2 Timothy 1:5
“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul remembers Timothy's sincere faith, traced back through his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois, and is sure it lives in him too.
What Does 2 Timothy 1:5 Mean?
Timothy's faith did not begin with him. Paul names two women, Lois and Eunice, whose genuine trust in God was passed down through the generations until it took root in Timothy himself.
Faith here is unfeigned, without pretense or mask, the real thing handed lovingly from grandmother to mother to son. This is how much of the kingdom advances, not by spectacle but by ordinary households teaching the next generation to love God. Paul honors these women by name, crediting them with shaping a leader of the church. Every parent, grandparent, and mentor can take heart: the quiet faithfulness of one generation becomes the inheritance of the next, and God remembers those who plant such seeds.
In the Original Language
anupokritos (ἀνυπόκριτος), 'unfeigned' -- literally without play-acting, faith that wears no mask and performs no role.