Name: Eunice
Meaning: Blessed with Victory
Her Character: She was a woman of faith.
Her Triumph: Her son, Timothy, would become a student of Paul and eventually Bishop of Ephesus. Paul mentions her faith in 2 Timothy.
Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:5
Name: Lois
Her Character: She was a woman of faith.
Her Triumph: Her grandson, Timothy, would become a student of Paul and eventually Bishop of Ephesus. Paul mentions her faith in 2 Timothy.
Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:5
Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The realness of this verse is very evident in the life of Timothy. Timothy received his initial spiritual teaching from his maternal line. He was carefully trained by his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. It is from this foundation that Paul was able to recruit Timothy into the ministry. Through the groundwork of their faith and teaching, Timothy went on to become a spiritual son of Paul.
Although we don’t know much about the lives of Eunice and Lois, we do get a glimpse into their character from one version in 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” From this verse, we can see that Paul credits Timothy’s faith as having been passed down from his grandmother, to his mother, to Timothy.
We do know that they lived in Lystra, which was a city in the Roman province of Galatia. We know nothing of Timothy’s father besides the fact that he was Greek. It is believed that he may have died when Timothy was an infant. We can guess that Eunice had to make a living outside of the home to support the family, but we are not sure in what capacity. Lois probably cared for Timothy while Eunice worked. So, she would have spent a lot of time with him. According to my study book, the only time grandmother is used in the Bible is in reference to Lois.
Timothy was aware of scripture, and it is believed that his mother and grandmother imparted the knowledge into him. In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul said that Timothy knew the scriptures from a child.
When Timothy left to preach the gospel with Paul and Silas, it was probably a bittersweet moment for both mother and grandmother. On one hand, they probably felt much pride over the man Timothy was becoming. On the other hand, there was also great sadness as they told him goodbye.
These two amazing women remind us what an awesome responsibility mothers and grandmothers have in imparting spiritual training into children’s life and preparing them for the future. The prayers, teaching, and guidance have a tremendous impact on their future. Even if it doesn’t look like it is taking root today, be encouraged by the story of these two women, who received the honor of standing with other great women of the Bible.
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