¹⁴Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. ¹⁵Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ¹⁶Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

Paul urges Timothy to engage his spiritual gift fully. God clearly gave him the gift and others affirmed it, so he is to use it—and in so doing, he becomes a gift to the church where he serves. Paul is speaking directly to Timothy here, but his words are applicable to all of us.

At this juncture, many fall prey to an older understanding of Paul’s letter to Timothy as instructions for the established clergy in the church. The common designation of “pastoral” to these letters to Timothy and Titus give that impression, but the internal contents of the letter do not support that label. Some think the laying on of hands in this passage refers to ordination of church pastors. That is not the case. First of all, the gift indicated here is not the pastor-teacher gift referred to in Ephesians 4:11. Nor is Timothy ever referred to in Scripture, let alone by Paul, as “the pastor” of the church at Ephesus. Older commentators referred to Timothy as the bishop, but again, without warrant. Timothy’s gift seems rather to be that of a teacher (vs. 16) and an exhorter, as Paul challenges him to urge people to follow these teachings.

We do not necessarily conclude that all spiritual gifts should be affirmed by the laying on of hands (though we think it would be helpful to find ways to confirm one another’s gifting). But in Timothy’s case, his ministry was approved not only by Paul’s obvious endorsement but also by the “presbytery,” which is an unfortunate translation that hints of denominational influence. Better to translate this as “council of elders,” reflecting the usual translation of the closely related word rendered elsewhere as “elders.” The idea is this: Timothy, as a prominent leader and teacher of the Word, was publicly affirmed by the elders at Ephesus.

Why does Paul remind Timothy of this? In keeping with his earlier exhortation to not give anyone occasion to look down on his youth, Timothy needed encouragement to boldly perform the ministry for which God had him there in Ephesus. We, too, should follow this example by knowing our spiritual gifting and using it boldly and unreservedly in the service of God’s people.

Lord, help me know my gift and give me the strength and confidence to use it, and not shrink back because of other people’s perceptions.