Has it ever occurred to you how Timothy became so famous a young man?

H. L. Hastings tells of a group of British archaeologists who, years ago, came upon a huge marble slab, evidently very ancient, high atop a mountain where no one would be apt to find it — or remove it.

Experts were called upon to decipher the hieroglyphics which covered the marble monument. They found them to be a declaration by an ancient ruler of his great exploits and an explanation that he had used this means of recording his deeds so as to secure himself everlasting fame.

The trouble was that no one could find any historical account of a king who bore this name or who had accomplished the glorious exploits recorded on the marble slab! Thus, the archaeologists had found, engraved in marble, a glowing self-tribute to — whom? It might as well have been to nobody!

By striking contrast, young Timothy has been well-known by Christian people all over the world for nearly two thousand years! During all this time, without interruption, he has been read about, written about, preached about, and used as an example of consistent Christian conduct. Yet, have you ever read one great deed done by Timothy? Have you ever read one great sermon from his lips, one brilliant book or letter from his pen, one great exploit of any kind? No, you hardly know more than that he was a young preacher, a friend of Paul, and that he had been taught the Scriptures in early life by his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice (II Tim. 1:5) so that Paul could now write to him:

“…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” (II Tim. 3:15).