Passing the Faith Along

# 34 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Paul is passing the baton of the charge (the mandate) that Jesus had committed to him and to the other Apostles to the next generation, and so he refers to Timothy as his son. The implication of the word “commit” is the idea of a deposit for safekeeping. He was doing this in accordance with prophecies that had been uttered concerning Timothy. We are not privy to the exact wording of these prophecies, but in context of what Paul is charging Timothy with, they must've had something to do with carrying the message of the Apostles, (which was given to them directly by Jesus) to the next generation. As this message was deposited (committed) to the Apostles by Jesus, so it is to be committed to the next generation. Later in 2 Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to deposit this message in others: 2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Just imagine what it would've been like to be present when these Holy Spirit inspired prophecies were proclaimed over Timothy. Paul mentions this event ever so briefly in 1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. And in 2Ti 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Something very real was being transferred to Timothy through the laying on of hands. Let's pursue this practice of the laying on of hands in the days ahead.