1 Timothy 4:14 (WEB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching.

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.

1 Timothy 4:15 Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all.

1 Timothy 4:16 Pay attention to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "neglect", "gift", "given", "prophecy", "laying", "hands", and "elders". 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 "Until I come pay attention to reading..." into verse 15's "Be diligent in these things Give yourself...", 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.