Gospel in Art: Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

The Martyrdom of St Timothy, Illumination in a Byzantine Menologion © Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 26 January 2026
Luke 10:1-9

At that time: The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this house!" And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you." '

Reflection on the Orthodox Illumination

Today we celebrate Saints Timothy and Titus. They belong to the very first generation of Christian leaders after the Apostles. Both were close collaborators of Paul, not simply assistants, but trusted co-workers entrusted with enormous responsibility at a young age. Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, raised in the Scriptures and known for his gentle temperament. Paul met him in Lystra and immediately recognised his gifts, taking him on missionary journeys and eventually appointing him as Bishop of Ephesus, a then complex and divided community. Paul's letters to Timothy reveal a pastoral heart: encouragement not to lose confidence, exhortations to guard the faith, and reminders that leadership in the Church must be rooted in humility, integrity, and perseverance.

Titus, by contrast, seems to have been more robust and decisive in character. A Gentile convert, he became Paul's trusted envoy in difficult situations, especially when firmness was required. Paul sent Titus to Crete to organise the young Church there, appoint elders, and confront false teaching. The Letter to Titus shows Paul relying on him as a stabilising presence, someone capable of bringing order, clarity, and discipline without losing sight of mercy. Together, Timothy and Titus embody two complementary styles of Christian leadership: one marked by sensitivity and encouragement, the other by strength and structure.

Their feast reminds us that the early Church was not sustained by apostles alone, but by faithful successors who carried the Gospel into daily parish life. Timothy was martyred in Ephesus. According to early Christian tradition, he was beaten to death by a pagan mob around AD 97 after he tried to stop a violent procession honouring false gods. He died as he had lived, courageously defending the faith he had received from Saint Paul. Titus, on the other hand, is believed to have died peacefully in old age. Tradition holds that he remained Bishop of Crete, faithfully governing the Church there until his death, sometime in the late first century. Our illustration depicts the martyrdom of Saint Timothy, being beaten to death by a man with a stick. It comes from an 11th century Byzantine Menologion. A menologion ( from the Greek for "month") is a richly illustrated liturgical book, essentially a church calendar containing lives of saints (hagiography) and commemorations, arranged by feast days throughout the year, serving as a service book for the Eastern Orthodox Church.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-10-1-9-2026/