John Calvin Commentary 2 Timothy 1:6

"For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands." — 2 Timothy 1:6 (ASV)

For which cause I advise you. The more abundantly Timothy had received the grace of God, the Apostle intimates, the more attentive he ought to be in making progress from day to day. It deserves notice that the words “for which cause” introduce this advice as a conclusion from what has already been said.

To stir up the gift of God. This exhortation is highly necessary, for it usually happens, and it may be said to be natural, that the excellence of gifts produces carelessness, which is also accompanied by sloth. Satan continually labors to extinguish all that is of God in us. We ought, therefore, on the other hand, to strive to bring to perfection everything that is good in us and to kindle what is languid. For the metaphor Paul employs is taken from a fire that was feeble, or that was in the process of being gradually extinguished, unless strength and flame were added by blowing upon it and by supplying new fuel. Let us therefore remember that we ought to apply the gifts of God, lest, being unemployed and concealed, they gather rust. Let us also remember that we should diligently profit by them, lest they be extinguished by our slothfulness.

Which is in you by the laying on of my hands. There can be no doubt that Timothy was called by the general voice of the Church and was not elected by the private wish of Paul alone. However, there is no absurdity in saying that Paul ascribes the election to himself personally, because he was the chief actor in it. Yet here he speaks of ordination—that is, of the solemn act of conferring the office of the ministry—and not of election. Besides, it is not perfectly clear whether it was the custom, when any minister was to be set apart, that all laid their hands on his head, or that one only did so on behalf of all. I am more inclined to the conjecture that it was only one person who laid on his hands.

Regarding the ceremony, the apostles borrowed it from an ancient custom of their nation; or rather, because it was in use, they retained it, for this is a part of that decent and orderly procedure that Paul elsewhere recommends (1 Corinthians 14:40). Yet it may be doubted whether the “laying on of hands” now mentioned refers to ordination, because at that time the graces of the Spirit, of which he speaks in the 12th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 12) and in the 13th of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13), were bestowed on many others who were not appointed to be pastors. But, for my own part, I think it may be easily inferred from the former Epistle that Paul here speaks of the office of a pastor, for this passage agrees with that:

Do not neglect the grace that was given to you with the laying on of the hands of the eldership (1 Timothy 4:14).

That point being settled, it is asked, “Was grace given by the outward sign?” To this question I answer: whenever ministers were ordained, they were recommended to God by the prayers of the whole Church. In this manner, grace from God was obtained for them by prayer and was not given to them by virtue of the sign, although the sign was not uselessly or unprofitably employed but was a sure pledge of the grace that they received from God’s own hand.

That ceremony was not a profane act, invented for the sole purpose of gaining esteem from men, but a lawful consecration before God, which is not performed except by the power of the Holy Spirit. Besides, Paul takes the sign for the whole matter or the whole transaction, for he declares that Timothy was endowed with grace when he was offered to God as a minister. Thus, in this mode of expression, there is a figure of speech in which a part is taken for the whole.

But we are again met by another question: if it was only at his ordination that Timothy obtained the grace necessary for discharging his office, of what nature was the election of a man not yet fit or qualified, but previously void and destitute of the gift of God? I answer, it was not given to him at that time in such a way that he did not possess it before; for it is certain that he excelled both in doctrine and in other gifts before Paul ordained him to the ministry. But there is no inconsistency in saying that when God wished to make use of his services, and accordingly called him, He then fitted and enriched him still more with new gifts, or doubled those He had previously bestowed. It does not therefore follow that Timothy had not previously possessed any gift, but rather that it shone forth all the more when the duty of teaching was laid upon him.