“Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy” (2 Timothy 1:4).
God-honoring men and women are sometimes caricatured as cold, unemotional human beings. However, that does not reflect the example set by the Apostle Paul. Unlike such parodies, Paul could easily demonstrate his feelings as evidenced by his admission in the passage quoted above. One author comments on this display of genuine emotion and considers the circumstances that may have prompted it…
“Such was the love of Christians for each other that strong men, in the face of danger and death to loved ones, openly wept; and there are a number of examples of this in the New Testament… Many speculations regarding the occasion of Timothy’s tears are left in the air by the brevity of the New Testament narrative. Some think Paul was remembering the occasion at Lystra when he was stoned; others just as logically suppose that he might have been remembering the occasion of his arrest by the imperial government. We can never know exactly.” (1)
Paul then went on to say…
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).
This implies that Timothy’s godly upbringing and the impact of other God-honoring family members exerted a positive influence upon his faith. Another source considers the family dynamics that contributed to Timothy’s spiritual growth and draws an important lesson for today…
“Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5) was Jewish, but apparently her father was not very orthodox: he violated one of the clear commands of the Law in arranging a match for his daughter with a Gentile (Acts 16:1). Later, when Timothy was born, he wasn’t circumcised (16:3). So it seems that neither Eunice’s father nor husband were observant of Judaism. But Eunice was. Paul praised her for her ‘genuine faith,’ which she shared in common with Lois, her mother (2 Tim. 1:5). Eunice imparted that faith to her son, Timothy, and more than anyone else equipped him for a lifetime of usefulness for God.
Eunice is an encouragement for every woman faced with the daunting task of nurturing the spiritual life of her children, especially if she can’t count on the help of a strong male. Eunice may have had no formal religious education and little encouragement from her family, except for Lois. But she had two crucial things going for her that offer hope for mothers today—the inherent power of being a mother and the dynamic power of a loving God.” (2)
(1) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on 2 Timothy 1”. “Coffman Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/2-timothy-1.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
(2) Word in life study Bible. (1996). (electronic ed., 2 Ti 1:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.