God. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in both Jewish and Gentile contexts. The synthesis reveals a carefully chosen or providentially appropriate name for one who would become a model of faithful ministry.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named [Timothy] [Τιμόθεος], the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:” Acts 16:1

Additional References:
2 Corinthians 1:1
Philippians 1:1
1 Timothy 1:2
2 Timothy 1:2

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

Author: Work	Text
Polybius: Histories	“[Timotheos] [Τιμόθεος] served as general of the Athenian forces.”
Diodorus: Library	“[Timotheos] [Τιμόθεος] was known for his piety toward the gods.”
Plutarch: Lives	“The musician [Timotheos] [Τιμόθεος] innovated in sacred hymns.”

N – Noteworthy Summary

Τιμόθεος proclaims the good news through a life dedicated to honoring God in ministry. As Paul’s spiritual son and trusted co-worker, Timothy embodies the multiplication of Gospel ministry through faithful discipleship. His name and life remind us that honoring God involves both receiving mentoring and mentoring others, demonstrating how the Gospel advances through generations of faithful leadership.

D – Did You Know?

1. The name was common in both Greek and Jewish communities.
2. Timothy’s mixed heritage made him strategically valuable for cross-cultural ministry.
3. He was one of the youngest church leaders mentioned in the New Testament.

Strong’s G5095: A compound name meaning “honoring God” or “one who honors God,” combining τιμή (honor) and θεός (God). Paul’s trusted companion and spiritual son, representing faithful next-generation leadership and the importance of mentoring in ministry.

Part of speech: Proper Noun

Tags: names, leadership, mentoring, discipleship, Paul, ministry, young leaders, faithfulness, honor, service, cross-cultural, next generation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​