When we meet Timothy in Acts 16:1, he’s a teenager, the “son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.” The word “but” seems to imply that Timothy didn’t have a believing father. Perhaps he had little fatherly influence in his life. The life-shaping influences for Timothy were his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15).

The apostle Paul informally adopted Timothy and made him part of his traveling team. Imagine the conversations they had as they hiked the Roman roads, camped under the stars, and sailed the blue sea. Soon Paul was sending Timothy on missions of his own. Eventually the young man became overseer of the church in Ephesus. Paul wrote two letters to him in Ephesus—1 and 2 Timothy, the latter being the final known words of the apostle.

You can influence some young person for the Lord. Keep your eyes open. Through your prayers, encouragement, hospitality, and words of wisdom, you can shape the next generation.

The old disciples of Christ owe to the succeeding generations to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the power, pleasure, and advantage of religion, and the truth of God's promises.
Matthew Henry