Articles
Who Bestowed Timothy's Gift?
Some first-century Christians were empowered by the Holy Spirit to work miracles. Is that still true today? No, it is not. The purpose of miracles was two-fold: to reveal (Ephesians 3:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10) and to confirm (Hebrews 2:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5) God’s will. This need no longer exists. The truth was long ago completely revealed and confirmed (John 16:13; Jude 3). 1 Corinthians 13 plainly says that the partial will be done away with when the complete comes.
Another way we know that men today do not have the power to work miracles is because that power was given by means of the laying on of apostles’ hands. Acts 8 makes the point. Philip preached at Samaria. Many were converted. Although Philip could work miracles, he could not empower others to do so. The apostles sent two of their number, Peter and John, who prayed for the Samaritans and laid hands on them, bestowing the Spirit through that means (Acts 8:14-19).
Since there are no apostles today (Acts 1:22-26), there is no means of receiving the power. (Holy Spirit “baptism,” the only other means, was a temporary phenomena [Ephesians 4:5], occurring on only two occasions.)
But what about 1 Timothy 4:14? Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” Does that not indicate the presbyters or elders could impart such gifts, thus negating the argument?
First, we do not know for sure that this reference is to a miraculous gift. The term gift does not necessitate that (cf. 1 Peter 4:10). Some think it refers to Timothy’s role as a preacher and Paul’s helper.
But even granting that the gift was a miraculous one, note the text carefully. Timothy’s gift was bestowed with the laying on of hands by the presbytery, not through it. It was given through Paul’s hands (2 Timothy 1:6), and Paul was an apostle. It is possible that the elders joined in when Paul was imparting a gift to Timothy. Laying on hands was a common means of designating one to a given work and expressing good will toward it (Acts 13:3). This verse is consistent with the rest of the New Testament. It provides no evidence of another means of receiving miraculous powers.
