There are some highfalutin names that folks use for men who publicly proclaim the Bible today. Some are called “Father So-And-So” or “Pastor So-And-So” or even “Reverend So-And-So.” When you read through the New Testament, did you ever read anything like that? Can you imagine Paul addressing a letter to “Reverend Timothy”?
Timothy’s name is found about 24 times in the New Testament. This man, who was a “minister” (1 Thess. 3:2) and “evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5), is called a “disciple” (Acts 16:1), “fellow worker” (Rom. 16:21), “beloved and faithful son in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim. 1:2, 18; 2 Tim. 1:2), “our brother” (2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 1:1; Phile. 1; Heb. 13:23), and “bondservant of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:1). But, this public proclaimer was never called by any highfalutin title at all.
In fact, here is my favorite designation for Timothy. Paul said, “he does the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 16:10). If you’re a preacher, that’s the nicest thing that anyone could ever say about you. In fact, that’s the highest compliment that any Christian could be paid!