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This series is an exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. By “exposition” we mean “expository preaching.” In this study we work through the Book of Ephesians, verse by verse, from beginning to end in its proper, biblical context.

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1.6).

The following is from the article Stir Up the Ministry! by David Cloud.

Timothy had a ministry gift from God. The gift had to be stirred up. It means “literally, blowing up the coals into a flame” (Matthew Henry). Spiritual gifts must be must be kept “fired up.” Spiritual gifts can grow cold through disuse. The believer is responsible to stir up his gift by using it (Luke 19.11ff; 1Pet 4.10-11). This is an image of continual revival through zealous pursuit of one’s calling. The verb is present tense, indicating continuous action. The stirring up of one’s spiritual gifts is not something that can be done once, or even once in a while. It must be done continually. If a spiritual gift is not being stirred up, it is growing cold.

Everything in the Christian life and family and church has to be stirred up. We have to stir up abiding in Christ, yielding to the Holy Spirit, walking in the light, holiness, Bible study, prayer, separation from the world, evangelism, godly family relations, child discipline, the holy priesthood, the “one another” ministry in the body, everything. We stir it up by preaching and teaching on it, by repeating it, by emphasizing it, by modeling it, by whispering it and by shouting it. It has well been said, “Nothing can be maintained without a campaign.”

In 1911, Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote True Evangelism, and one of his concerns was that churches should not think of revival as something that happens in a special meeting.

The use of the word [“revival”] usually means, however, a getting up after having fallen down, or a waking after sleeping, or a coming to strength after a period of weakness; while, on the other hand, the Scriptures pre-suppose a continual erect, wakeful and aggressive position for service on the part of every Christian (Ephesians 6:10-17). A “revival” is abnormal rather than normal. It may have a function when needed, but in no way should become a habit, much less a sanctioned method of work. Having regained vitality, believers are not warranted in returning habitually to an anemic state. (Chafer, True Evangelism, 1911).