Hence (or better “For this reason” [Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version]) goes back to the previous verse, particularly to the sincere faith that Timothy possesses. So one can also restructure: “Because of your sincere faith,” “Because I am sure of your sincere faith,” “Because of the sincere faith that dwells in you,” or “Because you truly believe in Christ like this.”
In the previous verse Paul says “I am reminded”; in this verse he says I remind you. While the two words are not the same, the meanings are related, with one referring to the act of causing oneself to remember something, and the other to the act of causing someone else to remember something. Other ways of rendering this clause are “For this reason I want you to remember…” or “Because you truly believe in Christ like this, I urge you to remember….”
The word for rekindle occurs only here in the whole New Testament; literally it describes the act of reviving a fire that has gone out. It is of course used here in a figurative sense. Does it mean then that Timothy’s use of the spiritual gift that he received at ordination has somehow weakened, and that he has lost some of his zeal for the gospel? The use of the figure of rekindling seems to imply that, but there is no way of being sure. Some translations have retained the figure by various means (for example, New International Version “fan into flame”; Cotton Patch translation, “Shake the ashes off the God-given fire that’s in you”). It may not be either natural or possible in some languages to speak about rekindling a “gift.” In such cases it will be preferable to substitute another figure or to drop the figure altogether (compare Good News Translation). In some languages it will be more natural to use a negative expression here and say “not to lose the gift.”
For gift see 1 Tim 4.14. Here as there, it can refer to the Holy Spirit or to a particular gift from the Holy Spirit. This gift is spoken of as being within (Good News Translation “in”) Timothy. This of course is a figurative way of speaking about a person possessing something so much so that it becomes part of that person’s nature.
For laying on of … hands see 1 Tim 4.14.
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .