It's a story of two grand mother's, two mother's (of two one is an Aunt and the other is a mother), and two son's: overall it's a story of two families - compared and contrasted.
Though there is almost a two hundred years gap between the two, their mothers, Julia Mamaea (actually *Aunt) and other Eunice, both were attracted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one by Apostle Paul and the other by Origen. Julia knew the Lord, but when she came to know that Origen was in the city, she called him up, spent time in enquiring more about the Lord. Eunice is a jewesses who has the knowledge about the Lord, but she came to know about the incarnated Lord Jesus Christ through Apostle Paul. Their sons, one accepted the Lord as his Saviour, the other didn't. One came to be called by Paul as the "true child in faith and my beloved child" (1Tim :2; 2Tim 1:2), the other became an emperor of Rome (reigned from AD/CE 218-222). While one walked in the fear of the Lord, the other started a new cult religion of his own. While one started/planted new Churches all around, the other planted a temple for Sun god (El-Gabal) and built a temple for his patron god on Palatine hill, Rome. While one evangelized about Jesus Christ, above all other faiths fearlessly. The other kept tolerance with other religions, and forcing people to worship Sun god, his patron deity. While one was appointed to a servitude job as an overseer (later was appointed the first Bishop of the Church at Ephesus), the other was a high priest at the temple of Sun god. After living a faithful life (2Tim 3:10,11) at the age of 80 or 90 years one became a martyr, stoned to death for preaching against idolatry [According to Heb 13:23, once Timothy was arrested and imprisoned, but was set free or escaped death]. The other was murdered (his mother too) after reigning Rome for four years at an early age by his own guards for forcing people to worship his patron deity Sun god. Of these two, one was Timothy, the disciple of Apostle Paul (Ac 16:1), the other was Elagabalus, the emperor of Rome. The name Timothy means "God honours", its like God honoured him for his servitude. Whereas the name Elagabalus means in Arabic "god of the mountain", its like thefting the pride of God and paralleling himself with the God. 1Kings 20:28 reads that the God of Israel is called "the God of the mountains". Historians say that though Elagabalus married four women, he was a gay and a transgender which is against the nature which God prescribed (Romans 1:26-28; 1Tim 1:10). Timothy on the other hand followed what was taught by Paul (2Timothy 3:10-14). When Eunice sent Timothy to the Lord's service (1Tim 4:14; 1:18; 2Tim 1:6), Timothy made every moment count in accordance to his mother's faith. But Elagabalus, didn't fulfill his grand mother's (Julia Maesa) plans, so Julia Maesa (grand mother) had to look to Alexander Severus (AD/CE 222-235), the successor of Elagabalus. Today we can see the relics of St.Timothy are venerated at Cathedral of Termoli, Italy, but after emperor Elagabalus brutal murder his body, decapitated his head and was thrown into river Tiber in Italy.
To conclude both were nurtured by devote mothers (one is Aunt), but their choice, paths, and faith were different. Proverbs 22:6 reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (ESV). How are we training our children?
*Julia Mamaea was daughter of Julia Maesa and younger sister of Julia Soaemias mother of emperor Elagabalus.
Sources:
1. Holy Bible,
2. Bible Encyclopaedia,
3. Eusebius - Church History,
4. Wikipedia.
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