Timothy's mother was a Jewish Christian and his father was a Greek. This little fact from the early Church lets us see something of the social reality in which the early Christians lived. Where human love is concerned, there need be no boundaries between races. How much more is this true of Christian love: the love of God for us, which sent the Only Son into the world (cf. Jn 3:16) and poured the Holy Spirit into our hearts (Rom 5:5), and calls us to be open to the possibility of loving anyone, even our enemies.

On his missionary journeys Paul encountered many people who had not heard of Jesus but who were eagerly looking for the truth. But what is more interesting, perhaps, is the way he encountered some people who already possessed Christian faith, as in the case of Timothy's mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois (cf. 2 Tim 1:5). The Christian faith was already spreading in mysterious ways, and everywhere found people to accept it. Paul was an important instrument in bringing Christ to the Gentiles, but of course God's grace was also working far beyond the scope of Paul's ministry.