Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
God has given
every Christian a gift to minister to others the multi-faceted grace of God.
Peter puts it this way: “As every man
hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God. If any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in
all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11, KJV).”
which was given thee
by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
The Holy Spirit is the one that bestows gifts to the Believer. Some
Believers have one gift, some a few, and some many, but each one has been given
his gift(s) by the will of the Lord. Timothy was given his gift at a time when
the presbytery, that is a group of elders, laid their hands on him and prayed.
Scripture warns about being hasty about laying on hands, most likely because
laying on hands is meant to be a time when God blesses, sends out, and equips
as well as comforts (James, Acts, 1 Timothy).
15 Meditate
upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear
to all.
The things that Paul has written, he bids Timothy to meditate upon. It
is meditation, not memorization that is powerful (Joshua 1:8); therefore, Paul
tells Timothy to meditate, contemplate, chew on, ponder the things that have
been written to him and to give himself wholly to them, not holding back in
fear or reservation. And if he does this, Paul guarantees that Timothy’s
profiting from mediation (a close walk with the Lord, a wise walk, and Holy
Spirit anointed) will appear to all.
1 Tim 4:14-15 (KJV)
