Lois
“Pleasant or desirable, related to loion meaning better”
Summary
The grandmother of Timothy and mother of Eunice, commended by Paul for her sincere faith which was passed down through three generations of this godly family at Lystra.
☩Identity and Family
Lois was a Jewish believer residing at Lystra in Lycaonia, the grandmother of Timothy on his mother's side. Her daughter Eunice married a Greek (a Gentile, presumably pagan), yet maintained her Jewish faith and raised Timothy in the knowledge of Scripture (Acts 16:1). The Syriac version explicitly identifies Lois as 'thy mother's mother.' The Greek names of both Lois and Eunice were common among Hellenistic Jews, though some suggest Lois may have been Eunice's mother-in-law rather than her mother. The more probable explanation is that both women were Jewesses who bore Gentile names, as was common in the Greek-speaking Jewish diaspora.
☩Her Faith and Influence
Paul speaks of 'the unfeigned faith' that dwelt first in Lois, then in Eunice, and finally in Timothy himself (2 Timothy 1:5). This 'unfeigned' (unhypocritical, genuine) faith was no mere ancestral religion but personal conviction embraced by each generation. Most scholars believe Lois and Eunice were converted to Christianity during Paul's first missionary visit to Lystra (Acts 14:6-7), though their prior knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures had prepared them to receive the gospel. Paul's observation that Timothy had known 'the holy scriptures from a child' (2 Timothy 3:15) indicates that Lois, alongside Eunice, was instrumental in this early instruction. The family pedigree of 'indwelling faith' began with Lois as far back as Paul's knowledge extended.
☩Legacy
Lois exemplifies how the faithful witness of a believing grandparent can shape future generations. Though her husband's faith is unmentioned (and Timothy's father was apparently unconverted), these godly women's influence prevailed. As Paul notes, 'one godly parent may counteract the bad influence of the ungodly, and win the child to Christ.' Lois thus represents those unsung saints whose names appear only briefly in Scripture but whose faithful instruction produces lasting fruit in the church through their spiritual descendants.
Related Verses1 mention
2 Timothy· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lois," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Lois," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Lois," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 4.George Morrish, "Lois," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Lois," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).