1 Timothy 4:14 (GNV)

Passage

Despise not the gift that is in thee, which was giuen thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the companie of the Eldership.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth, but be vnto them that beleeue, an ensample, in worde, in conuersation, in loue, in spirit, in faith, and in purenesse.

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, giue attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:14 Despise not the gift that is in thee, which was giuen thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the companie of the Eldership.

1 Timothy 4:15 These things exercise, and giue thy selfe vnto them, that it may be seene howe thou profitest among all men.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heede vnto thy selfe, and vnto learning: continue therein: for in doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe, and them that heare thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "despise", "gift", "thee", "giuen", "prophecie", "laying", and "hands". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "despise" 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 giue attendance to reading..." into verse 15's "These things exercise and giue thy selfe...", so "despise" 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 "despise" and "gift" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.