Eunice is a notable figure in the New Testament, recognized primarily as the mother of Timothy, a prominent early Christian leader and companion of the Apostle Paul. Her account, though brief in the biblical text, highlights the importance of faith and the transmission of religious values across generations.

Biblical References

Eunice is mentioned explicitly in the New Testament in the context of her son Timothy's faith and upbringing. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul writes to Timothy, saying, "I am 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" . This passage underscores Eunice's role in nurturing Timothy's faith, which Paul describes as sincere and genuine.

Additionally, in Acts 16:1, we learn that Eunice was a Jewish believer who was married to a Greek man. "Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek" . This mixed heritage of Timothy is significant, as it reflects the early Christian community's diversity and the challenges of maintaining faith within a multicultural family setting.

Faith and Influence

Eunice's influence on Timothy is evident through Paul's commendation of Timothy's faith, which he attributes to the spiritual foundation laid by Eunice and her mother, Lois. The reference to Eunice's faith in 2 Timothy 1:5 suggests that she was a devout believer who played a crucial role in Timothy's spiritual education. Her ability to instill a sincere faith in her son, despite the potential challenges posed by a mixed-faith marriage, speaks to her dedication and commitment to her beliefs.

The impact of Eunice's faith is further highlighted in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, where Paul reminds Timothy, "But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you learned them. From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" . This passage indicates that Eunice, along with Lois, was instrumental in teaching Timothy the Scriptures from a young age, preparing him for his future role in the early Church.

Cultural and Historical Context

Eunice's life and faith must be understood within the cultural and historical context of the first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman world. As a Jewish woman married to a Greek man, Eunice would have navigated the complexities of maintaining her Jewish faith and traditions while being part of a Hellenistic household. Her ability to pass on her faith to Timothy suggests a strong personal conviction and a deep understanding of the Scriptures.

Her account also reflects the broader theme of the early Christian movement, which often transcended cultural and ethnic boundaries. Eunice's faith and her role in Timothy's spiritual formation exemplify the transformative power of the Gospel and the importance of family in the transmission of faith.

Legacy

Eunice's legacy is primarily seen through the life and ministry of her son, Timothy, who became a trusted companion of Paul and a leader in the early Church. Her example serves as a testament to the vital role of mothers and grandmothers in nurturing faith and shaping the spiritual lives of future generations. Eunice's account is a reminder of the profound impact that a faithful and dedicated parent can have on the spiritual development of their children, influencing not only their immediate family but also the broader Christian community.Eunice

good victory

Eunice

(good victory), mother of Timotheus. (2 Timothy 1:5) (A.D. before 47.)

Eunice

The mother of Timothy and daughter of Lois; she was a Jewess though her husband was a Greek, Acts 16:1 2 Timothy 1:5. She transmitted to her son the lessons of truth she herself had received from a pious mother; and Paul, on his arrival at Lystra, found them rooted and grounded in the truth as it is in Christ.

Happily conquering, the mother of Timothy, a believing Jewess, but married to a Greek (Acts 16:1). She trained her son from his childhood in the knowledge of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15). She was distinguished by her "unfeigned faith." EUNICE

u-ni'-se, u'-nis (Eunike, is the correct reading, and not Euneike, which is read by the Textus Receptus of the New Testament of Stephen, three syllables: Eu-ni-ke, literally, "conquering well"; 2 Timothy 1:5): The mother of Timothy.

1. Eunice's Home:

Her name is Greek and this might lead to the inference that she was a Gentile by birth, but such a conclusion would be wrong, for we read in Acts 16:1 that she was a Jewess. Her husband however was a heathen Greek She was in all probability a daughter of Lois, the grandmother of Timothy, for both of those Christian women are spoken of, in one breath, by Paul, and this in high terms of commendation.

2. How She Trained Her Son:

Timothy had not been circumcised in childhood, probably because of his father's being a Gentile; but the mother and the grandmother did all that lay in their power to train Timothy in the fear of God and in the knowledge of the Scriptures of the Old Testament. "From a child" Eunice had taught her boy to "know the holy scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15 the King James Version). It is right therefore to connect this home training of Timothy in the fear of God, with his and his mother's conversion to the gospel. His name Timothy-chosen evidently not by the father, but by Eunice-signifies "one who fears God." The "wisdom" of the Hebrews consisted not in worldly prudence or in speculative philosophy, but in the fear of the Lord, as is shown in such passages as Psalm 111:10, and in Job 28, and in Proverbs throughout. His name, as well as his careful home training, shows how he was prepared to give a welcome both to Paul and to the gospel proclaimed by him, when the apostle in his first great missionary journey came to Lystra, one of the cities of Lycaonia or Southern (?) Galatia, where Eunice and her family lived. This is implied in the account of Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 16:1), where we read that he came to Lystra, and found there a certain disciple named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess, who believed.

3. Her Conversion to Christ:

It is therefore certain that Eunice and Timothy were not brought to a knowledge of the gospel at this time, but that they were already Christians; she, "a believer"; he, "a disciple." This evidently means that Eunice, Lois and Timothy had been converted on Paul's former visit to Lystra. This conclusion is confirmed in 2 Timothy 3:11, where Paul recalls to Timothy the fact that he had fully known the persecutions and afflictions which came to him at Lystra. The apostle repeats it, that Timothy knew what persecutions he then endured. Now this persecution occurred on Paul's first visit to that city. Eunice was therefore one of those who on that occasion became "disciples." And her faith in Christ, and her son's faith too, were genuine, and stood the test of the "much tribulation" of which Paul warned them (Acts 14:22 the King James Version); and on Paul's next visit to Lystra, Eunice had the great joy and satisfaction of seeing how the apostle made choice of her son to be his companion in his missionary work. Eunice is not afterward mentioned in the New Testament; though it is a possible thing that there may be reference to her in what is said about widows and the children of widows in 1 Timothy 5:4, 5.

John Rutherfurd

2131. Eunike -- "victorious," Eunice, the mother of Timothy
... "victorious," Eunice, the mother of ... Word Origin from eu and nike Definition "victorious,"
Eunice, the mother of Timothy NASB Word Usage Eunice (1). Eunice. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2131.htm - 6k

Timothy and his Mother Eunice.
... TIMOTHY AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE. Timothy was a youthful and earnest disciple of Jesus
Christ, whom Paul loved dearly. ... The mother's name was Eunice. ...
/.../mother stories from the new testament/timothy and his mother eunice.htm

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
... How Eunice, the daughter of the pious Lois, had come to marry a heathen, [37] we
know as little as the circumstances which may have originally led the family ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 7 the upbringing of.htm

Mother Stories from the New Testament
... JESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN. THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER. TIMOTHY AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE.
CHRIST BLESSING THE CHILDREN. [ Prev] [Top] [Next ]. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/mother stories from the new testament/

Family Religion.
... The commendation bestowed by Paul upon Timothy, was that "from a child" he enjoyed
the "unfeigned faith" of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter iii family religion.htm

Acts XVI
... afterward writes to him: "I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee,
that first dwelt in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xvi.htm

Jehoshaphat's Reform
... grandmother Lois and mother Eunice do not always see the boy who has known the
Scriptures from a child grow up into a Timothy, in whom their unfeigned faith ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/jehoshaphats reform.htm

Marcy
... Marcy. Marcy, Elizabeth Eunice, was born at Eastham, Conn., December 22,
1821. She was the wife of Oliver Marcy, LL.D., Professor ...
//christianbookshelf.org/nutter/hymn writers of the church/marcy.htm

The First Epistle to Timothy
... Both his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois are spoken of as Christians in
II:Tim.1: 5. In all probability he was converted by Paul on his first missionary ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the first epistle to timothy.htm

Household Salvation
... Let Abraham's prayer be for Ishmael, let Hannah pray for Samuel, let David plead
for Solomon, let Andrew find first his brother Simon, and Eunice train her ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/household salvation.htm

Home Influence and Training in their Relation to the Keeping of ...
... impressions. Oh, that every mother were a Hannah, an Elizabeth, an Eunice.
Then would there be more Samuels, Johns and Timothys. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter vi home influence and.htm

Eunice (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. EUNICE. ... "From a child" Eunice had taught her boy
to "know the holy scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15 the King James Version). ...
/e/eunice.htm - 10k

Lois (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. LOIS. lo'-is (Lois (2 Timothy 1:5)): The grandmother
of Timothy, and evidently the mother of Eunice, Timothy's mother. ...
/l/lois.htm - 8k

Timothy (28 Occurrences)
... His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are mentioned as eminent for their
piety (2 Timothy 1:5). We know nothing of his father but that he was a Greek ...
/t/timothy.htm - 38k

Unfeigned (5 Occurrences)
... 2 Timothy 1:5 having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you; which
lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am ...
/u/unfeigned.htm - 8k

Jewess (3 Occurrences)
... A woman of Hebrew birth, as Eunice, the mother of Timothy (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy
1:5), and Drusilla (Acts 24:24), wife of Felix, and daughter of Herod Agrippa I ...
/j/jewess.htm - 9k

Lo'is (1 Occurrence)
... 2 Timothy 1:5 having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you; which
lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am ...
/l/lo'is.htm - 6k

Grandmother (3 Occurrences)
... 2 Timothy 1:5 having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you; which
lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am ...
/g/grandmother.htm - 7k

Reminded (3 Occurrences)
... 2 Timothy 1:5 having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you; which
lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am ...
/r/reminded.htm - 7k

Recall (11 Occurrences)
... 2 Timothy 1:5 For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which
dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I ...
/r/recall.htm - 9k

Eunatan
Eunatan. Eumenes, Eunatan. Eunice . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia EUNATAN.
u-na'-tan. See ENNATAN. Eumenes, Eunatan. Eunice . Reference Bible.
/e/eunatan.htm - 6k

Who were Lois and Eunice in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Timothy in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Questions about 2 Timothy | GotQuestions.org

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