“For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
The passage we are spotlighting is well known and often quoted by many. But unfortunately like many other well quoted verses there is a tendency to isolate it from the context it is embedded in. Thus, it becomes easier to miss any vital points the author might desire to convey.
Apostle Paul wrote II Timothy
from prison while awaiting his execution. He only had a short time left before
his death, so he penned this profoundly personal letter full of intense
affection and concern for this young man he had been mentoring and training for
some time. Paul knew that Timothy faced an enormous responsibility in continuing
the Apostolic message and training others to carry on as well, so he wanted to
encourage the young man to stand firm in the faith with boldness even in the
face of adversity and opposition. So, he begins by exhorting Timothy to “stir
up the gift.”
2 Timothy 1:5-8 KJV
“When I
call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in
thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee
also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,
which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power of God;”
Stir Up the Gift
The Greek word translated “stir up” denotes the kindling of a fire, as by bellows. Anyone who has ever tended a campfire knows that stirring up the glowing embers of a dying fire can cause those embers to flame up again and burn more brightly. Timothy was to see to it that the gift he received back when Paul had laid hands on him never grew cold and dwindled out; he was to “stir it up” and keep the flame going!
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,” 2 Timothy 1:6 ESV
Each one of us have
our own spiritual gift and calling, which is imperative to keep the fire of that
gift (even your salvation), burning brightly in order to be effective in this
darkened world. If you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you received
the fire! You don’t get one without the other. But over time it becomes easy to
let the fire of the Spirit dwindle down. So, we need to keep it stirred up and
burning bright.
Spirit of Fear
The Greek word translated “fear” can mean dread, fright, afraid, or faint-hearted, cowardly, or even timid. But as I have brought out in previous studies, this is a “spirit” of fear. Something which takes ahold of you in a controlling way to where your senses are numbed in such a way you no longer think straight. And in this passage, it denotes having a fear of man and what he can do to you! A great example of this is when God called the prophet Jeremiah.
“Be
not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the
LORD.”
Jeremiah
1:8
KJV
Spirit of Power
This spirit of power is only one of the many attributes of the Holy Spirit once you receive it. It grants you strength, authority, and ability to withstand every attack the enemy hurls at you!
“But
ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 KJV
Spirit of Love
This spirit
of Love is the agape Love, which is self-less, without conditions or limits.
This kind of love is impossible to attain without the empowerment of the Holy
Spirit. It enables you to love your enemies and oppressors. In this context it refers
to love the ones lighting the fire to the stake they have tied you to.
“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;”
Matthew
5:44
KJV
Spirit of Self-control
The King James translation uses the phrase “a sound mind” which causes those of us in this century to focus on mental fitness or competence. But that is not what the original wording totally implying.
“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and
love and self-control.” ESV
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but
gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
NIV
The Spirit of self-control or discipline is one of the 9 fruits of the Spirit which enables us to control our thoughts and think straight (sound) even in the face of fear!
Summary (a paraphrase)
Keep burning the gifts given to you by God because that
flame will enable you to stand boldly without fear and proclaim truth even in
persecution. It will give you the ability to withstand every attack, allow you
to love your oppressor while giving you self-discipline to stand even in death
for the cause of Christ!
