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Nearly 2,000 years ago, a senior minister wrote this to his associate pastor:

"Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you" (I Timothy 4:13-16 NASV).

Paul, the senior minister knew what he was writing about. Timothy, his associate pastor was serving the Church during challenging times. Called to minister in Ephesus, Timothy was confronted with the twin realities of Roman occupation and miserable paganism.  Paul had already faced these foes of Christianity on every level. His own gift had been tried and tested in the crucible of ridicule, rejection, imprisonment, and physical sufferings.

Now, he is reminding Timothy about the same kind of gift given to him by the Holy Spirit through the hands of the elders of the Church. He calls it Timothy's "spiritual gift." That is, chárisma, which primarily is "a favor which one receives without any merit of his own."  In context, it refers to "the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, and virtue." 

Of this gift Adam Clarke noted: "These very gifts and graces might be improved; and we have reason to believe, if not improved, would be withdrawn by the great Head of the Church."

This is precisely why in verse 14 Paul urges Timothy: "do not neglect" your gift. The word is am-el-eh'-o which means "to be careless of."

But he does not stop there. In the next verse (15) he goes on to say "Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all." The words "take pains" translate the single word mel-et-ah'-o which means "to attend to carefully, to practice."

Not that Timothy was not doing so, but as Adam Clarke pointed out (above), "These very gifts and graces might be improved; and we have reason to believe, if not improved, would be withdrawn by the great Head of the Church."

This is why in Paul's second letter to Timothy, he penned this classic line: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15 NASV).

To be clear, At Master's International University of Divinity, we not only believe that this is an ongoing requirement of keeping the gift fresh (or as Clarke said "improved"), for others (which is why we exist in the first place), but each of us remains committed to constantly studying, and improving our own gift.

Now, about your gift. Like Paul and Timothy, you too live in a world filled with opposition to righteousness. Yes, times are different from those of the first-century church, but the opposition is the same. And, so are the obstacles to keeping the gift fresh by being absorbed in the study of "the word of truth."

At Master's, we cannot remove any of those obstacles, but we can provide you with opportunity - real opportunity - the opportunity to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15 NASV).

That's why we are doing everything within our power to bring the highest quality, and most reasonably priced initial and ongoing ministry education to the doorstep of your computer keyboard. 

The savings in tuition dollars, no travel cost, super low prices for textbooks, and full service by staff and faculty, make it possible for you to be your very best as you exercise your gift, and minister to those who need to hear the clear and winning Word of Truth. Give them your best!