Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
to Derbe.
Acts 14:6,21 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: …
2 Timothy 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
named.
Acts 17:14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
Acts 19:22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
which.
2 Timothy 1:5 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.
2 Timothy 3:15,16 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus…
but.
Acts 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Ezra 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
where he found a disciple named Timothy
Timothy is introduced here as a disciple, indicating he was already a follower of Christ when Paul met him. Timothy would become one of Paul's closest companions and a significant figure in the early church. He is mentioned in several of Paul's letters, including two addressed directly to him (1 Timothy and 2 Timothy). Timothy's role as a disciple highlights the importance of mentorship and discipleship in the early church, as Paul would later entrust him with leadership responsibilities (1 Timothy 1:3).
the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father
Timothy's mixed heritage is significant. His mother, Eunice, is described as a believing Jew, indicating she was a Jewish Christian. This reflects the early church's composition, which included both Jews and Gentiles. Timothy's father being Greek suggests he was a Gentile, which may have influenced Timothy's upbringing and understanding of both Jewish and Greek cultures. This dual heritage would have been advantageous in Timothy's ministry, allowing him to bridge cultural gaps. Timothy's mother and grandmother, Lois, are noted for their sincere faith, which they passed on to him (2 Timothy 1:5), emphasizing the role of family in spiritual formation.
Paul’s arrival in Derbe marks the opening leg of his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40–41).
• Earlier, he and Barnabas had evangelized Derbe and “made many disciples” (Acts 14:20-21). Returning shows Paul’s pastoral heart: he revisits fledgling churches to strengthen and encourage them (Acts 15:36).
• It also underlines God’s faithfulness—what He begins, He completes (Philippians 1:6). Paul models that mindset by circling back to ensure spiritual growth.
• Derbe was a frontier town of the Roman province of Galatia, reminding us that the gospel flourishes in unlikely places (Romans 1:16).
• Lystra is loaded with memories. Here Paul healed a cripple (Acts 14:8-10), was mistaken for a god (14:11-13), and then stoned and left for dead (14:19). His return illustrates fearless obedience (2 Timothy 3:10-11).
• By revisiting the very city where he nearly died, Paul demonstrates that past opposition never overrides present calling (1 Thessalonians 2:2).
• The believers in Lystra would have been strengthened by seeing Paul alive and eager to minister—living proof of resurrection power at work (2 Corinthians 4:8-11).
• “Disciple” tells us Timothy was already committed to Christ, likely converted during Paul’s first visit (1 Timothy 1:2).
• The local churches “spoke well of him” (Acts 16:2), highlighting observable fruit in Timothy’s life. Character precedes commissioning.
• Paul soon calls him “my true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2) and “like-minded” (Philippians 2:19-22). God often pairs seasoned believers with younger servants to multiply ministry (2 Timothy 2:2).
• Timothy becomes an illustration of faithful succession: from Paul to Timothy to “reliable men,” the gospel keeps advancing.
• Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, passed on “sincere faith” (2 Timothy 1:5).
• From childhood he had known the “sacred Scriptures” that lead to salvation (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
• God honors the spiritual investment of parents and grandparents. When one household member believes, the ripple can shape generations (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Acts 18:8).
• Timothy’s Jewish heritage also prepared him for ministry among Jews; he could enter synagogues with credibility after Paul circumcised him (Acts 16:3).
• Luke notes the father’s ethnicity without calling him “believing,” implying he was a Gentile and likely not a follower of Christ.
• Timothy’s mixed background positioned him as a bridge between cultures—uniquely suited for the Jew-first, Gentile-also strategy (Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16).
• Paul later writes, “To the Jews I became like a Jew…to those without the law, like one without the law…so that I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22). Timothy embodies that principle.
• God sovereignly weaves even complicated family dynamics into His redemptive plan (Genesis 50:20).
Acts 16:1 shows the gospel’s forward motion through faithful servants and ordinary families: Paul returns to strengthen churches; a young disciple emerges from a home where one parent believes and the other does not; and God fashions that background into a tool for cross-cultural ministry. The verse invites us to trust the Lord’s orchestration of places, people, and past experiences as He builds His church—one city, one household, one disciple at a time.
XVI.(1) A certain disciple was there, named Timotheus.--We read with a special interest the first mention of the name of one who was afterwards so dear to the Apostle, his "true son in the faith" (1Timothy 1:2). On his probable conversion on St. Paul's first mission in Lystra, see Notes on Acts 14:6; Acts 14:19. We have to think of him as still young; probably, as his youth is spoken of some twelve years later in 1Timothy 4:12, not more than eighteen or twenty; but in the six years that had passed since St. Paul's departure he had been conspicuous for his devotion and "unfeigned faith." He had been trained to know the sacred Books of Israel from his childhood (2Timothy 3:15); and the fact that he had obtained a good report from the brethren at Iconium as well as Lystra shows that he had been already employed in carrying on intercourse between the two churches. The way in which St. Paul writes to him, and of him, implies a constitution naturally not strong, and, in after life, weakened by a rigorous asceticism (1Timothy 5:23), emotional even to tears (2Timothy 1:4), naturally shrinking from hardships and responsibilities, yet facing them in the strength of Christ (1Corinthians 16:10). The name Timotheus was not uncommon. It is found in 2 Maccabees 12:21-24, as belonging to a general defeated by Judas Maccabeus, and appears in early Christian inscriptions in the Vatican Museum. Its meaning ("one who honours God") made it a suitable name for the child of a proselyte. . . .
Verse 1. - And he came also for then came he, A.V. and T.R.; to Lystra for Lystra, A.V.; Timothy for Timotheus, A.V.; of a Jewess for of a certain woman which was a Jewess, A.V. and T.R.; which for and, A.V. For Derbe and Lystra, see Acts 14. and notes. This time St. Paul visited Derbe first, whereas before he came from Lystra to Derbe (Acts 14:6, 8, 21). Was there; viz. at Lystra (see 2 Timothy 3:11). A certain disciple; i.e. a Christian (Acts 11:26). From St. Paul's speaking of Timothy as "my own sou in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2), and from his special mention of Timothy's mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5), it is probable that both mother and son were converted by St. Paul at his first visit to Lystra, some years before (Acts 14:7). Timothy. It is a Greek name, meaning "one who honors God" (formed, like Timoleon, Timolaus, Timocrates, etc.). It was a not uncommon name, and occurs repeatedly in the Books of the Maccabees (1 Macc. 5:6; 2 Macc. 8:30, etc.). Another form is Timesitheos. Timothy is uniformly spoken of by St. Paul in terms of eulogy and warm affection (see, besides the passages above quoted, Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10; Philippians 2:19-22; and the general tone of the Epistles to Timothy). A Jewess; viz. Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5), also a Greek name (equivalent to Victoria), though borne by a Jewess. A Greek; i.e. a Gentile (see Hark 7:26; Acts 14:1; Acts 17:4; Acts 19:10; Romans 1:16; Romans 2:9; 1 Corinthians 10:32, etc.; Colossians 3:11). Had his father been a proselyte, it would probably have been said that he was (Bengel).