Stir Up the Gift of God

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1. Observe

   Whose faith does Paul trace as living first before it reached Timothy himself?

   • Paul's and Barnabas's
   • His grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice
   • His father and his uncle
   • The elders at Lystra and Derbe

2. Observe

   What three qualities does Paul say God has given us through the Spirit, contrasted with a spirit of fear?

   • Joy, peace, and patience
   • Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
   • Power, love, and self-control
   • Faith, hope, and love

3. Interpret

   Paul urges Timothy to "stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." What does this image of stirring or fanning a flame reveal about spiritual gifts and their maintenance?

   • Spiritual gifts are automatically active and require no personal effort.
   • The gift was temporary and needed to be renewed through a second ceremony.
   • Spiritual gifts are real endowments given by God, but they can cool through fear, neglect, or discouragement — and must be deliberately rekindled through active use, faith-filled exercise, and refusal to shrink back. The responsibility for keeping the gift aflame rests partly with the recipient, not God alone.
   • The gift would be taken away if Timothy did not perform well, so he needed to earn it back.

4. Interpret

   Paul contrasts those who deserted him in Asia with Onesiphorus, who "sought me diligently and found me" in Rome. What is Paul's purpose in naming both the deserters and the faithful companion?

   • Paul is settling personal scores with those who left him.
   • Naming deserters and a faithful friend shows that suffering reveals character — crisis strips away pretense, exposing who is truly committed to the Gospel and to one another. Onesiphorus's courage is held up as a model precisely because it stood out against a backdrop of abandonment, encouraging Timothy to choose the harder, faithful path.
   • Paul wants Timothy to avoid the deserters and seek Onesiphorus's advice.
   • The contrast is primarily about geography — some were too far away to help.

5. Apply

   Paul writes that God saved us "not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal." How does grounding your identity in God's pre-temporal choice, rather than your performance, change how you face fear or failure?

   • It means my past choices no longer matter because grace covers everything automatically.
   • It suggests God's choice was random and I should not try to understand it.
   • Knowing that my calling and salvation rest on God's eternal purpose — not on my record — releases me from the paralysis of fear and shame. When I fail, I am not unraveling God's plan; when I face opposition, my standing before him is secure. This is the very ground Paul uses to call Timothy to boldness rather than fear.
   • I should focus on performing well to confirm that God's choice of me was correct.

6. Apply

   Onesiphorus refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of his chains, diligently seeking him out in Rome. Who in your life right now is isolated, discouraged, or in a difficult season — and what would it look like for you to be their Onesiphorus this week?

   • Encouragement should come from church leaders and counselors, not ordinary believers.
   • People in difficulty need practical help, not personal visits, which can feel intrusive.
   • The example of Onesiphorus calls me to move past the inconvenience or awkwardness of reaching someone in a hard place — perhaps someone in a difficult job, a health crisis, or a relational winter — and actively seek them out with presence, practical help, and the message that they are not forgotten.
   • This kind of devotion is only appropriate for close family members, not church acquaintances.

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