Bible Dictionary
TIMOTHY
TIMOTHY
“who worships God.”
The apostle Paul calls Timothy “my beloved and faithful son in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17) and “a true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2), indicating that Paul was instrumental in the conversion of Timothy.
During his first missionary journey, Paul went to Lystra, in Lycaonia, where he brought Christ to Eunice and Lois, Timothy’s mother and grandmother respectively. This was also gained to the Christian faith at this time. His mother was Jewish, and his father was Greek (Acts 16:1).
Timothy, who had become an active Christian, was recommended to Paul by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium when the apostle revisited Lystra during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:2). Although he had already received the teachings of the OT in his childhood (2 Tim. 3:15), Timothy was not circumcised (Acts 16:3).
Some prophecies revealed that he was destined for a particular service (1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14). Paul and the elders laid their hands on him and consecrated him to evangelism (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). To avoid offending the Jews, Paul circumcised Timothy.
This was a concession to traditional Jewish ideas, due to the circumstances, since Timothy’s Jewish ancestry could be claimed, but this did not imply abandoning the principle of Christian freedom.
Timothy accompanied Paul through Galatia, and then to Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. At the latter place he stayed with Silas while Paul went to Athens (Acts 17:14). Timothy later arrived in this city. In 1 Thes. 3:1-2 it is seen that Paul sent him again from Athens to Thessalonica.
It does not appear that Silas reached Athens. Finally, he and Timothy joined Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5; 1 Thes. 3:6), where Timothy then stayed for a time with Paul (1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1: 1). Although the text does not say so, it is likely that he went with the apostle on his return trip.
Timothy is mentioned later in connection with Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. In 1 Cor. 4:17, the author confirms that, before writing this letter, he had sent Timothy to Corinth to suppress abuses.
However, we do not know whether Timothy had already arrived at the time of sending the letter (1 Cor. 16:10); In any case, it seems that he had arrived at Ephesus, because, shortly before leaving this city, Paul sent Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia (Acts 19:22), where the apostle shortly afterwards joined his young friend (2 Cor. 1:1).
The two went together to Corinth (Rom. 16:21). Timothy is among Paul’s companions on his return trip to Jerusalem, at the end of his third journey (Acts 20:4). The text does not say whether Paul went up to Jerusalem with his spiritual son.
Nor is he mentioned in connection with Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea or Paul’s journey to Rome. But his name is cited in the epistles written from Rome (Phil. 1:1; 2:19-22; Col. 1:1; Phil. 1). Timothy had followed the apostle to the same capital, and shared his labors.
When Paul was released, he entrusted important missions to young Timothy. The first letter addressed to him reveals that the disciple oversaw the church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 4:12).
There he had to refute the false science of certain doctors, appoint positions, organize and discipline the church as a delegate of Paul, who shortly before dying wrote him a second epistle, considered his spiritual testament. Near suffering martyrdom, Paul awaited a visit from his spiritual son (1 Tim. 4:9, 21). We do not know if this visit took place.
The only other mention of Timothy is found in Heb. 13:23, where it is read that Timothy had been imprisoned and released. Accepting the Pauline paternity of Hebrews (see HEBREWS [EPISTLE TO THE]), this imprisonment of Timothy must have occurred between Paul’s release and his second imprisonment. Nothing is known of Timothy’s later years. An ancient tradition claims that he continued to lead the church at Ephesus, and that he suffered martyrdom under Domitian or Nerva.
BETHEL
is the name of a Canaanite city in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the center of the land of Canaan, northwest of Ai on the road to Shechem, 30 kilometers south of Shiloh and about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Bethel is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. Some identify it with the Palestinian village of Beitin and others with the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Bethel was the place where Abraham built his altar when he first arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). And at Bethel Jacob saw a vision of a ladder whose top touched heaven and the angels ascended and descended (Genesis 28:10-19).
For this reason Jacob was afraid, and said, “How terrible is this place! It is nothing other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven »and he called Bethel the place that was known as «Light» (Genesis 35-15).
Bethel was also a sanctuary in the days of the prophet Samuel, who judged the people there (1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3). And it was the place where Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was buried.
Bethel was the birthplace of Hiel, who sought to rebuild the city of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
When Bethel did not yet belong to the people of Israel, Joshua had to battle against the king of Bethel and other kings and defeated them (Joshua 12-16).
When the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land, in the division by tribes it was assigned to the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18-22), but in later times it belonged to the Tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:19).
It was one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant remained, a symbol of the presence of God.
In Bethel the prophet Samuel judged the people.
Then the prophet Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: “Go up, bald man; Come up, bald! When he looked back and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two boys” (2 Kings 2:23).
After the division of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, king of Israel, had a golden calf raised at Bethel (1 Kings 21:29) which was destroyed by Josiah, king of Judah, many years later (2 Kings 23:15). .
Bethel was also a place where some of the Babylonian exiles who returned to Israel in 537 BC gathered. (Ezra 2:28).
The prophet Hosea, a century before Jeremiah, refers to Bethel by another name: “Bet-Aven” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5-8), which means ‘House of Iniquity’, ‘House of Nothingness’, ‘House of Vanity’, ‘House of Nullity’, that is, of idols.
In Amos 7: 12-13 the priest Amaziah tells the prophet Amos that he flee to Judah and no longer prophesy in Bethel because it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
The prophet Jeremiah states that “the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel” (Jeremiah 48:13), because of their idolatry and, specifically, the worship of the golden calf.
PUTEOLI
(lat.: “small fountains”).
Two days after arriving in Rhegium, the ship carrying Paul arrived at Puteoli, which was then an important maritime city.
The apostle found Christians there, and enjoyed their hospitality (Acts 28:13).
It was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples, near the site of present-day Pouzzoles.
The entire surrounding region is volcanic, and the Solfatare crater rises behind the city.
PUT
Name of a nation related to the Egyptians and neighbors of their country (Gen. 10:6).
Put is mentioned with Egypt and other African countries, especially Libya (Nah. 3:9) and Lud (Ez. 27:10; Is. 66:19 in the LXX. Put appears between Cush and Lud in Jer. 46:9; Ez. 30:5).
In the LXX he is translated as Libyans in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Josephus also identifies it with Libya (Ant. 1:6, 2), but in Nah. 3.9 is distinguished from the Libyans.
Current opinion is divided between Somalia, Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia (Perfume Coast).
PURPLE
A coloring substance that is extracted from various species of mollusks. The ancient Tyrians used two types of them: the “Murex trunculus”, from which the bluish purple was extracted, and the “Murex brandaris”, which gave the red.
The ink of its coloring matter varies in color depending on the region in which it is fished.
Piles of murex shells, artificially opened, have been discovered in Minet el-Beida, port of ancient Ugarit (Ras Shamra), which gives evidence of the great antiquity of the use of this purple dye (see UGARIT).
Due to its high price, only the rich and magistrates wore purple (Est. 8:15, cf. the exaltation of Mordecai, v. 2, Pr. 31:22; Dan. 5:7; 1 Mac. 10 :20, 62, 64; 2 Mac. 4:38; cf. v 31; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4).
The rulers adorned themselves in purple, even those of Midian (Judg. 8:26). Jesus was mocked with a purple robe (Mark 15:17).
Great use had been made of purple-dyed fabrics for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36) and for the high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:5, 6, 15, 33; 39: 29). The Jews gave symbolic value to purple (Wars 5:5, 4).
PURIM
(Heb., plural of “luck”).
Haman cast lots to determine a day of good omen for the destruction of the Jews.
As Haman’s designs were undone, the liberation of the Jews was marked by an annual festival (Est. 3:7; 9:24-32) on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar.
This festival is not mentioned by name in the NT, although there are exegetes who assume that it is the one referred to in Jn. 5:1.
This festival continues to be celebrated within Judaism: the book of Esther is read, and curses are pronounced on Haman and his wife, blessings are pronounced on Mordecai and the eunuch Harbonah (Est. 1:10; 7: 9).
PURIFICATION, PURITY
In the Mosaic Law four ways to purify oneself from contamination were indicated:
(a) Purification of contamination contracted by touching a dead person (Num. 19; cf. Num. 5:2, 3),
(b) Purification from impurity due to bodily emissions (Lev. 15; cf. Num. 5:2, 3).
(c) Purification of the woman in labor (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:21-24).
(d) Purification of the leper (Lev. 14).
To this, the scribes and Pharisees added many other purifications, such as washing hands before eating, washing vessels and dishes, showing great zeal in these things, while inside they were full of extortion and iniquity (Mark 7: 2-8).
In Christianity the necessary purification extends:
to the heart (Acts 15:9; James 4:8),
to the soul (1 Pet. 1:22), and
to the conscience through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).
Poetry of Praise and Redemptive Mission
The Praise that Unites All
Praise Resounds Throughout Creation
True Worship that Pleases the Lord
From Heavenly Greatness to Inexhaustible Love
The Gift of Himself
Healing Time
A Personal Promise
-
Christian Quotes5 months agoSteven Furtick Quotes
-
Christian Quotes5 months agoJohn MacArthur Quotes
-
Christian Quotes5 months agoPriscilla Shirer Quotes
-
OUR DAILY DEVOTIONAL | My Daily Bread5 months agoGod’s Power, Our Strength
-
Bible Dictionary4 months ago
BETHEL
-
Christian Quotes5 months agoAnthony George Quotes