Timothy's father was a Greek and his mother a Jewess. From a child he had known the Scriptures. The piety that he saw in his home life was sound and sensible. The faith of his mother and his grandmother in the sacred oracles was to him a constant reminder of the blessing in doing God's will. The word of God was the rule by which these two godly women had guided Timothy. The spiritual power of the lessons that he had received from them kept him pure in speech and unsullied by the evil influences with which he was surrounded. Thus his home instructors had co-operated with God in preparing him to bear burdens.

Timoteus fader var græker og hans moder jødinde. Han havde fra sin barndom kendt skrifterne. Den fromhed, han mødte i sit hjem, var både sund og forstandig. Hans moders og bedstemoders tro på den hellige skrift var ham en stadig påmindelse om velsignelsen ved at gøre Guds vilje. Guds ord var den rettesnor, hvorefter disse to gudfrygtige kvinder havde opdraget Timoteus. Den åndelige kraft, som udgik fra den lære, han havde modtaget fra dem, bevarede ham ren i sin tale og ubesmittet af de slette påvirkninger, han var omgivet af. Således havde opdragelsen i hjemmet samarbejdet med Gud i at dygtiggøre ham til at bære byrder.