Second Timothy 1:6 tells Timothy to rekindle the spiritual gift God has already placed in him, the way you might blow on a dying fire until it burns again. Paul writes this near the end of his life, from prison, to his young protégé and close co-worker in ministry. Timothy is the pastor of the church at Ephesus, and Paul is writing to encourage him to stay faithful when the work feels heavy.
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 verse begins with “For this cause,” which points backward to the sincere faith Paul has just described in Timothy’s family line. Because that faith is real and rooted in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, Paul reminds him of something important. Timothy already has a gift from God, and it did not come from his own talent. It was given to him at a moment when Paul and the elders laid hands on him, a practice tied to recognizing and commissioning someone for ministry.
The phrase “stir up” uses an image of coals or embers. A fire that has burned low can be revived by fresh air and attention, and Paul tells Timothy to do exactly that with what God has given him. The verse does not promise that the gift will work on its own or that every hard season will vanish. It is an instruction to act, to pray, to use what he has, and to stop letting discouragement smother it.
The Context of 2 Timothy 1:6
Second Timothy is one of the three pastoral letters, traditionally attributed to Paul, written to Timothy and addressing leadership within the church. Paul is in prison, probably near the end of his life, and he knows his time is short. The letter carries a tone of farewell mixed with urgent counsel, and Paul wants Timothy to be ready to carry the gospel forward after he is gone.
The verses just before this one speak warmly of Timothy’s faith and tears, and the verses after it turn to courage. Verse 7 says God gives “a spirit of fear” no place, but a spirit of power, love, and self-control. That is why the stirring up of the gift matters: Timothy’s temptation is to shrink back in timidity, and Paul answers that with a reminder of what God has already supplied. Read in this setting, verse 6 is less a rebuke and more an encouragement to take up courage that is already his.
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)
This verse follows directly after our passage and explains the spirit God gives, which is power, love, and self-control rather than fear. It shows what the stirred-up gift looks like in practice and why Timothy can act boldly.
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)
Paul writes here about the gift Timothy received through the prophetic word and the laying on of hands by the elders. It reinforces that the gift was given in a community setting and calls Timothy to take it seriously.
A Short Prayer From 2 Timothy 1:6
Lord, you have placed gifts in your people for the building up of the church, and I thank you that I am not left to create them from nothing. Where my gift has grown dull through weariness or fear, stir it up again by your Spirit. Give me the courage to use what you have already given, and help me remember the people who prayed for me and the call you have spoken over my life. Teach me to serve with power, love, and self-control, not out of my own strength but out of your grace. Amen.
