God’s Word for You

2 Timothy 1:6-7 The laying on of hands

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Monday, June 1, 2026

6 For this reason I remind you to stir up the fire of the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit that is timid, but a spirit of power and of love and of sound judgment.

The laying on of hands that Paul talks about here is perhaps the ordination of Timothy into the public ministry, but more probably the giving of spiritual gifts through Paul that may have been accompanied by certain prophecies about Timothy (but also at his ordination). These prophecies (“the prophecies once made about you,” 1 Timothy 1:18) seem to have pointed to the significant leadership role that Timothy was going to have in the church. At that time, Timothy received something he did not have before. This could have been:

1, An added spiritual ability.
2, An added measure of zeal and/or dedication.
3, A humble determination to serve faithfully and well.

Paul urges Timothy to keep this gift “fired up.” The Greek idiom calls to mind the work of the blacksmith at his forge. In the forge are many smoldering coals, hot and glowing, but which need to be stirred up from time to time and fed a breeze from the bellows, at which point they burn much hotter. A side point here is that Paul says that Timothy did not receive a spirit that is timid. The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma, which besides the Holy Spirit or various other spirits, also means “the wind” (John 3:8), and therefore the forge-and-bellows imagery seems connected here.

Could this mean that Timothy had sunk into some kind of depression, and Paul was trying to get him to snap out of it, or to remember his ordination and the prophecies that had been spoken about him? But this would at least partly be a law motivation (“Since the Spirit was given to you, you’d better live up to what God has done!”). Paul is not one to motivate a Christian with the law, but only with the gospel.

In verse 7, I have translated “spirit” with a lower-case “s,” which is to say, not the Holy Spirit, but a spirit which is an inner attitude. Now, is it at all possible that the Holy Spirit is meant in this case? Timothy was already given the Holy Spirit when he came to faith as a child, and when he was baptized (which may have come later). But the gifts of the Holy Spirit could be taken as a title: The Spirit of power and love and sound judgment.

We learn here that Christians, while equal before God and brothers and sisters one to another (Matthew 23:8-12; Luke 22:24-26), are nevertheless not equally qualified to perform publicly the functions of the ministry. We see from the New Testament that God gives the church men who are qualified for the various forms of the work that is required. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:6-8). Also: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9. And these gifts should be gratefully received and developed, and spiritual gifts should be used by the church. Paul told Titus: “An elder must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).

Since Timothy received this spirit through his call and the laying on of Paul’s hands, we have here a very important verse about the sort of calling of ministers and other called workers today. For there is no question at all that the men called by Christ to be his apostles received many gifts directly from him. They were given the message to preach: “The kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 10:7), and they were given miraculous signs to perform that would accompany and draw attention to the message: to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and to drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8). But here Paul says that spiritual gifts were given to Timothy as well. Now, the Apostles (including Paul) were called immediately, that is, directly and without a mediator, by Christ himself. But all other pastors, teachers, ministers, and other called workers since then up to the present day, are called mediately, through another person or group. So we who are called are indeed called by God the Holy Spirit, but through the holy Christian church. For we have “the grace that was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14). This grace or gift is not always the same from worker to worker, for “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4). Martin Chemnitz says: “Wherever they planted a church they did not leave it without a teacher. Therefore what? Did they wait until [teachers] might be called immediately by God? Not at all. But through the vote of the church they chose learned and suitable men and gave them their assignment. But this took place through the laying on of hands of the elders or by the assembly of elders, who were not only those who had labored in the Word but by also other selected and honorable men, a committee to whom had been entrusted the business matters pertaining to the church in the name of the entire church.”

But we are also assured in another place that no Christian is lacking in any important spiritual gift. “You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Corinthians 1:7). Therefore one Christian may not have a powerful speaking voice, or may have trouble expressing Christian love, or may have a genuine faith but may not always have sound judgment and may need constant reminding and teaching. And some Christians might be genuinely timid about many things. This does not make such good people lesser Christians, or Christians of another class. There is no other class besides “Christian” in the heart of Christ. But in these verses we see that Timothy of Lystra in Galatia was given wonderful spiritual gifts, and was a leader in the Church. Even such men need encouragement from time to time.

“A spirit of power,” which is courage and confidence in the Word of God.

“A spirit of love,” which is love for God and love for mankind, “especially those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10).

“A spirit of sound judgment,” which is to consider and weigh alternatives, and to make godly choices in thought, word, and deed.

May God bless you in similar ways.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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