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Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.
1 Timothy 4:14 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders.
  • KJV Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
  • BSB Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
  • NKJV 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.
  • NLT Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Timothy must not neglect the gift given him through prophecy and the elders' laying on of hands. It calls him to actively use his God-given calling.

Overview

Paul reminds Timothy of the spiritual gift confirmed at his commissioning by the elders. Gifts are to be exercised, not neglected. The verse encourages faithful stewardship of the abilities God grants for ministry.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • 2 Tim 1:6For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
  • 1 Pet 4:9–11Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
  • 1 Tim 1:18This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare;
  • Acts 6:6whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
  • 1 Tim 5:22Lay hands hastily on no one, neither be a participant in other men’s sins. Keep yourself pure.
  • 1 Th 5:19Don’t quench the Spirit.
  • Acts 13:3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
  • Rom 12:6–8Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;
  • Acts 8:17Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
  • Matt 25:14–30“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
  • Luke 19:12–26He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
  • Acts 19:6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Timothy videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Timothy 4:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 TimothyMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

There is 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all' — the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.

How 1 Timothy 4:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.