Timothy's Spiritual Gift

133 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 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. (1 Tim 4:14) What's going on here? A spiritual gift was given to Timothy by God through the medium of prophecy (words of God-inspired speakers) and then accompanied by the laying on of hands by the elders of the church. This gift is not to be neglected by Timothy! Let's first of all look at the charge to not neglect this gift. The idea is he is not to be careless with this gift and he is not to make light of it! All spiritual gift are to be revered, if for no other reason than consideration be given to the Giver! Plus these gifts are all important in the functioning of the Body of Christ. 1Co 12:20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." But what is this gift of Timothy's? Given the context of the preceding verses and the overriding emphasis of this letter on the problem of false teaching I would agree with those commentators who speculate that his gift was that of discerning the spirits mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10. Timothy was well schooled in the true doctrine from early on through his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. He was further schooled by the Apostle Paul. These instruments of God proclaimed (prophesied) the Word of God to him, and through this prophetic word, Timothy was given the ability to sift through correct and incorrect teachings. This gift was accompanied by His ordination (the laying on of hands) if you will into the Office of the Word where he had the authority to dispel false teachings. (A very important gift in the overseeing of church planting. A gift that he was charged with not neglecting. Timothy and all others with this gift are never to relax in their effort to dispel false teachings in the church. They are to stick to their guns in the matters of the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of godliness mentioned in 1 Tim 3:16.