1 Timothy 4:14

4:11-16 Men's youth will not be despised, if they keep from vanities and follies. Those who teach by their doctrine, must teach by their life. Their discourse must be edifying; their conversation must be holy; they must be examples of love to God and all good men, examples of spiritual-mindedness. Ministers must mind these things as their principal work and business. By this means their profiting will appear in all things, as well as to all persons; this is the way to profit in knowledge and grace, and also to profit others. The doctrine of a minister of Christ must be scriptural, clear, evangelical, and practical; well stated, explained, defended, and applied. But these duties leave no leisure for wordly pleasures, trifling visits, or idle conversation, and but little for what is mere amusement, and only ornamental. May every believer be enabled to let his profiting appear unto all men; seeking to experience the power of the gospel in his own soul, and to bring forth its fruits in his life.

1 Timothy 4:14 . Neglect not — Through omitting to exercise it to the full; the gift that is in thee — The word χαρισμα , here used, commonly denotes some spiritual gift conferred on believers in the first age, whether by an immediate effusion of the Holy Spirit, or by means of the imposition of the apostle’s hands. See Romans 1:10 . By this it appears, that even the miraculous gifts might be improved; and that the continuance of them with individuals depended in a great measure upon the right temper of their minds, and upon their making a proper use of their gifts. Which was given thee by prophecy — By immediate direction from God, or in consequence of predictions uttered by those who had the gift of prophecy, pointing thee out as a person fit to be invested with the office of an evangelist, and called of God to it. As it appears, from 2 Timothy 1:6 , that the gift here referred to was given to Timothy by the laying on of the apostle’s hands, we learn from hence, that in conferring the spiritual gifts, as well as in working miracles, the apostles were not left to their own prudence, but were directed by revelations from God, communicated to themselves or others. With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery — Whose hands, with those of Paul, were laid on Timothy at the time when he was set apart solemnly by prayer to the office of the ministry, and received the spiritual gift here spoken of.

Neglect not the gift that is in thee; neglect neither the ability which God hath given time for the discharge of the office of the ministry, nor the office to which God hath called thee; neither the improvement of them, nor the use, exercise, and discharge of them or it. Which was given thee by prophecy; remember that they were given thee by the revelation of the Divine will, or by the extraordinary influence of the Spirit of God; and the laying on of the hands of the presbytery was a declaration of it; God also (as usually when he calls any to any special work) calling thee to the work of the ministry then also, fitting and enabling thee for the discharge of it.

Neglect (ἀμέλει) Rare in N.T. Only Matthew 22:5; Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 8:9. The gift that is in thee (τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος) Comp. 2 Timothy 1:6. Χάρισμα gift is a distinctively Pauline word, being found only three times outside of Paul's Epistles, and olxx, oClass. See on Romans 1:11. That is in thee, comp. τῆς ἐν σοὶ πίστεως the faith that is in thee, 2 Timothy 1:5. The meaning is the special inward endowment which qualified Timothy for exhortation and teaching, and which was directly imparted by the Holy Spirit. By prophecy (διὰ προφητείας) See on 1 Timothy 1:18. Προφητείας genitive, not accusative. The meaning is by the medium of prophecy. The reference is to prophetic intimation given to Paul concerning the selection of Timothy for the ministerial office. These prophecies were given by the Holy Spirit who bestowed the "gift", so that the gift itself and the prophecy concurred in attesting the candidate for ordination. With the laying on of the hands (μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν) Μετὰ implies that the prophetic intimations were in some way repeated or emphasized in connection with the ceremony of ordination.

We note the association of prophecy with ordination in the setting apart of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:9, Acts 13:3); so that the case of Timothy has an analogue in that of Paul himself. Ἑπίθεσις laying on, imposition, also Acts 8:18; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 6:2, in each case with of hands. "The custom," says Lange, "is as old as the race." The Biblical custom rests on the conception of the hand as the organ of mediation and transference. The priest laid his hand on the head of the bullock or goat (Leviticus 1:4) to show that the guilt of the people was transferred. The hand was laid on the head of a son, to indicate the transmission of the hereditary blessing (Genesis 48:14); upon one appointed to a position of authority, as Joshua (Numbers 27:18-23); upon the sick or dead in token of miraculous power to heal or to restore to life (2 Kings 4:34). So Christ (Mark 6:5; Luke 4:40). In the primitive Christian church the laying on of hands signified the imparting of the Holy Spirit to the newly-baptized (Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6; comp. Hebrews 6:2). Hands were laid upon the seven (Acts 6:6). But the form of consecration in ordination varied. No one mode has been universal in the church, and no authoritative written formula exists.

1 Timothy 4:14 . Μὴ ἀμέλει , do not neglect ) They neglect , who do not exercise the gift, and who think that they cannot fall away.— χαρίσματος , the gift ) 2 Timothy 1:6 .— διὰ προφητείας μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου , by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands [viz. by prophecy] of the presbytery ) Construe the prophecy of the presbytery . For Paul laid his hands on Timothy, 2 Timothy 1:6 ; i.e. the presbytery consisted of Paul himself (comp. 2 John 1:1 ; 1 Peter 5:1 ) and Silas, or others also. Many Latin copies have presbyteri , “of the presbyter.” The imposition of the hand is properly done by one person, and that, too, a person more dignified. But prophecy was also exercised by equals, viz. by more than one, who, while Paul was laying his hands on Timothy, were offering congratulations, and augured every good thing; perhaps even in the absence of Timothy. This is an energetic young man, they said; God will do much good by him.

14. Neglect not the gift—by letting it lie unused. In 2Ti 1:6 the gift is represented as a spark of the Spirit lying within him, and sure to smoulder by neglect, the stirring up or keeping in lively exercise of which depends on the will of him on whom it is bestowed (Mt 25:18, 25, 27, 28). The charism or spiritual gift, is that of the Spirit which qualified him for "the work of an evangelist" (Eph 4:11; 2Ti 4:5), or perhaps the gift of discerning spirits, specially needed in his function of ordaining, as overseer [Bishop Hinds]. given thee—by God (1Co 12:4, 6). by prophecy—that is, by the Holy Spirit, at his general ordination, or else consecration, to the special see of Ephesus, speaking through the prophets God's will to give him the graces needed to qualify him for his work (1Ti 1:18; Ac 13:1-3). with … laying on of … hands—So in Joshua's case (Nu 27:18-20; De 34:9). The gift was connected with the symbolical act of laying on hands. But the Greek "with" implies that the presbyter's laying on hands was the mere accompaniment of the conferring of the gift. "By" (2Ti 1:6) implies that Paul's laying on his hands was the actual instrument of its being conferred. of the presbytery—In 2Ti 1:6 the apostle mentions only his own laying on of hands. But there his aim is to remind Timothy specially of the part he himself took in imparting to him the gift.

Here he mentions the fact, quite consistent with the other, that the neighboring presbyters took part in the ordination or consecration, he, however, taking the foremost part. Paul, though having the general oversight of the elders everywhere, was an elder himself (1Pe 5:1; 2Jo 1). The Jewish council was composed of the elders of the Church (the presbytery, Lu 22:66; Ac 22:5), and a presiding rabbi; so the Christian Church was composed of apostles, elders, and a president (Ac 15:16). As the president of the synagogue was of the same order as his presbyters, so the bishop was of the same order as his presbyters. At the ordination of the president of the synagogue there were always three presbyters present to lay on hands, so the early Church canons required three bishops to be present at the consecration of a bishop. As the president of the synagogue, so the bishop of the Church alone could ordain, he acting as the representative, and in the name of the whole presbytery [Vitringa]. So, in the Anglican Church, the bishop ordains, the presbyters or priests present joining with him in laying on hands.

Verse 14. - The gift ( χάρισμα ). The verb χαρίζομαι means " to give anything freely," gratuitously, of mere good will, without any payment or return ( Luke 7:42 ; Acts 27:24 ; Romans 8:32 ; 1 Corinthians 2:12 , etc.). Hence χάρισμα came to be especially applied to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are preeminently "free gifts" (see Acts 8:20 ). It is so applied in Romans 1:11 ; Romans 12:6 ; 1 Corinthians 1:7 ; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31 ; 1 Peter 4:10 . Here, then, as in the similar passage, 2 Timothy 1:6 , the " gift" spoken of is the special grace given by the Holy Ghost to those who are separated for " the office and work of a priest in the Church of God by the imposition of hands" (Ordering of Priests). This gift St. Paul bids him not neglect ( μὴ ἀμέλει ). The word contains the idea of contemptuous neglect - neglect as of an unimportant thing. In Matthew 22:5 the persons invited to the feast made light of it, and went away to other things which they cared mere about. In Hebrews 2:3 , τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας , and Hebrews 8:9, imply a contemptuous disregard. So here Timothy is reminded that in his ordination he received a great χάρισμα , and that he must value it duly, and use it diligently. It must not be let lie slumbering and smoldering, but must be stirred up into a flame. The lesson here and in 2 Timothy 1:6 seems to be that we must look back to our ordination, and to the spiritual grace given in it, as things not exhausted.