For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
For ... - implying that Timothy needed 'to stir up the gift of God in him,' being constitutionally timid: 'For God did not give us' х edooken (G1325), at confirmation, Acts 8:15-17; Acts 13:3-4, at ordination], etc. The spirit which He gave us was not the spirit of cowardice х deilias (G1167)] which is weakness, but of "power" exhibited in a fearless "testimony" for Christ 2 Timothy 1:8). "Power" invariably accompanies the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8: cf. Acts 1:2 Tim. 6:6 with 2 Timothy 1:8). Fear results from "the spirit of bondage" (Romans 8:15). Fear within exaggerates the causes of fear without. 'The spirit of power' is man's spirit dwelt in by the Spirit of God imparting power; this "casteth out fear" from ourselves, and stimulates us to cast it out of others (1 John 4:18).
Love - which moves the believer while "speaking the truth" with power, when testifying for Christ (2 Timothy 1:8), at the same time to do so "in love" (Ephesians 4:15).
A sound mind, х soofronismou (G4995)] - 'the bringing of men to a sound mind' (Wahl). The Greek admits of the English version, reflexively, the bringing of our own passions under control: self-restraint' (cf. Luke 15:17; Mark 5:15): a duty to which a young man especially needed to be exhorted to (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:22; Titus 2:4; Titus 2:6). So Paul urges him (2 Timothy 2:4) to give up worldly entanglements (Luke 8:14). These three gifts are preferable to any miraculous power.