1 Timothy 4:14 (ASV)

Passage

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

1 Timothy 4:15 Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "neglect", "gift", "thee", "given", "prophecy", "laying", and "hands". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "neglect" and "gift", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Till I come give heed to reading..." into verse 15's "Be diligent in these things give thyself...", so "neglect" and "gift" belong inside that flow. In 1 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "neglect" and "gift" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.