During his general audience on Dec. 13, Pope Benedict XVI once again divided his time between St. Peter’s Basilica, where he met with the faithful from the dioceses in the Calabria region of Italy, and the Paul VI Hall, where he spoke about Timothy and Titus, two of St. Paul’s closest associates.

Benedict noted that St. Paul held Timothy in high esteem: “Paul, in fact, entrusted some important missions to him and saw him as a sort of ‘alter ego,’ which is evident from the way in which he praises him in his Letter to the Philippians: ‘For I have no one comparable to him for genuine interest in whatever concerns you.’” Timothy is frequently mentioned in Paul’s letters, and often accompanied Paul on his journeys. Titus, a convert from paganism, accompanied Paul to the Council of Jerusalem, which sanctioned the preaching of the Gospel to the pagans while not imposing upon them the precepts of the law of Moses.

Both men were sent by Paul on important missions to the new churches.

“The sources we have on Timothy and Titus highlight their willingness to take on various tasks, which often consisted in representing Paul, even in difficult circumstances,” the Holy Father pointed out. “In other words, they teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, knowing that this, too, is part of serving the Church.”

Yet, it is important to note, the Pope emphasized, that Paul used co-workers in carrying out his mission. “He is, of course, the apostle par excellence, the founder and shepherd of many churches,” he said. “Nevertheless, it is clear that he did not do it all by himself, but depended on trustworthy persons, who shared his concerns and his responsibilities.”

At the end of his general audience, Benedict encouraged those present to serve the cause of the Gospel with generosity like Timothy and Titus, thereby contributing to building up Christ’s Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After speaking at length about the great apostle Paul, today we will look at two of his closest collaborators, Timothy and Titus. Three letters that are traditionally attributed to Paul are addressed to them — two to Timothy and one to Titus.

Timothy is a Greek name that means “the one who honors God.” Although Luke mentions him six times in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul refers to him seventeen times in his letters (as well as one more time in his Letter to the Hebrews). We can deduce from this that Paul held him in high esteem. Even Luke did not hesitate to tell us everything about him. Paul, in fact, entrusted some important missions to him and saw him as a sort of alter ego, which is evident from the way in which he praises him in his Letter to the Philippians: “For I have no one comparable to him for genuine interest in whatever concerns you” (Philippians 2:20).

Timothy

Timothy was born in Lystra (some 125 miles northwest of Tarsus) of a Jewish mother and a pagan father (see Acts 16:1). The fact that his mother had entered into a mixed marriage and had not circumcised her son leads us to believe that Timothy was brought up in a family that was not strictly observant, even though he is said to have known Scripture from infancy (see 2 Timothy 3:15). His mother’s name, Eunice, and his grandmother’s name, Lois, have been handed down to us (see 2 Timothy 1:5). When Paul passed through Lystra at the beginning of his second missionary journey, he chose Timothy as his companion because “the brothers of Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him” (Acts 16:2). However, “on account of the Jews of that region,” he “had him circumcised” (Acts 16:3).

Timothy traveled across Asia Minor to Troas with Paul and Silas, and from there he went to Macedonia. We are also told that when Paul and Silas were accused of disturbing the public order in Philippi and thrown into prison for opposing a young girl’s exploitation by some rather unscrupulous individuals (see Acts 16:16-40), Timothy was spared. When Paul then was later obliged to travel to Athens, Timothy caught up with him there and was sent to the young church in Thessalonica to gather news and to strengthen them in the faith (see 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2). He then joined Paul in Corinth, giving him good news about the Thessalonians and working together with him to evangelize that city (see 2 Corinthians 1:19).

We encounter Timothy once again in Ephesus, during Paul’s third missionary journey. It is probably from there that the apostle wrote to Philemon and to the Philippians, and both letters were co-authored with Timothy (see Philemon 1; Philippians 1:1). Paul sent him from Ephesus to Macedonia with Erastus (see Acts 19:22) and later to Corinth in order to deliver a letter in which he recommended that the Corinthians welcome him warmly (see 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10-11). We encounter him once again as the co-author of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, and when Paul wrote his Letter to the Romans from Corinth, he added greetings to them from Timothy as well as from several others (see Romans 16:21).

The disciple traveled once again from Corinth to Troas, on the Asian shore of the Aegean Sea, and waited there for Paul, who was on his way to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (see Acts 20:4). From that moment on, ancient sources make only one addition to Timothy’s biography, which we read in the Letter to the Hebrews: “I must let you know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he comes soon, I shall see you together with him” (see Hebrews 13:23).

In conclusion, we can say that Timothy stands out as an important shepherd. According to Eusebius’ subsequent Ecclesiastical History, Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus (Ecclesiastical History 3:4). Some of his relics have been in Italy since 1239 in the Cathedral of Termoli in Molise, having been brought from Constantinople.

Titus

As regards Titus, whose name is of Latin origin, we know that he was Greek by birth, therefore a pagan (see Galatians 2:3). Paul took him along with him to Jerusalem for the so-called Apostolic Council, during which the preaching of the Gospel to pagans was solemnly accepted without imposing upon them the precepts of the law of Moses.

In the letter Paul addressed to Titus, the apostle praises him and describes him as “my true child in our common faith” (Titus 1:4). After Timothy left Corinth, Paul sent Titus to Corinth in order to bring the unruly community there back to obedience. Titus restored peace to the Church of Corinth and the apostle Paul wrote the following words to them: “But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his arrival but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged in regard to you, as he told us of your yearning, your lament, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. ... For this reason, we are encouraged. And besides our encouragement, we rejoice even more because of the joy of Titus, since his spirit has been refreshed by all of you” (2 Corinthians 7:6-7, 13).

Paul again sent Titus — whom he called his “partner and co-worker” (2 Corinthians 8:23) — to Corinth to organize a collection for the Christians in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:6). Subsequent information in these pastoral letters describes him as the bishop of Crete (see Titus 1:5). Afterwards, at Paul’s invitation, he joined the apostle Paul at Nicopolis in Epirus, (see Titus 3:12). Later he also went to Dalmatia (see 2 Timothy 4:10). We do not have any more information on Titus’ subsequent trips or on his death.

Generous Co-Workers

In conclusion, we become aware of some significant information when we reflect on these two figures, Timothy and Titus, together. The most important fact is that Paul used co-workers in carrying out his mission. He is, of course, the apostle par excellence, the founder and shepherd of many churches.

Nevertheless, it is clear that he did not do it all by himself, but depended on trustworthy persons who shared his concerns and his responsibilities.

Another observation concerns the interior disposition of his co-workers. The sources we have on Timothy and Titus highlight their willingness to take on various tasks, which often consisted in representing Paul, even in difficult circumstances. In other words, they teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, knowing that this, too, is part of serving the Church.

Finally, let us take up the recommendation that the apostle Paul makes to Titus in the letter he addresses to him: “This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others” (Titus 3:8). Through a concrete commitment on our part, we can and we must discover the truth of these words, and, in this season of Advent, we too must be rich in good works, thereby opening the doors of the world to Christ, our Savior.

(Register translation)