Paul really value the hard work wey Timothy do to assist-am. After the two of them don work together for about 11 years, Paul write about Timothy say: “I no get any other person wey be like Timothy wey go really care for una. . . . Una know say e don show the kind person wey e be, because like pikin with im papa, e don really work hard with me to spread the good news.” (Phil. 2:20, 22) Timothy really do the preaching work with all im heart. Because of this one, Paul love-am no be small and na better example for us.

Timothy papa na Greek person but im mama na Jew person. And e be like say e grow for Lystra. From when e small, im mama, Eunice, and im grandmama, Lois, don de teach-am the Word of God. (Acts 16:1, 3; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14, 15) E fit be say the three of them become Christians the first time wey Paul visit their area.

When Paul go the area again after some years, Timothy fit dey around 20 years that time, and “the brothers for Lystra and Iconium de talk well” about-am. (Acts 16:2) Jehovah spirit be don make them ‘talk things wey go happen’ about the young man. Because of this one, apostle Paul and the elders for Timothy congregation, decide to give-am one special work. (1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6) E go join Paul de do missionary work. This work go make-am leave im family, and e go need to circumcise so that the Jew people wey them go go visit, no go complain.—Acts 16:3.

Timothy travel go plenty-plenty place. E preach with Paul and Silas for Philippi, with Silas for Beroea, and after, only-am preach for Thessalonica. When e meet Paul again for Corinth, e tell-am good things about the faith and love wey brothers for Thessalonica show, even though say people de suffer them. (Acts 16:6–17:14; 1 Thess. 3:2-6) When Paul hear bad news about the congregation for Corinth, when e dey Ephesus, e come decide to send Timothy go Corinth again. (1 Cor. 4:17) Paul later send Timothy and Erastus from Ephesus go Macedonia. But when Paul write letter to the congregation for Rome, Timothy don come back come join-am for Corinth. (Acts 19:22; Rom. 16:21) This na just some of the place wey Timothy go because of the good news.

E fit be say Timothy first de feel say e no qualify for this work wey Paul send-am because Paul encourage-am say: “Make you no allow anybody treat you like say you be nothing because you dey young.” (1 Tim. 4:12) But Paul trust Timothy well-well sotey e send-am go congregation wey problem dey, and e tell-am say: “Command some people make them no de teach lie-lie teaching.” (1 Tim. 1:3) Paul still give Timothy authority to choose people wey go be elders and ministerial servants for the congregation.—1 Tim. 5:22.

The better-better character wey Timothy get, make Paul love-am well-well. Bible show say Timothy na better friend wey Paul trust and wey e love like im own pikin. Paul write say e de remember the cry wey Timothy cry, and e de hungry-am to see Timothy, and e still pray for-am. And like Papa wey love im pikin, Paul still give Timothy advice because Timothy “de sick plenty times.” E fit be say, belle de pain-am plenty times.—1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:3, 4.

The first time wey Paul dey prison for Rome, Timothy be dey with-am. Timothy spend some time for prison too. (Philem. 1; Heb. 13:23) To show how this two people love each other reach, when Paul know say e go soon die, e tell Timothy say: “Try your best to come meet me, no waste time.” (2 Tim. 4:6-9) Bible no tell us whether Timothy quick come before im teacher and friend wey e love well-well die.

MARK GET PLENTY SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT

The book of Mark talk about “one young man” wey the people wey arrest Jesus be want catch, but wey “run comot with im naked body.” (Mark 14:51, 52) Because Mark, wey them still de call John Mark, na the only person wey write this story, e fit be say na Mark be the young man. And if na so e be, e mean say Mark go don dey with Jesus sometimes.

About 11 years after, for the time wey Herod Agrippa de suffer Christians, “some” members for the congregation wey dey Jerusalem gather for the house of Mary wey be Mark mama, to pray. Na there apostle Peter still go when Jehovah angel free-am from prison. (Acts 12:12) So, e fit be say Mark grow up for house wey them later start to use do Christian meetings. E go don know Jesus first disciples well, and e go don learn from their better example.

Mark work with plenty elders wey dey for the first congregations for the time of the apostles. The first special assignment wey we know say e get na to follow im cousin Barnabas and apostle Paul go their assignment for Antioch wey dey Syria. (Acts 12:25) The first time wey Barnabas and Paul travel as missionary, Mark join them travel. Them first go Cyprus and from there go Asia Minor. Na there Mark leave them go Jerusalem, but Bible no talk why. (Acts 13:4, 13) After Barnabas and Paul quarrel because of Mark, as Bible talk for Acts chapter 15, Mark and Barnabas continue their missionary work for Cyprus.—Acts 15:36-39.

E be like say for 60 or 61 C.E., them don forget everything about the quarrel because around that time Mark and Paul work together again for Rome. Paul wey be dey prison for that city, write to the congregation for Colossae say: “Aristarchus wey dey prison with me say make I greet una, and Mark wey be the cousin of Barnabas still talk say make I greet una. (Na this Mark una receive direction about, say make una welcome-am if e come una side).” (Col. 4:10) So Paul want send John Mark from Rome make e go Colossae go represent-am.

Around 62 and 64 C.E., Mark work with apostle Peter for Babylon. As we learn for Chapter 10 of this book, two of them come love each other well-well, na im make Peter call the young man “Mark, my pikin.”—1 Pet. 5:13.

Last-last, around 65 C.E. when apostle Paul dey prison for Rome for second time, e write to Timothy wey de work with-am for the time wey Timothy dey Ephesus, say: “Make Mark follow you come because e go really help me for the work.” (2 Tim. 4:11) We dey sure say when Mark hear this one, e no waste time travel from Ephesus go Rome. So e dey clear why Mark really dey important to Barnabas, Paul, and Peter!

The assignment wey dey special pass all the other assignments wey Mark get, na when Jehovah spirit move-am to write the book of Mark. Some people talk say many of the things wey Mark write na wetin e hear from Peter. This one fit be true because the things wey Mark write about show say e get information from person like Peter wey know this things because e dey there when the things happen. But e be like say Mark write this book for Rome, no be for Babylon when e dey with Peter. Mark use plenty Latin words and e translate Hebrew words wey for hard for person wey no be Jew to understand. So e be like say the main people wey e write for, na people wey no be Jew.

“Lewa K’a Dabi K’a Fejud’amọmaye-wa” (Ẹwn̄ 15:36)

“In̄wa ej Olo” (Ẹwn̄ 15:​37-41)

Ma “Gbọ Ibenu” (Ẹwn̄ 16:​1-3)

Ma “Hi Ẹrẹ Nyanẹ Ef Ọla Ẹdọ Ekono” (Ẹwn̄ 16:​4, 5)

“In̄wa ej Olo” (Ẹwn̄ 15:37-41)

Ma “Gbọ Ibenu” (Ẹwn̄ 16:1-3)

Ma “Hi Ẹrẹ Nyanẹ Ef Ọla Ẹdọ Ekono” (Ẹwn̄ 16:4, 5)