2 Timothy 1:6 tells Timothy to fan his God-given gift into active use, like rekindling a fire that has burned low. Paul, the apostle, writes this letter near the end of his life to his younger co-worker Timothy, a pastor in Ephesus, and reminds him of a gift he received through the laying on of hands.
For 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.
2 Timothy 1:6 (WEB)
What 2 Timothy 1:6 Means
The phrase “for this cause” points back to the faith Paul has just described in Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. Because that sincere faith has been passed down, Paul urges Timothy to act on what has been entrusted to him. The verb translated “stir up” is a picture of kindling: a fire that is still alive but dimming needs fresh breath and attention to flare back up.
The “gift of God” is not a natural talent alone. Paul ties it to the moment of the “laying on of my hands,” a public, ordained commissioning in which Timothy was set apart for ministry. The verse does not promise that a gift will automatically thrive, and it does not say Timothy is to wait passively for power to arrive. It asks him to take responsibility for what he already has and to use it faithfully.
The Context of 2 Timothy 1:6
Second Timothy is one of the Pastoral Epistles, traditionally attributed to Paul and written while he was imprisoned, probably at the end of his life. Its audience is Timothy, whom Paul calls his beloved child, and through him, the wider church that needs faithful leaders. The letter is personal and urgent, full of encouragement and warning.
Just before verse 6, Paul thanks God for Timothy’s sincere faith and remembers his tears, which lends warmth to the appeal. Just after, in verse 7, Paul reminds Timothy that God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and self-control. Read this way, the call to stir up a gift is not a demand driven by anxiety. It is an invitation to step forward with courage rooted in God’s character.
Key Phrases in 2 Timothy 1:6
2 Timothy 1:7
For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
(WEB)
The verse that follows directly explains why Timothy can stir up his gift: God did not give a spirit of fear. Reading it alongside verse 6 shows that the courage needed for ministry comes from God’s own character, not from Timothy’s strength alone.
1 Timothy 4:14
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.
(WEB)
In his earlier letter to Timothy, Paul mentions the same gift received through the council of elders. Together the two passages show that Timothy’s gift was a real, recognized calling, and that neglecting it was a genuine concern for Paul.
A Short Prayer From 2 Timothy 1:6
Lord, you have placed gifts in me that I often leave unused. Forgive me for the times I have let fear or busyness dim what you have given. Stir up in me the courage to act, and fan into flame whatever you have entrusted to me. Help me to serve others with a spirit of power, love, and self-control, not with anxiety. Amen.
