Timothy was a young disciple in Lystra, son of a Greek father and a Jewish-Christian mother Eunice. His grandmother Lois had been the first in the family to come to faith (2 Tim 1:5). On Paul's second visit (Acts 16:1–3) he was already 'well reported of by the brethren that were in Lystra and Iconium.' Paul circumcised him out of regard for the Jews and took him as his companion.
For the next fifteen years Timothy was Paul's most constant assistant — sent to Thessalonica, to Corinth, to Philippi; named as co-sender of several Pauline letters. Paul addresses him as 'mine own son in faith' (1 Tim 1:2). The two letters Paul addressed to him, written from prison, are pastoral letters on the order of the local Church and the care of souls.
Paul made him first bishop of Ephesus. Tradition holds he was stoned to death by a mob of pagans during a procession of the goddess Artemis around AD 97 — having governed the Church of Ephesus for thirty years.